To ensure a smooth tenancy it’s important to have a good relationship with your landlord or letting agent. The better the relationship, the more positive your experience of living away from home will be.
To help you make the most of this experience, Accommodation for Students has put together this comprehensive guide on how to have the best possible relationship with your landlord. This includes practical steps you can take to start your new tenancy off on the right footing.
1. Choosing the right property
If you have taken the time to find the right property, rather than rushing through and taking the first thing that you have found, you are much more likely to have a successful tenancy. We recommend that you start by reading our complete guide to finding student accommodation.
This guide includes just about everything you need to help you find a great place to live.
Some of our top tips include:
- Get organised early – by allowing yourself more time, you’ll give yourself a better chance of finding the right property.
- Do your research – know where the best places to live are and the different types of student neighbourhoods in your city.
- Communicate – discuss with your housemates at the start of your house hunting journey what your budget is and any preferences you have to make sure you’re on the same page.
Should I view properties?
Wherever possible we recommend viewing the property you move in. This allows you to see the condition of the place, the chance to meet the landlord or agent and ask questions, and potentially meet the existing tenants who can provide a real, lived experience.
All of our research indicates that students who view their property before moving in have a better experience than those that do not. If you are in the unfortunate position of not being able to view before you move in, then you can:
- View as much of the property as you can online – some places may offer a virtual viewing.
- Visit Accommodation for Students and read the reviews – many of the landlords that advertise on our website have had testimonials from their students, which is the next best way of getting feedback on your potential landlord.
Find out what to ask by reading our ultimate student guide.
2. Accreditation and membership
One good indication of how your potential landlord or agent will approach the management of your property is the voluntary codes of practice or industry bodies they have chosen to be a part of. While this is not going to guarantee a trouble free tenancy, it is a good indication of the overall approach of the landlord or property manager.
As these are often voluntary schemes, it means the landlord has chosen to get involved with something that provides a formal structure to the way they manage their tenancies. Some to look out for include:
- Unipol accreditation – a voluntary code for landlords in which landlords have to meet certain criteria to be part of the scheme. This a credible, well regarded code which also provides a dispute resolution service
- The National Code for Assured Accommodation is also managed by Unipol. This is for Private Halls of residence and requires each participant to commit to a minimum level of standards. This is also well regarded and robust.
- Reputable letting agents are likely to be members of NRLA and or Safe Money and the Property Ombudsman.
It is worth keeping an eye out for these, as they indicate a certain approach and commitment to doing things the right way.
3. Check your paperwork
Communication is key for a good relationship with your landlord. By making sure everyone is clear about expectations and issues, the tenancy can progress in a trouble-free manner.
Right at the outset of any tenancy agreement, two very important documents contain most of the information which you’ll need.
The tenancy agreement
A tenancy agreement contains information about what will be required of you during the tenancy. It also contains the landlord’s and/or letting agent’s responsibilities as well. To find out more about these documents, you can read our renter’s guide.
The Inventory
Your inventory is another vital document. It’s a record of the condition of the property when you move in. It’s crucial this is accurate as it can help resolve any disputes when you move out. Landlords and agents will use this to compare the condition of the property at the start and end of the tenancy. It’s recommended you also take your own photos and videos if a dispute does arise.
If there are any damages that don’t relate to wear and tear, the landlord or agent may deduct money from your deposit to pay for the damages. Therefore, when you move in, raise any discrepancies before signing off on your inventory, and produce your own or request one if one is not provided. Producing your own inventory can be as simple as taking photos of the property when you move in and sending them to your landlord or agent.
For more advice, take a look at our moving out guide.
4. What am I responsible for?
Your responsibilities as a tenant will be outlined in your tenancy agreement. However, these are some common duties:
Cleaning
Most landlords will want to see the property cleaned and kept in reasonable order. While it won’t be one of your most exciting tasks, it is well worth keeping on top of this on an ongoing basis. It is also worth working out how you are going to handle the cleaning of any communal areas. Many students find cleaning rotas work well, or you could opt for a cleaner. You can find and contact local, reputable cleaners via Maid.
Pictures, shelving and decoration
Once you move in, most students want to make their room a little more their own. This may involve putting up pictures, posters or even book shelves.
This is where checking your tenancy agreement will come in handy as it should be clear in there what you can and can’t do. It is also worth checking with the landlord before you put pictures up, as they may cause some damage when removed, which may be deductible from your deposit. If possible, avoid using blu-tac.
If you are allowed to decorate, it is likely that you will be required to return it to the original state when you move out. Therefore, for shorter tenancies it’s best to avoid decorating like this.
Damage and breakages
These are a frequent cause of disputes between landlords and student tenants. Like most things we have referred to, good communication helps here. Accidents do happen. If something is broken during the tenancy, it is best to discuss this with the landlord as early as possible to resolve it.
The landlord may allow you to replace or repair the item, which can be more cost effective than getting to the end of your tenancy agreement and the damage being discovered then. In that case the landlord may use your tenancy deposit to fund the repair.
If you do choose to repair the damage yourself, it is a good idea to seek permission from your landlord first.
