When you come to live in the UK, housing is as important as studying and even determines the quality of your life in the UK for working and learning to a certain extent.
Usually, your school will help you to arrange or recommend dormitories and Home Stay. Although the price will be a bit higher, the degree of saving is much higher than the third type.
Renting a room in the community, whether shared or on your own, requires a lot of work. Mainly because people don’t understand the UK rental rules and the do’s and don’ts.
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In this article, we will give you a detailed explanation of the pros and cons of renting a property in UKfor student accommodation.
Problems You May Encounter on UK Rental
Generally speaking, you can find three kinds of accommodation for Chinese students in the UK: Home Stay, School Dorms or Student Apartments.
Middleman landlord
What does “middleman landlord” mean? This phenomenon is called Sub-Letting in English, and most agents and landlords strictly forbid tenants to do so.
However, this situation happens only with the landlord’s consent.
To put it simply, a “middleman landlord” is a person who rents a flat. For example, you rent a two-bedroom flat. But quickly as a “landlord”, you post rental adverts on the internet for each room.
The tenants will think you are the landlord and pay the rent directly to the landlord.
A Hit for UK Rental
This phenomenon enjoys wide currency but still has great risks.
Firstly,as a second landlord, he or she can rent a whole house. And even be a “landlord” in the eyes of other people.
More importantly, your “tenants” have already almost paid your monthly rent. If he or she has almost paid your monthly rent for the whole house, you will save a lot of money.
Secondly, from the the other’s point of view, renting a room will be cheaper than renting a whole set, and they can still access other properties. So, you will find it more convenient to rent with an individual than with an agent.
The problem appears because of the cheapness and simplicity of the process, this channel of renting a room is extremely risky.
Main problems
1. They don’t care about fixing things that are broken;
2. They don’t return things when they move out and not refunding the deposit when they move out;
3. Sudden disappearing (This is the most frightening situation, as the “middleman landlord” is not the landlord and can leave whenever he wants to).
4. When the tenancy contract comes to an end you may be evicted.
Unscrupulous landlords or agents
Even if we don’t encounter a middleman landlord and go to a direct landlord or agent, there is no guarantee that they will follow the rules honestly when they rent your flat.
The commissioner has received many complaints from students about their landlords or agents. The main complaints are similar to those mentioned above, but at least they are not afraid of the landlord or agent to run away (the landlord generally will not run away.
Because the landlord buys the house. As for the agent, it depends on whether you are looking for an individual or a regular shop, there are shops that will not run away from easily).
Common problems for UK Rental
1. The landlord or agent does not care about repairing things that are broken.
2. Not return the deposit when moving.
3. Arbitrarily deduct the deposit.
Even if you raise great consciousness, you may come across bad landlords. Don’t think that if you meet a terrible agent or landlord, you will have to put up with it or get angry and sue them.
UK offers formal channels to deal with disputes in this area, so read the guide to complaining about bad landlords in the UK, and be brave enough to stand up for yourself when encountering an unfair situation!
Strange roommates
This situation is where a few friends rent a flat together through regular channels. This is very common among international students.
When several people rent an apartment together, you can see each person’s name on the contract, meaning each person is responsible for paying the rent.
Reasons
1. You can live with people you know.
2. It is much cheaper for everyone to rent together.
However, risks also exist in this method of renting!
Risks on Your UK Rental
1. Your roommate suddenly returned to his home country or couldn’t be found, and Bill didn’t pay.
2. Several people share a room, but the water supply needs improvement.
3. A few people share a room, and the Bill for the utility grid is in the name of one of the people.
At first, they say they will give you money every month, but then they don’t pay for various reasons.
3. You may need to pay Council Tax because it involves a lot of content.
Tips
Predicting what kind of landlord you’ll meet when renting is impossible. Even if you’re living in a school dormitory or a regular dormitory manager’s house, problems may happen when you encounter a bad landlord or housemaster.
If you have to move out and live independently for any reason but feel that renting a whole house is too expensive, check out your prospective landlord before renting an apartment to see if he or she is reliable!
