Student housing - Print version

These pages have advice and information about student housing. We also offer general information for students in Coventry [/students], where you can find out about Council Tax, rubbish and recycling and registering to vote.

If you are planning to live in Kenilworth or Leamington Spa, visit Warwick District Council's student pages [https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/students/].  

If you are a student at Warwick University, Warwick Accommodation [https://warwick.ac.uk/services/accommodation/] can help you find a house. You can also get general advice and support from Warwick's Students' Union [http://www.warwicksu.com].

If you are a student at Coventry University, the Future Lets [https://www.futurelets.co.uk/] can assist you with housing. You can also get general advice and support from Coventry University's Students' Union [https://www.cusu.org/].

Renting a house

Many students find somewhere to live through letting agents.

You usually need to register with them before they offer you any accommodation. You can register with more than one letting agency at a time. They must not charge you for registering.

All letting agencies should give you clear information about their charges before you agree to take up a tenancy. Shop around as these fees can vary.

Don't hand over any money until you're sure what it's for. Always get a receipt.

It may be a good idea to speak to your student union, as they may be able to advise you on the best agents to use.

Things to consider when choosing your property 

Before choosing your property consider:

• The location and how easy it is to get from there to your lectures
• Who you will live with. It is important that you get on with the other people. This may be difficult to tell if you don't know the people you are sharing with.
• Do you need parking?
• Is the property in good condition?
• If it is a shared house occupied by five or more people and is three storeys or more high, is it licensed by the Council?
• Is the property managed well by the landlord? Ask if the property or the landlord is accredited or a member of a professional landlord or letting organisation. 
• Ensure the Letting Agent has registered with a Redress Scheme [https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/letting_agent_redress_schemes].
• Are there any other charges such as Council Tax [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/studentcounciltax] or utility bills to consider?
• Can you afford the total cost?

Responsibilities of your Landlord

Your landlord will normally have to give you:

• A gas safety certificate
• An energy performance certificate
• Information on under which scheme your deposit is being held
• A copy of 'How to Rent' the checklist for renting a property in England as published by the Department of Communities and Local Government
• The terms of your contract and his name and address

Your landlord is responsible for making sure the property is well managed, kept in good repair and provides a safe and healthy environment. Your landlord cannot harass you or enter your room without notice. If you have a problem with the property try and sort it out with your landlord. If this is not possible, please contact us.

Find out more before you rent. [/privaterenting]

West Midlands Fire Service has published an interactive website to help people spot fire-related dangers in the home [http://www.room9media.com/fire/].

Shared houses and licensing

It is likely that you will be sharing your accommodation with other students and you will therefore be living in a house in multiple occupation (HMO) if both of the following apply:

• at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household
• you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants

If this is the case, your landlord must meet certain standards and obligations [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/hmo].

Licensing

If your rented house has five or more people living in it, these people are not related to each other, and you share the use of a kitchen, bathroom or lavatory, your landlord will need to have applied for an HMO Licence [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/hmo]. This applies whether you and your housemates all have one tenancy agreement, or have separate tenancy agreements.

From 4 May 2020 an Additional Licensing designation now applies across the entirety of Coventry. This requires all HMOs to be licensed, even if they have fewer than five tenants.  Some blocks of self-contained flats will also be come licensable. Find out more about property licensing [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/propertylicensing].

Tenancy agreements

You will normally be given an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) where the landlord does not live in the property with their tenants, this form of agreement is called an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). ASTs can apply to joint or individual tenancies. ASTs give you certain rights during the letting period, especially with regards to notice periods. You also have statutory rights and common law rights to protect you. Your AST will be either an individual or joint agreement, it’s important to understand the difference.

Individual tenancies

With this tenancy you are only responsible for your own rent and any deposit you have paid. If another tenant doesn’t pay rent or damages the property, your landlord cannot ask you to cover their costs. You have exclusive possession of your bedroom and shared access to common areas.

Joint tenancies

If you rent a property with a group of friends, this is likely to be a joint tenancy. Each person named on the tenancy agreement is jointly and individually responsible for the rent for the whole property and any other tenancy conditions. For example, if one of your co-tenants leaves the property and stops paying rent, your landlord is entitled to collect the rent owed from the remaining tenants.

Resident landlords

If you live in the same house as the owner and share facilities, then you have a resident landlord. As their tenant, you are an 'excluded occupier'. Excluded occupiers have limited rights compared to Assured Shorthold tenants. For instance, your landlord can give you 28 days’ notice to leave a property at any time. If you do share with a resident landlord it is very important you both understand the 'house rules' to avoid conflict, for example when it is appropriate to have guests to stay, or when to switch the heating on.

Deposits

Any deposits paid to a landlord or agent by an Assured Shorthold tenant (most students in shared rented accommodation) are protected under a government authorised deposit scheme. Within 30 days of paying the deposit, your landlord or agent must give you details of how your deposit will be protected. If your landlord fails to protect your deposit they lose the right to automatically gain possession by giving two months' notice, and the County Court can order them to pay you three times the amount of the deposit. Make an inventory of the property when you move in. This can help avoid disputes about deductions from your deposit at the end of your lease.

Further information on the tenancy deposit scheme on the GOV UK website [https://www.gov.uk/private-renting]. Also, Coventry Law Centre [http://covlaw.org.uk/housing/intro.html] can help people whose landlord has not protected their deposit. 

Repairs

The landlord is responsible by law for certain repairs. Generally speaking, the landlord is responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, sinks, baths, and any other sanitary installations within the property. They should also make sure there is suitable heating, although the law is a little vague on what type of heating this should be. The tenant must do minor jobs, like replacing fuses, or clearing a blocked sink. They must also repair damage that they or their visitors have caused.

You should report any faults or damage to your landlord immediately and give him a reasonable amount of time to carry out the work. If your landlord fails to carry out the repairs, you should contact the Housing Enforcement Team [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/82/housing/2756/making_a_complaint_about_rented_accommodation], which can make your landlord carry out certain repairs.

You may also be able to take a civil claim for damages in the 'Small Claims Court' [https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/overview].  Coventry Citizen's Advice [http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/] or the Coventry Law Centre [http://www.covlaw.org.uk/housing/intro.html] may be able to advise you on this.

Guarantors

Your letting agent or landlord could ask your parent or guardian to be a guarantor.

Your guarantor will have to pay the bill if you cause damage or don't pay your rent.

If you have a joint tenancy, your guarantor will usually be signing up to cover all the rent that is not paid and all the damage caused. This can seem unfair as they could end up paying up towards the rent even if you had paid all your share.

The only way around this will be if your guarantor signs a written agreement with the landlord saying that their liability is limited to a specified proportion of the rent (or damage). Many landlords will not agree to this.

Your parent or guardian may want to get legal advice about being a guarantor. They may be able to use legal services available through their home insurance, union or employee benefits.

Rental scams

Don't be caught out by rental scams. These often involve fraudsters advertising a property for rent that either doesn't exist or has already been rented out. They will try to trick you into paying an upfront fee and then disappear with your money.

Students are often targeted by these scams. Make sure you or someone else has seen the property before paying a deposit, or at least make sure that the person advertising it is genuine.

Find out more from Action Fraud about rental fraud [https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/?a=617405].