Ono, We got DD some noise cancelling headphones as an early Christmas present. Useful presumably should a DC's exam timetable finishes after those of neighbours. Her GPs will buy a stethoscope.
We are also paying for her University ski trip. She has been really good at living within her budget, despite the fact the term has been really long, she has needed to pay for sports kit and subscriptions and buy expensive text books. Essentially she has stayed away from taxis, take aways and cappuccinos, done lots of cooking from scratch, and even prepared packed lunches. She gets this in lieu of bail-outs!
Glad to hear that the HMO information is so easily accessible. It covers gas and electric certs, alarms, etc but also I think you need to get some sort of report from fire authorities. The advantage is if you hit h&s problems and the landlord is unresponsive, you can go to the Council.
As a parent I would also double check that there is a carbon monoxide alarm. If not you can buy one for about £30.00 and simply leave it on top of a unit a couple of meters from the boiler.
I would also download advice about preventing condensation. It is a real problem in many properties, especially modern ones. Landlords will expect tenants to do what they can to minimise any problems, as it is really hard to do much to a property. Leave bathroom doors open if you are not using them (especially if seven people have showered one after another!) and, if safe, the window slightly ajar. Make sure there is no water left standing on the floor and use a bathmat and hang it is to dry. (Bathmat = Christmas present?) Open bedroom windows and air rooms. For some reason boys seem to be the worst. Damp from breath can condense on cold walls and cause a damp patch in a corner. Dry clothes in as large a room as possible and make sure the room is aired. And so on.
Next years house finding was causing real stress. The two girls DD is closest to in her flat will be sharing with course-mates, and the rest are finding somewhere together, leaving her alone. This was only a couple of days ago, but by telling others that she was along has already yielded dividends, with a couple of girls she knows from sport suggesting she get together with them. Its hard, isn't it, to know who will be fun to live with. Her assumption is even if that does not work out, and they are searching for a couple more people, there will be someone who needs to fill a room sometime between now and September.