There’s much less paperwork when renting through a private agency or individual. Many people may think they’re better to talk to, but on the contrary, TAs also tend to be scoundrels.
If he doesn’t even give you a contract, or get you an irregular contract with no legal effect, you will hardly get your refunds back. What’s wore, a lawyer may find it hard to assist.
When Renting a House on Your Own
UK Rental Process
Before we move to the next element, we would like to talk about the general process of renting a house in UK.
We strongly recommend that you view the property in person.
If you cannot go there in person, ask your friends to help you view the property and take photos.
If you are looking for a house from an agency, they usually ask you to pay a deposit in advance.
You pay this fee to take the house off the market after you decide to rent it so that others cannot rent it.
Regulations state that the deposit amount cannot exceed one week’s rent. But you can’t get the money back if you pay the holding fee and don’t rent it.
If you paid the deposit and the agency can’t rent the house to you because there is a problem with it. In this case, you can get the refund.
A formal agency or landlord will clearly indicate on the contract what money you need to pay and for all the items, such as agency fees, house inventory fees, deposits, etc.
Please note that from June 1, 2019 (September 1 in Wales), the British government has promulgated and implemented new rental regulations: Tenant Fee Act 2019. Only the following seven items are legal charges:
Rent
A refundable tenancy deposit (generally not more than five weeks’ rent)
Holding deposit (typically not more than one week’s rent) change fee (not more than 50 pounds)
Early termination fee
Bill fees (water, electricity, TV License, Council Tax)
Tenant Compensation fees for losses caused (such as lost keys, etc.)
Other fees like utility security replacement jobs.
After you are satisfied with the terms and amount of the contract, you need to sign the contract. Remember that the contract will take effect after you pay.
So, before signing the contract, please read the contract’s content carefully. You need to ensure no “overlord” in the contract, like”Terms and Conditions” and arbitrary charges.
This is where you can get your package of belongings and call for a checklist for all furniture and facilities.
After you get all jobs done, you can get ready for your new home.
UK Rental contract
After introducing the process of renting a house, let’s start with a detailed description of several things to pay attention to during the process of renting a house:
Reading the contract content is the first way to analyze whether the rental agency or landlord is legitimate.
Regular law firms must apply the rental contracts provided by serious agencies and professional landlords by. You can never let yourself write this contract casually by or download it from the Internet.
According to some people’s overseas study experience, formal contracts will have a label indicating which law firm they come from.
This does not mean that people will not fake the contract, but you will feel safer to have the name or seal of the law firm.
Agency
Indeed, you may feel confused to go through the UK rental contract, especially those involving law. But if you don’t read them carefully, you will be the one who suffers the loss.
Sometimes, you will encounter situations where the agency prints it out and asks you to sign it after reading it. There are many examples of being deceived by the agency.
You have better to ask the agency to send you the contract in advance. Even if you use a dictionary to look up the words and translate the sentences, you also need to read all the terms and conditions.
If you don’t understand or think something is wrong, remember to mark it and talk to the agent so that they can explain or modify it.
Your rental contract should cover all aspects of renting a house.
Main clauses for attention on UK Rental
- How long can you sign for rental contract? How soon can you move out? How long in advance should you give notice of moving out (You cannot move out before the contract expires).
- In terms of repairs, in which situations the tenant get them done, and which situations will the landlord take charge of?
- Which party will keep your deposit?
- Is the contract’s name yours, and must the deposit be kept in your name?
Read the UK rental contract carefully
No matter how the intermediary landlord deceives you, you should never give in. When you feel something is wrong or irregular, you must watch it and turn to professionals for help.
Since the contracts and terms by each agency or landlord will differ, please read the above items clearly.
Please discuss it with your agent or landlord, if your contract does not include the above points. Or you feel that some of the terms in the contract are unreasonable or unclear.
Change the contract
Don’t think that you hardly have the right to change the contract. Remember that you are the one who gives them money. And it is not a small amount, so you can imagine how willing they will be to keep you.
