Off-Campus Accommodation2011/12

www.chi.ac.uk/accomm

Code of Practic

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LANDLORDS

Welcome 3

Accommodation Options 4

Where to look for Accommodation 6

Studentpad 8

House Hunting 9

Top 10 tips before signing agreement 10

Inspecting a property 11

House Hunting Checklist 12

Living with friends 14

Budgeting 15

Budgeting list 16

Signing up 18

Moving in and moving out 22

Useful Information 27

Summary of Accreditation 30

Dealing with Problems 31

Jargon Buster 34

Frequently Asked Questions 36

Useful Telephone Numbers 42

Disclaimer 43

Contact us Back page

Contents

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3

Congratulations on being offered a place to study at the Universityof Chichester.

Between now and starting yourcourse you will need to startmaking arrangements with regardsto your stay. You will have someimportant decisions to makeincluding where you want to liveand what you want to do when youarrive at the university.

This guide will advise you abouthow to find accommodation in theChichester and Bognor Regis areaand ensure that you know whataction to take when arranging youraccommodation. We understandfinding the right type ofaccommodation is important.

The aim of this booklet is tohighlight; the main issues youshould consider when viewing andsubsequently living in the privatesector, practical tips and advice onhouse hunting, information oncontracts and deposits, fire safetyadvice and provide a list of usefulcontacts.

We hope you enjoy your courseand time at university.

The Accommodation Team This guide has been produced bythe Accommodation Team, withthe assistance of Chichester andArun District Councils. We arehere to provide you with adviceand guide you through the processof finding a place to stay.

We have two accommodationoffices which form part of theEstate Management department.One office is located below theBishop Andrewes Hall ofResidence on the Bishop Ottercampus, the other is in the BarbaraSmith Halls of Residence, on theBognor Regis Campus. Staff onboth campuses tend to the needsof students living in the privatesector, as well as university ownedaccommodation

Before contacting us, if you haveyet to start your studies, pleaseestablish where your course isbased. If you are not sure you cancheck by calling our admissionsenquiries team on 01243 816002or by visiting www.chi.ac.uk andsearching the details of the coursevia the online prospectus. This willhelp us provide the correctinformation, in relation to yourhousing requirements.

Please do not hesitate to get intouch if you need any help findingaccommodation, accessingStudentpad (our housing database)or you just have a quick question.

Welcome

Contact usWe are open from 8:00am to 6:00pmMonday to Friday.

Chichester Tel: + 44 (0) 1243 816069 Email: accommodation@chi.ac.uk University of Chichester Accommodation Office Bishop Otter Campus College Lane Chichester West Sussex PO19 6PE

Bognor RegisTel: + 44 (0) 1243 812120 Email: accommodation@chi.ac.uk University of Chichester Accommodation Office Bognor Regis Campus Upper Bognor Road Bognor Regis West Sussex PO21 1HR

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Chichester is a fantastic city inwhich to live and study, and rentingyour own accommodation can addto that experience.

The prospect of finding privateaccommodation doesn’t have to bedaunting. It may seem so as nowstudents often feel under pressureto make a quick decision withoutenough information to makeinformed choices.

Shared student house or flat The majority of students want tolive with other people of a similarage and views and have a degree ofindependence from both parentsand university. If you are coming toChichester and have not secured aplace in halls of residence, theuniversity Accommodation Officeis here to help you search for otherlike-minded students for suchaccommodation. However, beclear about what you want in yourhouse and with whom you chooseto live with. The most commonhousing problems that theAccommodation Office comesacross are caused by disputesbetween co-tenants.

Chichester and Arun DistrictCouncils operate accreditationschemes to encourage owners andlandlords to raise and maintain thequality of their flats or houses tomeet a higher standard than thelegislation minimum standards.

Please consider that in addition tomonthly rent, you’ll normally beexpected to pay a deposit to yourlandlord. There will also be bills forheating, lighting and other utilities.

We would also recommendpurchasing contents insurance foryour belongings.

The Landlords’ CodeIn any one year theAccommodation Office canadvertise up to 1000 rooms inshared houses or flats in theChichester and Bognor Regis areas.Rents are competitive and can beinclusive or exclusive of bills.Although each property is ownedby a private landlord, the landlordhas signed a contract with theuniversity to ensure the propertycomplies with current legislationand is operated to good practice.This means that if a student feelsthat a landlord is breaching theLandlords’ Code theAccommodation Office canintervene. All properties have tomeet high safety standards whichinclude the provision of mains–linked smoke alarms and fire doorsand provide annual gas safety andelectrical safety certificates. Formore information regarding theLandlords’ Code please contact theAccommodation Office.

