Moving into a student house is often a stressful and difficult time. You don’t want to mess up and make the wrong decisions. We’ve made this list to help you avoid 5 common mistakes people make when moving into a student house. Avoid these mistakes to give yourself the best possible student housing experience.
1. Living with the Wrong People
Don’t just assume you will enjoy living with someone if they are your friend. You need to consider cleanliness, sleeping schedule and noise levels. Finding someone who is on your wavelength will make your living experience much easier and stress free.
Also, make sure you aren’t those freshers who secure a house together within the first month. These guys almost always end up finding better friends during the year and spend their second year wishing for different housemates. Additionally, most student accommodation contracts are for a fixed period of time. It is unlikely that there will be a ‘get out’ clause in your tenancy agreement, so you need to be 100% sure it is the place you want to live in and the people you want to live with.
2. Leaving House Hunting until the Last Minute
So, I’ve just told you not to rush into a house with the wrong people but now I’m telling you to get a head start on house hunting? Bear with me…
You must find the right balance between finding your best housemates and not being left with the worst properties on the market. After all, it’s only logical that the best properties will be snapped up first. However, you should note that not all estate agencies release houses onto the market at the same time. However, rest assured, you do not have to find your house in the first term (I know I didn’t and that worked out fine) and often in the second term more houses become available.
3. Not Reading the Tenancy Agreement
Unfortunately, if you agree not to use blue tack on the walls, you cannot use blue tack on the walls. Not all tenancy agreement will have clauses like this but make sure you give the agreement a proper read and look out for any peculiar rules and regulations.
You must also check the furniture that is included in the inventory list. You don’t want to turn up in September and realise those lovely leather sofas have vanished. As a student you will need the property to be fully furnished so this is a crucial step.
Be aware the agreement you’re signing is most likely a joint tenancy agreement. This means you are all responsible for each other’s debts and damages. If one of the tenants moves out without giving the notice or paying rent then the remaining tenants are liable to pay that tenant’s share. Therefore, it is even more vital to be living with people you can trust and rely on.
4. Not Asking Enough Questions to Previous Tenants
The previous tenants are undoubtedly the best people to ask about anything house related. After all, they’ve actually lived there. On Student Angle we make it really easy for you to get in contact with a previous tenant; just leave a comment on the house review and fingers crossed the tenant will get back to you shortly!
You can also find a wealth of information from these house reviews that will help you make an informed housing decision. There you can find anything from particular property issues flagged up by previous tenants and even ratings for travel links and storage spaces!
5. Living too far from Campus
It can be incredibly tempting to bag a bargain house far from campus. However, this comes with many challenges. The long commute can discourage you from going to university and you will find it harder to find time for on-campus student events. This can leave you feeling left out and could have a really negative impact on your university experience.
