Durham Students’ Union Advice and Help House Hunting Guide

Stop Moving out of college accommodation is an exciting time.   Don’t Panic! Durham is a relatively small city with an abundance of privately rented accommodation. Most of this accommodation is within a 20 to 30 minute walk away from the main University. Help is at hand. We want to challenge some of the myths about availability of housing and the commute from some areas eg. Viaduct is not actually any closer than some of the other areas. This mad rush to Viaduct and Elvet is causing rents to go up- students are creating it through their level of demand- we want this to change.

Think There are many key questions to consider This is the most important thing about house hunting Ask yourself what ‘s important to YOU! Don’t Sign until your ready Obviously you will sign with others but you should know yourself and your priorities before you enter into group discussion.

Location Claypath 10 mins to town 20 mins to Library Viaduct Gilesgate 15 mins to town 20/30 mins to Library Neville's Cross 20/25 mins to town 25 mins to Library Elvet 5 mins to town 5 mins to Library

Budget Important to consider that it is not just rent you will have to pay for: Food Socialising Bills Academic provisions Household Items Do your sums before you commit yourself to a house. There is no point living in a lovely house with your bestest friends in the world, if you can’t afford to eat or live because you’ve overcommitted yourself with rent.

Bills included/Not included Bills Not included You don’t have to worry about your bills Could work out cheaper You won’t have to chase each other for payment You can shop around However, You will gain practical life skills Bills will be charged for every month whether you are in Durham or not You will be paying more for your bills A member of your house will have to take responsibility for each bill Fair usage policy Remind students that they should get all tenants named on the bill.

Who you live with Deciding who to live with is really important You have only just met each other Fill in our questionnaire together so that you are all on board with our THINK elements. Hand out questionnaire following talk for students to complete.

I don’t think I have met my future housemates yet…. Don’t worry! Attend your college and Durham SU’s Find a Housemate event; Consider other options – living in or private halls; If it all gets too much you can talk to your student support officer at your college. There will be loads of people feeling exactly like you. There is plenty of time and lots of opportunities to meet potential housemates

Sign So what do you do when you think you have answered all our questions and done enough thinking?

Looking for Houses Print our checklist Making an informed decision is key; Shop around. Attend Durham SU’s Housing Fair Print our checklist from our website and take it with you to house viewings. Don’t just sign for the first house you see. You are the consumer- don’t be pressured by pushy agents and landlords.

Contracts Legally binding; You should be given at least 24 hours to have your contract checked before you sign it; Durham SU’s Advice and Help Centre can check your contract for you within 2 working days; Most contracts are for 12 months! Joint tenants – by signing a joint contract you are liable for each others rent. You are legally bound to that contract with no absolute right to leave. Landlord’s should give you at least 24 hours to get your contract checked- if they don’t this is bad practice. Remember you are almost certainly signing for a year- even if you don’t live there over the Summer. Durham County council have introduced an accreditation scheme which is the only current scheme in Durham

Deposit and other Fees Be aware of upfront fees; Tenancy Deposit Scheme – a security deposit must be protected by law within 30 days of payment; Details of the scheme used should be in your contract. If you are asked to pay any fees up front we would encourage you to look elsewhere. Deposit rules can be complicated- contact Durham SU Advice if more help or info needed.

Guarantors Your parents or guardian may be required to sign as Guarantor for your rental obligations. They should seek advice A guarantor must be based in the UK If in doubt, contact our service for support. We encourage them to seek advice as the wording of a guarantor agreement could mean they are signing for the financial obligations for the household, not just their son or daughter. If you can’t provide a UK based guarantor you may be required to pay a substantial part of your rent up front.

Durham Students’Union Advice and Help Centre We are open Monday to Friday 10 to 4; You can contact us via email dsu.advice@durham.ac.uk, or phone us on 0191 3341777 or come and see us at Dunelm House. We are here to support you with any issues you may have with your landlord and have assisted students with questions about their contracts, deposits, repairs and much more! The Advice and Help Centre offers professional, confidential advice on other areas and can support students with academic issues, financial support as well as any personal issues. We can advise you about University’s policies and can signpost if necessary.

Stop. Think. Sign For more information contact Durham Students' Union Advice and Help Centre http://www.durhamsu.com/main-menu/advice-and-help/advice-and-help-service