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The House

Hunting

Guide

Introduction...

The Students’ Union Advice Centre, withassistance from Birmingham City University Accommodation Services, has producedthis guide to make house hunting as hassle-free as possible, and also to outline somethings that you need to look out for.Looking for accommodation can seemdaunting but don’t panic! Be realistic aboutwhat you’re looking for and take your timeto do some research. Use this guide forideas on when and where to look foraccommodation, what you can expect andthe legal issues involved. If in any doubt,contact the Advice Centre.

When to Look

It’s best to start looking in the second or third term to allow yourself plenty of

time to nd somewhere you like. There are many more houses than there are

students so remember you are the customer and can walk away from a baddeal. There are plenty of houses available so don’t think you need to take the

rst house you look at.Give yourself plenty of time to look around but be realistic – you might not nd

the ‘perfect’ house so consider what you can afford (remember there may beextra costs such as deposits and bills) and keep your options open.If you are offered a good deal by a prospective landlord, get it in writing to save anymisunderstanding later. This is particularly important if a landlord is promisingthat repairs or improvements will be done before you move in.

Where to Live

Student housing is spread all over Birmingham so there’splenty of opportunity to decide which area suits you thebest. Many students like to live as close to the City Centreas possible, with Edgbaston proving very popular. You mightprefer to live closer to your place of study and travel costs mightalso be a factor. For information on local crime rates in an area seewww.myneighbourhood.info.Popular student areas include Aston, Perry Barr, Erdington and SellyOak. Detailed area guides are available at:http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/students/neighbourhoodwatch/

Who to Live With

Before looking for accommodation, you need to decide who you want to livewith… or if you want to live on your own. The most common type of student

accommodation is for groups of between three and ve tenants (although

sometimes more). They say you only truly know someone when you live withthem: so think about people’s habits, hobbies and personality before you movein together.

Contents

When to Look 02Where to Live 02Who to Live With 02Where to Look 03What to Look For 05Costs 06Deposits 07Legal Standards 08When You Move In 09Checklist 10

NEVER take a house without viewing it rst and get your contract checked out at the Advice Centre before you sign to avoid problems later!

Useful Contacts

Students’ Union Advice Centre

0121 331 6801

www.birminghamcitysu.com/advice Birmingham City University Accommodation Services

0121 331 5191/2

www.bcu.ac.uk/accommodation Shelterline

0808 800 444

www.shelter.org.ukWest Midlands Housing Aid Centre

0121 236 6668

Birmingham City Council

0121 303 5341

www.birmingham.gov.uk/housing.bcc Gas Safety Action Line

0800 300 363

www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htmTransco

0800 111 999

www.transco.uk.com TV Licensing Enquiries

08705 763 763

www.tv-l.co.uk Citizens Advice

0121 248 4950

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

0102

Where to Look

Word of mouth

This is perhaps the

best way to nd

somewhere that youwill be happy with. Ask friends about vacancies for nextyear and if they have had any problemswith the property or landlord. To see whatother students have said about landlords oragents contact the Advice Centre and ask tosee our housing feedback folder.

Accommodation Services

As well as dealing with applications for hallsof residence, Accommodation Servicesalso have a list of private rented property. They are based in Howes Building at PerryBarr and can be contacted on 0121 3315191/2. The list is also available on-line at:www.studentpad.co.uk/bcu. All landlords of properties on the list have tocomply with a Code of Conduct which coversproblem areas such as repairs and safety.Contact Accommodation Services, the AdviceCentre or the housing advice section on theUnion website(www.birminghamcitysu.com/ advice)for a copy of the Code. If you haveproblems with your landlord and he or she hasbreached the Code, the Advice Centre canhelp you make a complaint.

The Advice Centre‘RoomsforRent’ Service

This service enables students to advertisevacant rooms or advertise that they are lookingfor a room. It can prove especially useful toindividual students looking to share with otherstudents. For details of vacancies or how to

advertise, ask at any Union ofce or contact

the Advice Centre on 331 6801 or online atwww.birminghamcitysu.com/roomsforrent.

Agencies

These vary a great deal in quality so it is worthchecking to make the agency is part of arecognised body such as the Association of Residential Letting Agents(www.arla.co.uk). They will normally charge for their service, forexample for drawing up tenancy agreementsor reading the meter. The landlord, as part of the letting and management service, may paysome of these, but they could also be passedonto the tenant in the form of higher rent. The Accommodation Agencies Act (1953)makes it illegal for letting agencies to chargeyou a fee for simply registering with them. They also cannot charge you for providingyou with a list of addresses. If you are chargedwrongly then you should report the agency tothe Council. Ask the agency what chargesit makes before accepting accommodation(i.e. administration costs) and compare suchcharges with other agencies. If you have anydoubts get help from the Advice Centre.

Shop windows/ Notice boards

The smaller shopsnear to each campusoften display postcards with adverts for roomsand houses. Keep an eye on notice boardsat your campus especially towards the endof the summer term and during the summer

vacation when groups are trying to nd extrapeople to ll houses.

Newspapers

You can nd accommodation adverts in the

Birmingham Mail (daily but best on Thursday),and the Bargain Pages (Tuesday and Friday). Also check the local free papers.Be wary when using notices and newspapers,

as it is difcult for properties advertised in

these ways to be properly regulated in termsof gas safety, etc. The areas to look out for arecovered later in this guide.

Internet

There are a variety of websites that allowstudents to advertisetheir spare roomsor look for potentialhousemates. Manyletting agencies andlandlords also advertise on the internet. Makesure you view the accommodation thoroughlyand know how to contact the landlord or agentbefore you sign anything. Useful websitesinclude:www.torent.co.uk www.accommodationforstudents.comwww.gumtree.comwww.rightmove.co.uk http://uk.easyroommate.com

Short Term Accommodation

The tourist ofce may be able to help with

bed and breakfast accommodation (seewww.birmingham.org.uk ) and you can alsotry the YMCA who have three centres withaccommodation in Birmingham (seewww.ymca.org.uk ).

Door Knocking

However, if you do end up door knocking,remember to be safe! Some helpful tips tobear in mind if you do end up knocking ondoors are:Never go alone!Never go at night, apart from safetyissues, you will also see a lot moreproblems with a house in daylight!Remember that not all houses areoccupied by students, only knock on thedoor if you are sure it is a student house! Avoid exam times: as students will be toobusy studying to show you their home.

••••

The Advice Centre does not recommend door knocking as away to nd a property!

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