Before you move into any Student Flats landlords have a legal responsibility to give the Gas Safety document for the accommodation.

Landlords are also obliged due to law to preserve their tenants deposits by making use of a third party, this is acknowledged as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. A landlord must brief their tenants of the holding company they are utilising within 2 weeks of accepting a deposit – failure for them to do so can result in a fine.

Should a landlord withdraw their flat from being let before the Tenancy Contract is signed all they are required to do is return the holding deposit to the tenant (this remains the case up until the day the tenancy is due to begin). Future tenants should get the final  short hold tenancy contract signed by the Landlord as soon as the points within are mutually agreed. 

Tenants will be in a much preferable position to disagree on any charges taken from their deposit if an inventory check is carried out before entirely moving in. If a Landlord or Letting Agent fails to forward an inventory the tenant ought to consider making one. In this circumstance it is also critical for the housing contract to be counter signed by either the Landlord or Letting Agent incase of future disagreements. Even just a couple of digital photos that are sent by recorded delivery to the Landlord, or their agent, on the first day of the Tenancy will do.

The fee of rent per tenant tends to decrease as the number of people sharing increases, up to a max of four. If a student flat is capable of housing 5 or more tenants, it is categorised as a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’. This makes it more expensive for the landlord to run – therefore the increased rent per tenant.

It is a frequent misconception that 1 TV license is needed per house. This is only correct if student accommodation is rented on a shared basis, where there is split liability for the rent. If tenants sharing a property have individual tenancy agreements a license will be required per tenant that has a television in their room. A prime example of such an event would be a flat of 5 students in private or university halls of residence. 

Full time students are exempted from paying council tax however, this is false for part time students. Full time students should consider sharing with part time students incase the house as a combined group determine that it is unfair for the part time student to pay the total council tax bill. 

If you are looking for student flats through a letting agent they will bill an agents fee ranging between £20-100 for each tenant. In the Selly Oak region a fifty pounds agents charge is considered standard. Tenants should try to barter this figure down as each basic reference will only cost the letting agency around twenty pounds per tenant. Letting Agents charge much greater fees from the Landlord, therefore they are unlikely to want to lose out on these future charges for the sake of billing prospective tenants a rather lesser fee. Agents can’t charge you for simply viewing student accommodation.

Many housing contracts are valid for 12 months. Students renting in non-student streets should consider asking for a break clause to be included into the agreement. This gives the tenants the freedom to give notice at any time during the 2nd half of the tenancy.

Student areas tend to be a hotspot for burglars, as a lot students have never lived in a flat by themselves and security can sometimes be overlooked. Students should ask their landlord for windows and doors to be secured by key controlled locks, and bolts respectively. It is also advisable to view properties with functional burglar alarms as this provides a key hinderance and can be activated at any time of day when the flat is vacant.