The ins and outs of student accommodation change Moving house can be one of the most stressful things you do – this advice should makes it easier! Moving in As you step into an empty house, it might seem like nothing could be simpler than moving back out in a year or two’s time. However, there are important things to think about just after you’ve stepped through the door. 1) Sort out your bills. When you move in, you should ensure the landlord has reported the latest meter readings to utility companies and advised of a change of tenants. Be sure to check the readings yourself and ask about any extras such as a telephone connection and broadband. It’s a good idea for one person to assign their name to each bill so the responsibility is shared. If you are all students, you will escape paying Council Tax with the relevant form from your university. 2) Take photos. It can be surprising what might come back to haunt you when you move out. If there are any visual problems with the property such as damage or a lack of cleanliness, be sure to take a date-stamped photograph before you do anything. It is the responsibility of the landlord to keep their property in good order and when it comes to the return of deposits, these sorts of issues can arise again – but against you. If you have pictures to prove a point you might be saving yourself from unnecessary charges. 3) Alert the landlord if anything is missing. Shared accommodation should come with an itinerary of what is included with the house or flat. Be sure to check everything is present and correct – and tell the landlord of any items not present. 4) Get to know your neighbours. Whoever they are, keeping friendly with the neighbours can lead to new friends, increased security and a lenient stance on any late night parties. 5) Get to know your area. Explore and discover the best local shops, eateries, pubs and nightspots within walking distance, and do ensure you know the key transport links for getting further afield. You’ll feel much more at home once you know what’s available on your doorstep. Moving out Whether you’re leaving a happy home or a shared house from hell, tie up as many loose ends as you can or you could be faced with paying for it later either with your deposit or on unnecessary bills. 1) Check in with the landlord or agency. The first point on your checklist should be check in with the landlord or agency to find out what they expect of you before moving out. This is essential if you haven’t spoken to them for a while, or even all year, as they may have put in specific requests when you moved in which you can’t remember 12 months down the line. It also shows you are taking action to leave their property in good condition. 2) Give the place a thorough clean. You should leave the property as clean as when you moved in, perhaps cleaner if you really want to impress the landlord. Any pictures you took when you moved in might come in handy if you need to prove a point about how well kept it was when you first stepped through the door. 3) Sort out any bills. Take meter readings, call the suppliers and generally ensure you are paid up in advance of leaving your accommodation. Utility companies will track you down for unpaid bills, and you don’t want to get lumbered with paying bills that have nothing to do with you! 4) Repair any damage you caused. Broken something? Don’t ignore it, fix it yourself or face the consequences of money out of your deposit. Even if it happened the same day you moved in, such as a cupboard door falling off, you might get charged. 5) Take everything that’s yours. A widescreen levision rarely comes with student accommodation, but if it did, you wouldn’t take it with you. The same goes for anything else in a property – leave what isn’t yours or you risk upsetting the landlord who won’t take kindly to missing appliances or furniture. 6) Leave a forwarding address. Always leave details of your next address with the landlord or agency, and another with the new tenants. It’s easy to forget to update all your correspondents with a new address and miss out on an important letter so provide the information if you can.

The ins and outs of student accommodation change

Moving house can be one of the most stressful things you do – this advice should makes it easier!

Moving in
As you step into an empty house, it might seem like nothing could be simpler than moving back out in a year or two’s time. However, there are important things to think about just after you’ve stepped through the door.

1) Sort out your bills. When you move in, you should ensure the landlord has reported the latest meter readings to utility companies and advised of a change of tenants. Be sure to check the readings yourself and ask about any extras such as a telephone connection and broadband. It’s a good idea for one person to assign their name to each bill so the responsibility is shared. If you are all students, you will escape paying Council Tax with the relevant form from your university.

2) Take photos. It can be surprising what might come back to haunt you when you move out. If there are any visual problems with the property such as damage or a lack of cleanliness, be sure to take a date-stamped photograph before you do anything. It is the responsibility of the landlord to keep their property in good order and when it comes to the return of deposits, these sorts of issues can arise again – but against you. If you have pictures to prove a point you might be saving yourself from unnecessary charges.

3) Alert the landlord if anything is missing. Shared accommodation should come with an itinerary of what is included with the house or flat. Be sure to check everything is present and correct – and tell the landlord of any items not present.

4) Get to know your neighbours. Whoever they are, keeping friendly with the neighbours can lead to new friends, increased security and a lenient stance on any late night parties.

5) Get to know your area. Explore and discover the best local shops, eateries, pubs and nightspots within walking distance, and do ensure you know the key transport links for getting further afield. You’ll feel much more at home once you know what’s available on your doorstep.

Moving out
Whether you’re leaving a happy home or a shared house from hell, tie up as many loose ends as you can or you could be faced with paying for it later either with your deposit or on unnecessary bills.

1) Check in with the landlord or agency. The first point on your checklist should be check in with the landlord or agency to find out what they expect of you before moving out. This is essential if you haven’t spoken to them for a while, or even all year, as they may have put in specific requests when you moved in which you can’t remember 12 months down the line. It also shows you are taking action to leave their property in good condition.

2) Give the place a thorough clean. You should leave the property as clean as when you moved in, perhaps cleaner if you really want to impress the landlord. Any pictures you took when you moved in might come in handy if you need to prove a point about how well kept it was when you first stepped through the door.

3) Sort out any bills. Take meter readings, call the suppliers and generally ensure you are paid up in advance of leaving your accommodation. Utility companies will track you down for unpaid bills, and you don’t want to get lumbered with paying bills that have nothing to do with you!

4) Repair any damage you caused. Broken something? Don’t ignore it, fix it yourself or face the consequences of money out of your deposit. Even if it happened the same day you moved in, such as a cupboard door falling off, you might get charged.

5) Take everything that’s yours. A widescreen levision rarely comes with student accommodation, but if it did, you wouldn’t take it with you. The same goes for anything else in a property – leave what isn’t yours or you risk upsetting the landlord who won’t take kindly to missing appliances or furniture.

6) Leave a forwarding address. Always leave details of your next address with the landlord or agency, and another with the new tenants. It’s easy to forget to update all your correspondents with a new address and miss out on an important letter so provide the information if you can.