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► Housing Contracts
Most landlords or agents will want you to sign a contract for accommodation that you intend to rent whilst at university. Most contracts are Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) by default unless the contract states that it is something different. If your contract states that it is something other than an AST, it would be advisable to have it checked out, as it might not be what your landlord claims it is! Visit the Student Advice Centre to have your contract checked.
Before you sign any contract, you should read it thoroughly and ensure that you understand what you are agreeing to by signing or accepting it. Once signed, you have created a legally binding contract between you and the landlord and as such it can be very hard to cancel if you change your mind or your circumstances change.
Some contracts are very simple; others run to several pages of terms and conditions, so it is very important that you understand what you are signing. We suggest that the minimum information your tenancy agreement should contain is:
· Your landlord’s name and address
· The tenant’s name
· The address of the property to be rented
· The rental period
· The amount of rent and frequency
· Method of payment
· Details of the deposit paid.
Some contracts will be as simple as that but most will have more information about tenants’ and landlords’ responsibilities.
Many landlords or agents will try to get you to sign a joint contract. It’s very important that you understand what this means to you. Basically, if one of the people that you have made yourself jointly responsible with doesn’t pay their rent or damages the property you all live in or simply doesn’t turn up to live in the accommodation, the landlord would be able to require you and any other joint tenants to make up the shortfall in the rent or pay for the damage.
It’s very important that you understand what ‘joint and several liability’ means to you, particularly when you intend to share accommodation with someone you have only known for a couple of months. Joint contracts could also affect your parents if they have agreed to act as your guarantors on the contract; they could end up paying the rent for someone else that you share the accommodation with. Sounds very unfair but it can and does happen!
It’s not uncommon for some landlords or agents to claim that you have signed a joint contract when in reality you haven’t. Seek advice if your landlord is claiming that you are responsible for damage caused by someone else or for unpaid rent and you think that you have an individual contract.
Before you sign a housing contract, you can get it checked by one of the team in the Student Advice Centre. We won’t tell you if it’s a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ contract; that’s for you to decide, but we will explain what the terms and conditions mean to you so that you can make an informed decision.
The Student Advice Centre has recently run a series of workshops on common issues with contracts and house hunting. Info from these sessions can be downloaded via the links below.
*All presentations and information contained within are for general guidance only and may not apply to your specfic contract. Please do not use these guides as a substitute for having an adviser look over your specific contract and discuss it with you.
Useful Links:
Advice guide – problems in shared accommodation (PDF)
Advice guide – renting from a letting agency (PDF)
Unipol – House hunting checklist
Dash – Choosing a home to rent (PDF)
