Students not allowed - is this legal?

tbs624

Ruth_Coombs wrote: »

We have to have student contracts running for Sept 1st to Aug 31st - mortgage companies still want money during the summer holidays. If all the students (no non-students accommodated) stay on same course for another year, then we get full exemption for the summer break. However, if one, two or more are leaving either the course or the house in the June/July or Aug we are hit with CT. I really object to this.....

Slightly off topic from the OP but I'm not sure why you should object to this so vehemently - the council tax exemption applies to the *students* in the property, to be set against their personal obligation to pay up whilst tenants. It does not apply to your *property*.

Presumably you want the street lighting maintained so that people can see if someone's attempting to break in, the police to attend if someone does, you want the last of the student rubbish clearing by the refuse collectors, you want the fire service to attend if someone started a fire near your property etc? All of that comes out of the Council Tax so why shouldn't you as the property owner pay for the interim period? It's no different to a LL being responsible for paying any utility bills for any non-tenancy period.

You can of course set the Council Tax payments against rental income for tax purposes

There are some who would argue that, as LLs are in effect running a business, there should be an element of business rates due on each property..................;)

Ruth_Coombs wrote: »

......We need the Uni behind us on this one. Where would they be without hundreds of rooms let by LL's. As for students being troublesome - without speaking too soon I highly recommend them.

Where would you be without the profit that letting to students brings you (even with a small payment to cover interim council tax)? Of course you recommend them - you can gain a far higher rental return from letting a four or five bedroomed house out to a group of students than you could for letting the same property to one family.

clockworks_2

my experience with student lettings has never been good, i don't want to tar all students with the same brush but from a personal experience. Our place was never looked after very well, late payments- i think the mentality of "were only here for a year" can be partial to blame , where as the tenents we now have , have been here at our place for 3 years and look after the place like it's thier own.

I would not want to rent out to students agian and can see why the letting agency may not want to

just my 2 pence worth

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Running_Horse wrote: »

I have also seen residential neighbourhoods ruined by the invasion of students.

I live in what is now a "student area" and while all students cannot be tarred with the same brush (I know, I was one, and I'd like to think I was a good neighbour!) it does have an effect on the neighbourhood. Some students don't seem to be aware of the fact that other people do not work on their timetable, are not able to stay up until 3am on weeknights, do not want to hear parties or loud music next door until all hours, do not wish to have people stood around outside late at night drinking and talking loudly etc etc.

You can tell when the student union nights are by how many burger boxes are lashed onto your front step by the next morning. Winds me up no end. Just because people don't have a long term concern in the upkeep of the area seems to mean they don't give a stuff about looking after the neighbourhood that we live in.

I live next door to a student house and have done for 5 years. I've had a mixed experience with it; some have been quiet as a mouse & really respectful, some have been a total nightmare, with no respect for the fact that I do not wish to listen to hip-hop at full blast from the next room at 5am on a Tuesday. One year, myself and the elderly couple who live on the other side of the house had to get the police and environmental health involved because of the level of noise polution from parties, unreasonable behaviour and aggressive and violent behaviour of guests to the house, including beer bottles being thrown at my 70 year old neighbour after he dared to ask them to stop screaming outside the house at 3am, and a chocolate cake of all things being thrown at the side of my house!! My argument with them was how would they feel if someone moved in next to their parents or grandparents and behaved that way??

So while I'm sure most students are normal, rational people, there is a numerable minority who do not know how to behave in a considerate and peaceful way towards people who do not have the luxury of 9-hour a week timetables and knowing they will not be living in that street the next year. Given this, you can understand why some Landlords do not wish to accommodate students; the landlord is ultimately responsible for any problems caused by the tenants and if there are any neighbour disputes they are obliged to declare these when selling.

I'm sure you're one of the favourable majority who know how to behave themselves and it's a shame all students get lumped in the same category, but in most places there is a lot of dedicated student accommodation available. I hope you get somewhere sorted out soon

Running_Horse

Presumably the OP thinks halls of residence and other rental properties owned by universities are discriminatory against non-students. Or is it one law for us and another for students?

Chris2685

I was a student...

*thinks for a while*

Nope, I definitely wouldn't let my property to students either :P

MissB_2

It's no different to no DSS, no smokers or (the bane of my life) no pets.
It's a generalisation - after all, my middle-aged neutered ladycat is unlikely to do the same damage as a St. Bernard but more likely to have an impact than a hamster - but there's always a reason for the LL stating what they will and will not accept.
It's like renting a boat from a boatyard; many will NOT entertain hiring to any large, same-sex groups. And they say that for a reason!
B
x x x

chopperharris

go in with a wad for a deposit , 5k per tenant , put it down for breakages/clean up , see how fast they change the "rule".

I can see the frustration from both points of view but deposits speak volumes , even those sharing complain about roomies.The "young ones" have a lot to answer for....not the people but the tv series.

If it all about being out in the big world for the first time then the risk from the landlords point of view is quite high.Theres also a reason why you end up in a hovel , you end up appreciating anything better on the the next one.

ghostmadlittlemiss

Thanks to those of you leaving more comments to explain. For those leaving ones inferring that I know nothing about the real world, haven't you got anything better to do then to have a go at me for asking a question? If you know so much, surely you should be glad that your omniscience has benefited someone. :rolleyes:
Kayleigh

xelaine88x

Running_Horse wrote: »

I used to rent spare rooms, and from bitter experience learned never to rent to students, under 21s, people who got others to ring for them, the unemployed, and smokers. The best tenants were contractors, who understood about paying on time, and sharing facilities. If you don't like it, feel free to sue, or whine.

I have also seen residential neighbourhoods ruined by the invasion of students.

Sorry that you feel the need to tar everyone with the same brush... I am a 20 year old student and I smoke, and my partner always rings the landlord. Take it you wouldn't be renting to me

GrammarGirl

The words student, tar, same and brush come up an awful lot in this thread.