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► House Hunting

Housing Hunting in the Private Sector

This section of the site includes information and ideas that are useful to bear in mind and consider when you're deciding who to live with and looking for a house.

You can find details of houses and Landlords on the Private Sector Property section of the University Website.

Try to view as many properties as you can and try not to be pressured into making a decision.

Download our Housing checklist and make sure you use it.

Never view a property on your own for safety reasons

Privately rented accommodation

Unlike Halls of residences, Private Landlords are likely to ask you to sign a joint contract. If you sign a joint contract you will be considered to have joint and several liability for rent, bills and any damage to the property (regardless of the damage you personally do or do not cause or the bills you pay). If you’re entering into a joint tenancy it’s important to be sure of the people you are going to live with as you might be held liable if they leave, cause any damage or don’t pay their way.

Landlords are usually responsible for maintaining the conditions of the building. This includes the structure of the house, drains and gutters as well as some internal repairs such as gas, water and electricity supply and sanitation. As a tenant you are responsible for keeping the property reasonably clean, ensuring the property and it’s contents do not get damaged, and using heating and facilities properly (e.g. Not blocking flues or ventilation).

Deciding who to live with

One of the most important aspects of finding the right shared house is finding the right people to live with. It's important to remember that sharing a house with friends is totally different to living with them in halls. Even minor points like your house no longer being cleaned means that things that didn't used to bother you (like not doing the washing up, or taking ages in the shower) can create friction and start arguments!

Think carefully about who you want to live with and be prepared to say "no". Your best friend might not be the best person to live with it's very important to take your time deciding groups. There will always be houses available, so you really don't have to rush. Saying no might hurt someone's feelings for a little bit, but you will both find it a lot worse if you have to together and it doesn't work out. Some things to think about:

· Will your chosen housemates be messy?

· Will they be cleaning-obsessed?

· Will they pay their rent on time?

· Will they act in a responsible way?

· Will they be noisy?

· Are you agreeing to live with them because you feel you have to?

· Will they want to live in a similar area, in a similar house, as me?

Think beyond your floor. Is there anyone you get on well with from your course or a society or sports club? Beware: if they are non-students, you may have to pay council tax.

Don't go for one huge house. You will not be able to recreate halls by living in a big house. Larger houses are hard to find, and very hard to keep tidy and maintain. If you have to pay bills on them, they will also be expensive to heat. If you want to stay together as a floor, look for two or three smaller houses in the same area. The best houses are normally for three or four people as these are easier to maintain and heat.

Don't worry if you have nobody to live with. You could contact the University Accommodation Office as they may also be able to match you with others who have no group, or check out the accredited property section of the University website.

If you wish to live with other students in a house, you will find that there are many students advertising a spare room since one of their number has dropped out (especially later in the year). Keep a look out for posters that might go up, check online (Facebook is usually quite popular for this) or you can advertise yourself -

Finding the Right House

Once you've found the people you want to live with you need to start to think carefully about the kind of house you want, that's not all your planning done: you also need to think of what sort of house you want to live in.

If you're struggling, then get together with the people you are planning on living with and think about all the features you want from your house and prioritise them. Some examples:

· How close the house is to a bus route

· How near you are to friends

· Bedroom size

· Amount of storage in the kitchen

· Pretty surrounding area

· Central Heating

· Bath or shower

· The amount of shared living space you would like

· How the property is decorated

Get all of these lists together, and bring them together into one list. What are the three or four most important things you want as a group? Remember: you will probably need to compromise on a few things, but also don't compromise on anything you feel really strongly about - once you've signed a contract, it's too late!

To physically find your house there are a number of options, but remember that finding a house that is accredited by your local Council is always a sensible move if you can find one. To find a house you could:

· Contact a local agent that you know lets to students

· Think about your friends houses - are your friends moving out of a nice house that you like?

· Look at the Private Sector section of the University website

· Look for adverts in windows