Student Advice Centre: Housing advice
Hello! We’re the Advice Centre Team at the Students’ Union and we are here to support you through your student journey. We are a team of professionally trained and friendly full-time Advisors who are experienced in offering impartial, non-judgemental, and confidential advice on any issues affecting your University experience.
One of the areas we support students with is housing. Renting as a student can seem overwhelming and confusing! You might be thinking about looking for next year’s housing and we have put together our top 5 tips to help you through the process. Read on to find out more...
1. Don’t rush!
There is often a myth that you have to sign for next year’s housing as soon as you can and this is false. There is more accommodation available than there are students and it is really important to take your time to make sure you find housing that meets your needs. Once you sign a tenancy agreement, it is legally binding and very difficult to get out of, so it is important not to rush.
2. Know your rights as a tenant
Read through our range of housing guidance to make sure you understand your rights as a tenant and how to navigate your housing journey.
3. Get your tenancy agreement checked
Before you sign your tenancy agreement, send it to us for us to read over. We will be able to make sure it follows all the legal obligations which helps protect you.
4. Make sure your deposit is protected
You will be asked to pay a deposit, which should be capped at 5 works worth of rent. This is a sum of money to safeguard the landlords from any damages/unpaid rent and by law it has to be put in a government approved protection scheme. Make sure you receive email confirmation within 30 days of paying your deposit that it has been protected.
5. Access help as soon as you need it
the sooner you get in touch, the more options are available to you. Please get in touch with us as soon as you start experiencing any issues.
If you need any support whilst at University, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We are completely free of charge and can support you with any Academic, Housing, Finance and/or Welfare issues. You can get in touch by submitting an enquiry form here, and an Advisor will get back to you within 2 working days.
