Renting as a University Student

[TheAsHaveIt]

DC looking for accommodation for year 2. It seems mad but there is so much pressure on housing and they want to get in early. DC has sent over the agreement and, whilst I believe this is 'normal', I am very worried about it.

It is for a large house, 9 students. No bills included - no council tax, elec, water, tv licence, satellite tv etc etc. Additionally it is a multi student agreement so they are all liable if anyone defaults/leaves/doesn't pay.

What is other people's experience of this? DC has known all other tenants since September and all seem lovely etc however this seems very risky to me and I'm not sure they all understand the implications.

Just looking for any advice really but feeling a bit frustrated as I suspect all agreements are like this.

My DS shared with a house of 7 for 3 years and no problems at all but bills were included. This year he is in a house of 5 and he is using splitwise for bills and I also paid for gurantor insurance as a back up.

Also they don't pay council tax if they are all students. They will need internet and I would not bother with satellite or other tv channels.

Thanks for that, didn't know about the guarantor insurance although we are not being asked to be guarantors so assume that means DC will be wholly liable but doesn't have any money!

My DDs always managed to get places with separate contracts as I refused to guarantee any "Joint & Several" liability ones. I'd be very surprised if you can find something with no parental guarantee needed at all. My DD1 is a PhD student with a stipend yet they still need me to guarantee her portion of the rent. With 9 students, the chances of one not sticking around are quite high. It might be prudent to get the home contact information for the other students so you aren't the one having to pick up the bill.

Both DDs have (had) to pay for bills. DD2's student house had wifi included in the rent but other bills were not. DD1 is now renting with other PhD students and some newly qualified teachers. They each take responsibility for one bill and work out what the others owe. It works for her, but they are all a bit older.

My DC is in a student house (2nd year) for 5, they all have separate contracts and we didn't have to be guarantors.
They sorted this just before Xmas last year . DC thought there wasn't really a great need to panic that early, but one of the flatmates wanted things organised.
Also , students don't pay council tax.

The first post is utterly standard (for my sons who were at Bristol and my other children). I refused to be a guarantor but their father did it - each parent for the whole house of 9 but their friends parents and us are fairly well off so the risk of default was pretty low. My children's father had the better deal as he guaranteed (and I was the one paying the whole rent for each child).

Check he is sure his friends' parents are well off enough to pay the rent if their child disappears or goes bankrupt. Check the tenancy is for the right period (term) and rent and make sure he understands what is involved.

The fact no bills are included is perfectly standard. They can use apps to share bills fairly easily.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've caught up with dc this evening and it seems there isn't a guarantor required. I am surprised by this because surely it means they would have to chase the students who won't have any money!

There is an option to go all bills included so they are going to find out what this includes. I've also said to check it isn't prepay meter as I dont want ll to start to restrict (if this is possible).

I think they are rushing, it's all pressure pressure pressure, they've given them 24hrs to sign and send in a holding deposit.

My dd is at Durham and just sorted her 2nd yr property out after much stress ad panic and for £184 pppw!

Bills are included. Her contract is individual on a per room basis. And I am guarantor but they didn't do a credit check. My credit is excellent but I worked in lettings for a while so expected them to do one.

Apparently this year there is a shortage of student property and expected to be next year hence the panic about arranging 2nd yr accommodation early.

I'm hoping dd wants to move back to her college accommodation for year 3, I don't think I can cope with the stress again. Or the cost. She's paying more for a shitty student room in what she says 'looks like a crack den' than a lovely room with catering included.

The mad rush was a thing when I was at uni over ten years ago! If you didn’t have a house by Christmas break you were left with some
pretty grim pickings.
I would be wary of a very large house however as there can be drop outs and if they can’t replace that person you end up liable for their rent

My son (Bristol, year 2 was 2018) said he remembered one person viewing a house in term 1 for year 2 simply left the viewing for a few minutes and by the time he got back in someone else had taken the house! So that does show you have to get on with it. it is probably worse this year than most as more students came in due to special post covid postponements of places etc. I believe next year may be more back to normal.