Top tips for students renting privately
Setting up home for the first time can be both exciting and daunting. Students moving away from home have the option of either:
- going into student accommodation — such as halls of residence, or
- finding private rented accommodation
Those living in student accommodation could be licensees instead of tenants. It’s important to read a contract carefully before signing and understand the tenancy type so they know their rights.
Students who choose to rent privately have the same rights as other private renters. New regulations have changed how some things used to work. It’s important for tenants to know their rights and responsibilities and where to get advice if they’re having problems.
We’ve come up with some handy tips for anyone taking on a new rental tenancy.
1. Make sure your deposit is protected
Landlords must protect your deposit in a deposit protection scheme and give you information about this protection. If there’s a dispute about the deposit, the scheme will decide the outcome. From 1 April, landlords cannot ask for a deposit of more than one month’s rent.
2. Know your rights
Landlords have to give their tenants certain information about the tenancy. A tenancy information notice includes the landlord's contact details,details about rent and rates and the length of the tenancy. Your landlord can’t charge you for this document. They also have to give you a separate notice if anything about the tenancy changes.
3. Get a receipt for cash payments
Your landlord must give you a receipt for rent paid in cash or any other cash payment, like a deposit. They have to do this when you make the payment or as soon as possible afterwards.
4. Be wary of paying fees to estate agents
It’s illegal for an estate agent to charge you for work a landlord would usually do if they didn’t use an agent. If you've already paid fees to a letting agent, you may be able to recover the amount you paid.
5. Check if your HMO is licensed
A property with three or more unrelated tenants is a house in multiple occupation (HMO). Landlords of HMOs have extra legal responsibilities and must have a licence. It’s an offence if they do not and you can report this to the council.
6. Make sure your guarantor knows what to expect
Guarantors need to understand exactly what they’re responsible for before they sign a guarantor agreement. They could be asked to cover other flatmates' rent or damage if anything goes wrong.
7. Check your inventory carefully
Check the inventory of items in a property, noting their condition and cleanliness before signing anything. This will be a big help when you're trying to get your deposit back at the end of your tenancy.
Getting help with renting privately
We hope these tips help you with your student rental. If you or someone you know needs advice on renting privately, contact our helpline by:
Get involved with Renters' Voice
Housing Rights supports Renters' Voice — a group of people renting privately in Northern Ireland. Renters' Voice works to influence landlords, politicians and government, aiming to make private renting better for everyone. Renters' Voice is open to anyone renting from a private landlord or letting agent in Northern Ireland.
Get in touch if you're interested in getting involved