Students, this is a must-read!
Finding a good rental accommodation is not that easy. College life is considered as a stepping stone towards achieving your dream. But having to live very far away from school may add burden to achieving it.
That’s why many students think about renting a dormitory or an apartment inside or outside the campus. To lessen the expenses and consume their time on studying rather than commuting to their home. So here are some of the guidelines or tips for choosing the right and perfect rental accommodation for you.
Do an ocular inspection first
Before choosing the place, be sure you have already visited and well-seen the condition of the area. Checking the rooms inside and the environment it has on the outside is a must.
Why? Because you would not want yourself be put in danger. Safety first before anything else. You can also survey other students for first-hand experiences of rental accommodation in your preferred area.
Make sure the money you’ll deposit is fair and secure
Some landlord allows you to make negotiation on the price of the rent, well if they do, do it so. But if not, make sure that you get the full information containing the bills. Make sure that it must be reasonable and affordable. Rest assured that every time you pay your monthly bill; they will give you a legal receipt copy of your total expenses.
Have your checklist before moving in
When you are done choosing your apartment and paid for it, you can now move into your new space. But before doing so, check for the general condition of the property. Check whether it has things that are damaged before you moved in. It will benefit both parties. This is because there are many unscrupulous landlords who will insist that damage has been done by tenants when it was pre-existing.
You may take pictures if you see any dodgy or dirty areas or things for future evidence. If there are facilities that aren’t working make sure that there will be an agreement that the landlord will fix it within two weeks or earlier.
Learning your Contracts and Agreements
You have to make sure that the guarantors of the contract are your parents for they will have the right to negotiate any queries that arise over the tenancy. And also make sure that you have contact details of your landlord for it may always come in handy whenever you need something to be fixed or done.
If you are in a Joint Tenancy, all tenants are responsible for the payment of the rent. If there will be one tenant who will leave the place the remaining tenants will have to pay their share. But you could negotiate a new agreement or find another tenant to fill in the vacancy, but the landlord will always have the final say.
If you are in a Fixed-term tenancy, you will have to pay for the whole full length of your contract whether you leave before it ends.
Know your responsibility as an individual
As an individual, you are responsible for all your belongings so take good care of it as much as possible. Be aware of your behavior for you are not staying anymore at your home.
Do you have more tips for your fellow students? Share your experiences with rental accommodation below!