We want to remind those who rent with private individuals that since they do not have formal intermediary or landlord backgrounds, you must be more cautious when renting to check the legality.
There have also been private landlords on UK rental who deceives international students. Those students don’t know the law, unfortunately. So, the landlords may give them a contract downloaded and modified online to fool them.
Inventory
If you rent the entire house by yourself, the inventory is a necessary inspection in the formal renting process in the UK.
Usually, the tenant will pay the fee. But starting from June 1, 2019, the government has waived this fee and command the landlord or agent to take responsibility for it instead!
The landlord will find a regular company to do the inventory. You cannot do it yourself or them. The purpose of this list is that a third-party agency will go to the house you want to rent to inspect all conditions of the house.
This includes the walls, floors, glass, windows, doors, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, toilets, wash basins, furniture, and gardens.
This helps to avoid unscrupulous agents on your UK rental. Or landlords may say that something gets broken. When you check out, you still have no evidence.
Preparations for UK Rental
They will give the inventory to you on the day you get the key, and you will have seven working days to reply to confirm or modify the contents (if you find something wrong inside).
So, when you move in, you must carefully check the contents on the checklist. Although it may take many pages to print out, this is so that you will not be bullied when you move out.
If you are looking for a private landlord who does not provide this house inventory inspection, we recommend that you find a friend to serve as a witness and try to keep detailed records of all conditions in the house.
Especially if there is any damage, you must take photos and record it as evidence. This is also to prevent your landlord from giving you trouble by not refunding your deposit.
Tips on UK Rental
In addition, remember that when you move, you must clean and tidy the room so that it is in precisely the same condition as when you moved in.
If you don’t clean up, the landlord will most likely refuse to return part or all of your deposit.
We recommend you find some professional cleaning companies to perform a Move-out Clean, which includes carpet cleaning.
The cost is usually lower than being fined by the landlord, and if a professional company cleans it, the landlord may find it harder to discover faults.
Deposit
Regarding deposits, this is the part that everyone cares about the most in UK rental.
The problem that most friends encounter is that the landlord does not refund the deposit in the end. A third party holds the Tenants’ insurance in escrow. And that’s what most people worries about.
According to the legal provisions of England and Wales (excluding Scotland and Northern Ireland), since 2007, all rental deposits need to join a Protection Scheme
Protection Scheme
There are currently three agencies (in England and Wales): The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), My Deposits and Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).
Scotland also has three agencies: Letting Protection Service Scotland, SafeDeposits Scotland and Mydeposits Scotland. For details, you can check the official information from the British government.
Within 30 days of receiving the deposit, your landlord must place the deposit in the Protection Scheme. Also, he or she needs to provide you with the corresponding Series Number and a certificate of deposit deposit to prove that your deposit was indeed used. Remember, it must be your name!
Third Party
When your contract expires, and the house belongs to another person, you and the intermediary or landlord must fill in relevant information on the UK rental institution’s website where the deposit is stored.
For example, the landlord can request that cleaning costs be deducted from the deposit. Once both parties agree, your can get your refund through a third party, not the landlord giving you cash.
If you agrees with the amount the landlord wants to deduct, you and the landlord can submit evidence separately. Then, the deposit storage agency will hand over the materials submitted by both of you to a third party for review.
Everyone must make sure that their UK rental deposit does not go into the landlord’s pocket. The house is important, but the landlord’s character is even more important!
Council Tax
If you only rent one room, and in most cases, the rent is included in the Bill, you do not need to pay Council Tax because the landlord may pay it.
Another situation where you do not need to pay is to prove to your Local Council that you are a full-time student.
You need to open a letter from the Student Service and send it to the Local Council. Oherwise, they will not automatically give you tax exemption.
But if you live alone or share a house with friends, you must pay Council Tax. British law stipulates that whoever’s name appears on the rental contract is obliged to pay Council Tax.
Exceptional situation for UK Rental
You may ask, if there are students among the roommates, wouldn’t it be exempt from the need to submit a certificate? This situation is somewhat special.
If one of you is not a student, that person will have to pay Council Tax. But if two or more of you are not students (you will not be considered a student after finishing the course, even not yet) Graduation), even if students are living in the house, you still need to pay Council tax on the house you rent.
This is the problem that we mentioned above about renting a house with friends. So, you must be cautious when renting a house with others.
Agency Fee
If you are looking for an agency instead of renting directly from the landlord, the agency will charge a certain amount of agency fees.
This includes registration fees, service fees, document review, etc. Those that require a lot of manpower will charge a certain fee.
Agency fees are expensive in UK, ranging from 200 pounds to 500 pounds, and some may be even higher.
Policy on UK Rental
In April 2017, the British government introduced policies to crack down on intermediaries that charge arbitrary fees. It clearly states that landlords and third parties other than intermediaries cannot charge tenants, and intermediary fees cannot be charged again for renewal or re-lease.
The new policy in 2019 has cancelled the fees for credit evaluation (Referencing), Check-in and Inventory.
So, when you are pleasant about the house, you should read more quotes from several agents and then compare the prices.
The agent will give After quoting. You should carefully review the charging items to see if there are overcharges or if a certain charge is too high.
Guarantor
Since not all students live in the UK as locals, they feel find it not easy to rent an entire apartment. The rent in the UK is paid every month, and if you do not have any credit record in the UK, the intermediary will ask you to provide a guarantor.
If one day you cannot afford to pay the rent, your guarantor will have to pay it for you.
Many people finally chose another option that does not require a guarantor: paying six months or one year’s rent at once (depending on how long the break clause is in your contract).
What is a Break Clause? For example, many UK house contracts usually last for one year. Still, tenants can move after 6 months.
So you don’t need to pay it for an entire year at once, but pay it when you can quit the rent.
Move-in
In order to prevent homelessness from happening to you, you must know when your current rental contract will expire and prepare in advance to find your next rental house.
Whether you search online or through an agency, they will have an “Available Date“.
Be sure to read it clearly and control the dates between moves. When looking for a new house, you must also find a move-in date that can be connected.
For example, if your current rental contract expires at the end of June, the house you need to find will be available for move-in in mid-June or the end of June.
If the house you are looking for can only be moved in July, you may need to find another option.
Bills
You can see this word very often when looking for a house. Bills means bills, which include all the expenses you need to pay after renting a house, such as water bills, electricity bills, gas bills, Internet bills, telephone bills, TV License, Council Tax, etc.
If you rent an apartment alone, you must apply for these things yourself.
If you share a room with others and only rent a bedroom, the landlord will usually cover the bills.
If you need to handle these bills yourself, remember to ask your agent or landlord which companies provide services for your current apartment (your previous tenants).
Then you can contact those companies to provide you with services. Address and create an account in your name.
Similarly, when you want to move out, you should also contact these companies to close your account so that your next tenant can continue to apply for it.
Well-known Rental Search Websites
When seeking accommodation in the UK, it’s essential to find a trustworthy UK rental website to ensure a safe and reliable housing experience. Several reputable platforms cater to different needs.
One such option is uhomes, a reliable online platform that connects students with suitable accommodation options.
uhomes is known for its curated listings, making it a popular choice among students seeking accommodation near their universities.
Additionally, universities often have official websites for student residence listings, providing a trusted source for on-campus or university-affiliated housing. These official platforms offer a sense of security and legitimacy in terms of the rental process.
Another notable platform is Gumtree, a well-established online marketplace that lists various accommodations, including flats, houses, and shared rentals.
Though it’s important to exercise caution and thoroughly vet listings, Gumtree remains a popular choice for finding diverse accommodation options across the UK.
After You Finish the Rental
After finding the house you like, if you need to move, you can go to AnyVan, a well-known British moving company.
In addition to the leading House Removals service, you can also turn to other more detailed branches, such as: Man & Van service, Large furniture shipping services, car shipping services, intra-European moving services and more.
If you have more questions about renting a house in UK, please feel free to leave your comments below. We are always delighted to hel