Private Home Accommodation There is no such thing as a typicalresident landlord. Some are youngprofessionals or recent graduates,others are middle aged couples andsome are retirees. Although moststudents’ first preference wouldprobably be to share with otherstudents, it is worth considering theadvantages of a private homearrangement, as well as itsdisadvantages.

The advantages include: The rent is generally cheaper(although this is not always thecase) and bills are often included inthe rent. Owner occupiedproperties are generally kept inbetter repair than rentedproperties. You do not have tocommit yourself to a contract,often you can arrange to stay for aslittle as two weeks. This means thatif it isn’t working out, you can endthe arrangement fairly painlessly.

The disadvantages are: It’s not your home and if you fallout with your landlord/landlady,you will usually have no option butto find somewhere else to live. Youwill often have less freedom tobring friends or guests and thiscould leave you feeling isolated. Inaddition, you are living by someoneelse’s rules regarding playing music,eating times, etc.

Homestay host families Homestay landlords are residentlandlords, often with children, whooffer accommodation inclusive ofmeals and the opportunity to liveas part of their family. No morethan four students can stay with a host at any one time. This type of housing option is a very popularchoice for students who are notnormally residents in the UKand/or who may be looking to improve their English language skills.

Accommodation Options

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Accommodation options Pros & Cons

Private sector • offers genuine independence • choice of location, type of

accommodation, budget and flatmates

• less certainty, regarding the standards of the facilities and management

Landlord Code propertyAll the above except; • you know the property is

registered with the university and has been inspected

• the property reaches high safety standards

Halls of residence • located on or close to the

university campus so not far to travel to lectures

• you will share with other students also in your position

• currently demand outstrips supply so halls of residence are not guaranteed.

• You must apply by a certain date

Landlords Code of Practice The University of Chichester has introduced The Landlords Code for private sector accommodation.

For more information go to www.chi.ac.uk/accomm

Code of Practic

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LANDLORDS

With both of these types ofaccommodation it is important thelandlord and student has a rentbook that both parties sign eachtime money changes hands so thatpayment of rent is recorded. If youpay weekly you should give yourhost a week’s notice if you wish toleave. If you pay monthly, youshould give your host a month’snotice. We therefore recommendthat you pay weekly initially untilyou are settled and happy. Underno circumstances should you pay awhole semester’s rent in advanceunless you are certain you want tostay. Refunds can be hard toobtain. Occasionally you may beasked to pay a deposit whenrenting a room and many hosts willrequire a retainer fee or full rentalfee if you are away on holiday butstill wish to retain the room.

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Chichester Chichester is in the county of West Sussex. It has Roman origins,a medieval Cathedral and is abustling, thriving city with a greatchoice of shops, cafes, pubs, artgalleries, museums, cinemas,bowling alley and a night club onthe outskirts of the city.

Open spaces Chichester is home to manybeautiful parks including theBishop’s Palace Gardens, PrioryPark and Oaklands Park. Just a fewmiles away you will find theWitterings and ChichesterHarbour.

Food and entertainment Chichester town centre has manyfantastic restaurants and a numberof bars popular with students.Chichester's leisure complex to thesouth of the City provides a wholenew range of facilities andentertainment, including cinema,bowling and bars. Chichester ishome to one of the UnitedKingdom's flagship theatresproducing a wide range oftheatrical productions, frommusicals and comedies, to classicdrama and innovative new writing.

Markets Chichester market takes place onWednesdays and Saturdays. It isgreat for inexpensive fruit andvegetables, eggs, meat and muchmore. On a Sunday the market alsohosts a boot fair, a great place togo to furnish a new flat on thecheap!

Museums, galleries and attractions Chichester has the ChichesterDistrict Museum and the PallantHouse Gallery in Chichester, hometo one of the best collections of20th century British art in thecountry.

Sport Outside of the university sportsChichester is home to a variety ofsports clubs including football,rugby, athletics and many moresporting clubs. The WestgateLeisure Centre can be found to thewest of the city with facilities suchas swimming pools, fitness suite,squash courts and fitness classes.

Bognor Regis Long hours of sunshine and award-winning beaches make BognorRegis one of the most popularseaside resorts on the south coast.Just minutes from the beautifulSouth Downs, the town has a lot tooffer to all its visitors. As well astraditional seaside fun and watersports, the town has lively cafesand restaurants, a bustling shoppingcentre and good leisure facilities.Outside of Bognor Regis is thehistoric town of Arundel, alongwith the seaside resort ofLittlehampton.

