Advice needed for moving into a new student house!

VickyA_2

When I was a student, 4 of us shared the same house for 2 years. One of us had the phone bill in our name, one the gas etc etc which worked fantastically as all bills were paid in time and we trusted each other to cough up. We knew where each other lived and there were no "late payments" to each other.

As for the changing of utility suppliers, make sure you ask the landlord as others have suggested. Our student landlord was very laid back and didn't mind what we did as long as the bills were paid when we left.... which they were. Now I'm renting privately, there is a clause in our contract that says that we can't change utility suppliers without the written permission of our landlord (or landlord's agent). Probably best to get permission.

Crispy_Ambulance

andyuk2005 wrote:

Hi All!


1. Should I conduct an inspection report so the landlord can't charge us for items which were damaged before we moved in?

Go through the inventory with the landlord. Take photos of any damage, along with a copy of the day's newspaper in case of problems later. Keep a copy of the inventory. Lots of students end up having to chase Landlord's for deposits and you have a much better case if you have some evidence.

2. Previous 12month contracts for services such as gas/electricity etc probebly run over into the time that I'll be living there. I might wish to change providers so what options do I have to cancelling these contracts or making the previous owners pay them off?

You are only responsible for utility bills from the day you take over the contract. Take meter readings and contact the suppliers on the day you move in. Ask to have EVERYONE's name put on the bill - that will stop any one individual being liable. Instead, you will all be jointly and severally liable.

3. Because no individual wants the whole burden of a bill on them to pay, is there a way a bill can be spread between tenants such as a multiple named bill, or a joint bank account for the tenants? What are the advantages/disadvantages etc.

Erm thats all the questions I can think of at the moment. Ofcourse Ill be updating answers if I find any out aswell! :j

Thanks,

Andy

Always report any repairs in writing to the Landlord and keep a copy of the letter. Make sure you clean it properly when you move out - so as Kim and Aggie would be impressed - professional cleaners bills will take most of your deposit. Don't be a nuisance to your neighbours! Make sure you lock your doors etc when you go out - student houses are good targets for burglaries.

trinaodee

After having my fair share of nightmares in my second year of university concerning housemates, I'd go along with what most others have said here. Definitely put bills in everyone's name or get a joint account. But the warning with joint accounts is that not everyone will pay in the right amount, you'll be amazed how much hassle could be caused by 55p!

Talk about living arrangements before you move in, such as food and loo roll and stuff. Fair enough everyone buys their own food, but it's silly to do that with things like loo roll and cleaning products. Also talk about cleaning - how much people expect the place to be clean and if it would be a good idea to get a rota. you'll think you know people and then they'll emerge as anally retentive. We ended up having to make a rota about 6 months in just to try and shut one person up.

It's top though, living in student houses. My final word of advice would be to always have some booze handy. never hurts.

Good luck.

robhammond

This Guide may be of use to you....

http://www.studentpad.co.uk/huddersfield/Advice-English.asp it's something I helped draft in my days as a student advisor.

Rob

Savvy_Sue

If you're opening a Clubs and Societies account, you may NOT be able to do Direct Debits from it - it's a while since I ran one of these but don't think it was an option from the Alliance and Leicester (which is a useful one to consider because you can pay bills at the Post Office if that's more convenient than getting to the bank!)

And if you need a name for your 'Club', then you could think of a name for the house you're sharing and use that. I lived in a house that WAS going to have been called the town's Elephant Breeding Centre - narrowly averted by someone having a better idea! :rotfl: