Knowing you’ll soon be moving into your first-ever uni house is super exciting. Spending every day with your friends, hosting parties and your own rules! However, before you get carried away, there are some things you should consider to make sure everything goes smoothly throughout the year.
Now, it may sound like I’m taking away from the joy of moving in, but take it from a seasoned professional.
Checking these things can make sure you have a good relationship with your landlord. It will also make it so much easier when the time comes to move out.
Reading the tenancy agreement
For starters, going through and reading the tenancy agreement point by point is crucial. This isn’t a terms and conditions page on Google that you can just accept. You have to know what you are agreeing to.
I highly recommend taking notes on some of the key points, including the landlord’s expectations of property maintenance, like mowing the lawn, and the conditions they have. It may take a while, but it’s important to know both your and the landlord’s responsibilities during the tenancy.
Besides, most houses are made up of three to six tenants, so this doesn’t have to be a lone task. You can always split up the agreement and cover a certain section each to save time.
Bills
Don’t leave sorting out a plan for your bills until the last minute! This is something worth doing well before you move into your uni house. This way, you can check out all the options before making a decision.
While individually paying your bills to each company may work out cheaper, it can be time-consuming working out the split. It can also be a pain trying to keep track of how much gas, electricity and water you’re using, especially if you have housemates who haven’t quite mastered switching off a light.
Package bills provide security in the amount you are paying and, for the most part, give you unlimited usage (unless you go crazy). It also saves the hassle of dividing payments between each tenant as you can set up a direct debit.
It’s also good to ask the landlord where each of the meters (water, gas and electricity) are. Whichever route you choose, you will be expected to take meter readings each month.
Rent payments
How you pay rent can differ between landlords; my landlord wanted a single tenant to pay the full sum. Therefore, it was a good idea to set up a direct debit to the tenant who would be paying the total cost each month. This way, they would never have to pay out of pocket if someone were to forget.
If your landlord does accept individual payments from each tenant, I still advise setting up a direct debit. It means you won’t have to remind yourself to pay each month, and you won’t miss payment due dates. Just remember to cancel it after your last contracted payment.
Taking photos
Now you’ve moved in and can’t wait for your first few days in your new house. But I’m sorry to say there are still some things to attend to (don’t worry, these are nice and easy).
Uni houses have often been through a bit of wear and tear, so it is not uncommon to find some cosmetic damage. Most landlords will have an inventory of any defects throughout the house, which should also be shared with you, but it’s still worth taking dated photos of anything you can find, just in case.
This should be done on the day you move in so there is no possibility of you being responsible in the landlord’s eyes. You want to protect your deposit, and this is your safety net for anything that might get brought up when the time comes to move out.
Don’t forget to share anything you find that is not already documented in the inventory with your landlord.
Regular cleaning
I know it sounds like a chore, but a regular cleaning rota can make it so much easier when moving out.
Most landlords will expect you to clean the house at the end of your tenancy. Some specify that they would like professional cleaners (this should be stated in the tenancy agreement), and others may just ask that it be left in the state you found it.
Either way, this can work out a lot cheaper and easier if there isn’t that much mess to clean up in the first place. Keeping on top of it from the beginning will also come in handy if you have any inspections throughout the year and won’t leave you rushing to tidy up.
This can also mean ensuring your garden is kept tidy. As I said, most landlords want the house left in the way you found it. This means you might need to trim some hedges, de-weed and mow the lawn.
Neighbors
Go and get acquainted with your new neighbors. Reaching out can have a number of benefits (and save you a lot of trouble).
If you live in a residential area, it’s important to consider some general etiquette. Noise complaints, for example, can lead to eviction if it is a continuous problem. Neighbors will be more forgiving if you have already made the effort to say hi.
Also, if you are planning on throwing a party, it’s worth going over to inform your neighbors and discuss an appropriate time for the noise to end. This way, both people can have a good night.
But if you wind up among other student houses, this can be a great opportunity to make some new friends. Meeting new people isn’t only for the first year!
Going to introduce yourself could lead to great friendships that you wouldn’t have otherwise found and can make your experience in your uni house even better.
Time to enjoy
Congratulations! It’s now time to start having fun. You have efficiently prepared yourself for moving into your uni house so you can relax a little.
It’s still important to keep in contact with your landlord and stay on top of maintaining the property. Inform your landlord of anything that goes wrong (a broken shower, a broken bed, and mice were just a few of the things we had to deal with).
But the best thing is you now know exactly what to do for next year! Whether you stay in the same house or move somewhere else you too are now a seasoned professional when it comes to moving into a uni house.