Disputes often centre on what is actually damaged. Landlords can’t charge you for what is called fair wear and tear – which is basically deterioration of the property which results from everyday use. However, they can charge you for damages for which you are at fault.
A good example of the difference is that a hall carpet is going to get worn over the course of the year, with the relatively heavy footfall it may receive. This would be fair wear and tear. On the other hand a coffee stain is more likely to be considered damage and you are likely to be liable to pay for it.
Maintenance
A major source of frustration for many student tenants is the amount of time it takes for maintenance and repair work to be done.
A landlord is required to keep the property in good working order and should address any maintenance issues promptly. Ultimately you are paying a significant amount of money to live in the property so the landlord needs to ensure that the property is suitably maintained.
In general terms, this means that the landlord is going to be responsible for major maintenance works and should address these promptly. More minor and routine tasks (like changing light bulbs for example) are more likely going to be down to you.
To be a bit more specific, the kind of thing that the landlord is going to be responsible for includes:
- The structure and interior of the property
- Baths, sinks, pipework, toilets
- Electrical wiring, water tanks, boilers, radiators, showers etc
You are likely to be responsible for things like:
- Lightbulbs
- Changing a fuse
- Bleeding radiators
Relationships can be strained when tenants expect landlords to make basic repairs. However, if you are unsure whether something is your responsibility it is worth reading your tenancy agreement, and then confirming with the landlord. For instance, spotlights might be harder to replace than a traditional lightbulb.
5. How long should I wait for repairs?
For those in England and have tenancies covered under the Renter’s Right Act, landlords are obliged to do the following:
- Investigate any potential emergency hazards and, if the investigation confirms emergency hazards, undertake relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable. The investigation and the work must both take place within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
- Investigate any potential significant hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of them;
- Undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant hazard.
- Begin, or take steps to begin, any supplementary preventative work to prevent a significant or emergency hazard recurring within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard. If steps cannot be taken to begin work in 5 working days this must be done as soon as possible, and work must be physically started within 12 weeks.
They must also keep you up to date throughout the process. This is where it pays to have a good relationship and line of communication with your landlord.
When reporting repairs or damages it is best to do this in writing, preferably via email, to have a written record of the communication. You can then follow up via a call.
This is where it pays to have a good relationship and a good line of communication with your landlord. In this case the start point for you is to tell the landlord as quickly as possible about any major maintenance issues or repairs.
If you find your landlord is not following the guidelines there are several steps you can take:
- Contact the environmental health department in your local council for help – they must take action if the property could harm you or cause a nuisance to others.
- Contact the First Tier Tribunal if in Scotland.
- Speak to advice services, such as Citizens Advice or your Students’ Union or accommodation office.
One of the reasons we suggest renting an accredited property is that they may be able to assist you with your issues as well.
One thing that you cannot do in most cases is withhold your rent until the issue is resolved. That will not be allowed under your tenancy agreement, so is not an advisable course of action.
You may be able to repair the problem and deduct the cost of the repairs from your rent. However, we would advise that only in exceptional circumstances and following suitable advice.
6. Common questions and issues
Is your guest really a tenant?
Students often have friends from other universities to stay. This should be okay provided there are no explicit provisions in your tenancy agreement which exclude this. In practical terms, even if the agreement excludes this, there is little the landlord can really do about it – it’s probably your other housemates who are going to have the biggest issue.
Maintaining a shared garden
If you move into a shared house and it has a garden it is important to check what the maintenance requirements are. This should be in the tenancy agreement. Think carefully about taking a property with a large garden where the landlord is asking you to maintain it, as most students are unlikely to have access to suitable equipment or indeed have the inclination to do the work.
For most student properties it is realistic to expect the garden to either be a low maintenance area or something maintained by a gardener, the cost of which is absorbed into the weekly rent.
Landlord access
Your landlord cannot freely enter the property anytime they wish. They must provide you with 24 hours notice at a minimum, if it is not an emergency. This is for both repairs, maintenance and also viewings for prospective tenants. However, properties using a licence agreement will have different rules about access to the property because a licence agreement does not allow for exclusive possession of a property in the same way a tenancy does. It’s worth checking your contract to find this out.
End of tenancy
Most disputes between students and landlords happen at the end of the tenancy and the majority of these are about cleaning. When you move out you need to leave the property in the same state you found it in, with allowances for fair wear and tear.
This means you will need to ensure the property is as clean when you move out as when you moved in. This can be quite subjective. It is worth making sure all parties agree that the accommodation is suitably clean before you actually move out, as it can avoid lengthy disputes over your deposit. It is also sensible to go through that inventory to make sure everything is in good condition and take some pictures.
Dispute resolution
At the end of the tenancy, if there is a dispute about your tenancy deposit, you can use the dispute resolution service provided by the tenancy deposit scheme your landlord has used to protect the scheme. Where they can help, they will appoint an adjudicator who will review the case. However, it is always better to try and resolve any issues with your landlord first before escalating it. Once again, this emphasises why good communication with your landlord is key.
You can find out more in our end of tenancy guide.