Reality of University Life - Moving Away from Home

QrizB

Voyager2002 said:

RAS said:

 Anyone who can explain joint and several liability? That if you leave a tip, you lose your deposit?

Or rather, if you leave a tip you (or your guarantor) may still have to pay rent for the rest of the contract. And if someone else leaves, the landlord will come after you for their share of the rent as well as your own.

I can only speak for my son's landlord (an estate agency) but the contract for their shared flat was as a HMO. So each tenant had their own contract ad each was only responsible for their share of the rent. If one quit, the others couldn't be asked to make up te difference.

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/houses-in-multiple-occupation

FlorayG

The new Renter's Rights law will be in force by then so any tenant only has to give 2 month's notice. Of course, it will be almost impossible for students to obtain private rentals at all in the first place because they won't be allowed to pay a term up front and who in their right mind expects students to be frugal and put away enough of their loan to pay the rent every month?

Savvy_Sue

It may be time for 'conversations' to move on to actions which promote independence. For example, in 6th form, my boys were doing their own laundry, in order to ensure that they not only knew HOW to do it, but WHEN, ie before you take off your last pair of clean pants. 

Likewise a little bit of money-handling. Not so much pocket money, but a monthly allowance which covered their bus fares to and from school, and some extra for lunches. And it went into their bank account, and it was up to them to get cash out as needed - do NOT ask mum for your bus fares at 10pm on a Sunday, she will not have cash! Of course this is in the days before buses took bank cards, and school food needed a school cash card for payment. 

What was interesting was that DS1 used his money as intended - but he had a paper round, then a job at the local cinema, and he saved most of that money. DS2 started walking to and from school (8 miles a day!), so saved his bus fare money. And DS3 asked for an advance, so he could buy a bike, so once that was repaid he was saving his bus fares. Oh, and DS2 and DS3 both also worked at the cinema once old enough. 

Then there's cooking, and shopping. All of them could prepare a few basic meals - Sunday roast (the price for not coming to church), bacon pasta, a chocolate cake - and were required to do so from time to time. Shopping: if we're running low on something, you add it to the shopping list, OR ELSE! And occasional trips to the supermarket and a requirement to check whether X was better value at £5 than Y and £6. 

I did try suggesting that DS1 could not leave home without learning how to sew on a button. His response was that he never wore anything with buttons, so I lost that one. 

I won't make any great claims about cleaning, because it's not something I spend a lot of time on, but they could all use AND EMPTY a vacuum cleaner, and empty the bins. 

You may need Dad on side with this ... but you don't just TALK about it, you DO something. You don't do his washing, you give money for specific purposes and leave the responsibility to them, you expect them to prepare a meal. 

Pollycat

[Deleted User] said:

My stepchild is absolutely adamant that they want to move away to go to uni in September.  

If they are adamant, all you can do is your best to prepare them for living on their own.
You have 8 months to do it.

amanda1024

Personally, I found moving away to go to university was a really valuable experience. I learnt lots of practical skills as well as making some great friends. I was lucky enough to be able to live in university halls for all four years of my degree, which helped a lot with the costs; I only got the minimum maintenance loan, which would have been very challenging in private rentals. It'd definitely be worth pointing out that the loan will go further at some universities than others so that might be forth feeding into any decision about where to go. I was definitely short of cash particularly in my first term/year, and ended up eating quite a lot of potatoes and getting to know the Sainsbury's Basics range - I then managed to get decent summer jobs to keep me going (my uni frowned on term-time jobs given the impact on studies). 

Sapindus

Make sure he chooses a uni that guarantees a place in halls for 1st year.  Lots do.

elsien

Try and work out some sort of budget with him. Because even with the maximum loan it’s likely that either he will need to be subsidised my family, if that is possible, or get a job alongside his studies.

Sulaco86

My son went to Uni three years ago and moved to the other end of the country, it has been the making of him and he's really grown up as a result. Yes it's daunting, but also very fulfilling.

Specific piece of advice, in most Uni towns accomodation is very scarce. In year one many Unis will guarantee an accomodation place, and I'd advise taking it as while it might not be the cheapest or best, it will be more reliable and hassle free. (note many of these guarantees are only if you make them your first choice, not if you get in via clearing)

BUT, you have to start looking for year two accomodation almost as soon as you arrive at Uni, and definitely before the first Christmas. This might seem insanely early to be looking, especially as they will still be making friends and working out who they want to hang out with. But in popular towns like Manchester all the good property will have already started to be signed up by Chirstmas, and by Easter the remaining choice can be very limited. As with anything, if you are late to the party you will likely pay more and/or end up with a poorer property further away from the Uni and possibly in a less than desriable location. 

400ixl

I would suggest looking at University provided accommodation for at least the first year.

If they can get something which is a larger complex where they have flats which have shared facilities such as a kitchen but individual rooms (and en-suite if possible) then it makes it much easier than an HMO type property. 

Not only are they usually cheaper, the contracts are simpler and the University accommodation team have more say. Having more students in the same block also gives them the chance to build different friendship groups.

TBagpuss

Ideally encourage him to apply for a place in halls of residence for the fisrt year - he'll be sharing with other students, and it's generally a bit esasierthan private rented. Mny years ago when I went you pais each terms rent up front - if tht's still the cae it might be helpful as it would mean he's at laeast got accommodation covered, evn if he struggles with budgeting for other things.

Talk to him about money management and in particualr, the risk of geting into debt - e.g. student overdrafts aren't free, they just delay when you have to repay the money.

A bnak account that lets him allocate money to dffierent 'piots' (e.g. food / utilities / fun) might be helpful to him if he is bad at budgetting 

If he moved into  accomodtion where bills are not included in the rent, tell him to make sure that he doesn't have all of the bills in his name, as he would be stuck if his housemates didn't pay.