Open Spaces Located not far from the towncentre, Hotham Park is where thecreator of Bognor, Sir RichardHotham, built his house in 1792.The house is surrounded bygardens and specimen trees fromaround the world. The grounds areopen to the public and include apicnic area, play area, miniature

railway, tennis courts, boating lake,putting green and rose garden.Hotham Park offers relaxing walksamong the trees and, during the summer, look out for live musicand entertainment on thebandstand.

Food and entertainment Bognor has a wide variety of pubsand restaurants all situated in thetown centre and close to theuniversity campus.

SportBognor is home to a variety ofsports facilities (two leisurecentres) and very successfulfootball and rugby teams.

Where to look for Accommodation

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www.studentpad.co.uk/chichester www.studentpad.co.uk/chichesteris a website providing a detailedaccommodation search facilitywhich allows you to accessinformation regarding all types ofavailable accommodation in thearea and includes location mapsand photographs. Once you haveregistered on the site, you canreceive automatic updates of newproperties being advertised onstudentpad.

There are also other featureswhich you may find useful whichinclude; an extensive advicesection, a student message board,the ability to create your ownpersonal housing lists, the option of emailing details to friends andmuch more.

How do I get access to it? The service is free to all Universityof Chichester students and can beaccessed at www.studentpad.co.uk/chichester. To gain access toproperty details, you will need tocontact the Accommodation Officefor a validation password. You willneed to have your University ofChichester student number tohand when you contact us.

Alternatively you can log onto theuniversity’s admission portal usingyour student number and gain thepassword from the studentpad off-campus page.

Landlords’ Code of PracticeThe logo denotes that the landlordof the property has signed up tothe university’s Landlords’ Codefor private sector accommodation.The Landlords Code is a voluntaryscheme where landlords who areregistered with us are asked to signup and commit to high standards ofbehaviour towards tenants.

The Accommodation Office acts asan introductory representative forthe student and the landlord,therefore once the student hasfound a property it will be thelandlord with whom they sign acontract and pay rent to. Studentsover the age of 18 are responsiblefor any legal contract entered into.Always read a contract beforesigning it. We are here to offeradvice and support to studentswith accommodation relatedenquires or difficulties.

Studentpad

Contact us

Chichester Tel: 01243 816069

Bognor RegisTel: 01243 812120 Email: accommodation@chi.ac.uk

www.studentpad.co.uk/chichester

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The university advertises all itsaccredited properties onwww.studentpad.co.uk/chichester,for Chichester and Bognor areas.

The advantage of renting anaccredited property is that there is some degree of control andsupport if you encounter aproblem.

Some of the best housing is passed on from one group ofstudents to another by word ofmouth. It might be that you canfind out about good offers fromfinal year students who are vacatingtheir houses.

Some students and their parentswill consider buying a house as analternative. In many instances thiswill involve the parents buying theproperty and their son/daughterrenting out the other rooms totheir friends. It is important thatstudents are aware of both thepitfalls as well as the advantages.Although you have escaped thestress of being a tenant and dealingwith obstructive landlords, this maybe swapped for the stress of beinga landlord or, at least, thelandlord’s representative.

No matter how much you protestto the contrary, you are no longerin an equal relationship with yourco-sharers. It can be difficult tomaintain friendships when you areno longer equal and manyfriendships have ended overarguments about rent arrears and repairs.

Letting agents help let houses on acommercial basis. Many landlordsuse them for two reasons: theythink that the agencies willadvertise their accommodationeffectively for them and thelandlord will be able to let theiraccommodation without having tospend a lot of time answeringenquiries from potential tenants.

There is no requirement for lettingagents to be registered with aregulatory body, but registrationwith the Association of ResidentialLetting Agents (ARLA)demonstrates a degree of professionalism. They can alsoinsist on implementing a range ofcharges to potential tenantsincluding contract fees and creditchecks, if this is stated in thecontract. They cannot, however,charge you just to show youaccommodation they have to let.

House Hunting

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1 Be sure Think carefully before signing ‘on the dotted line.’ Once a contract is signed it will be very difficult to get out of the contract if you change your mind. Are you 100 per cent sure about all the terms of the contract?

2 Be nosy Ask as many questions as you can think of about the property and the tenancy. Find out if bills are included. If possible ask the current tenants about living in the house and the area.

3 Be safe Don’t go to viewings alone – not only for your personal safety, but a second opinion is always useful.

4 Be thorough Take your time, look everywhere, and use the checklist included in this guide. You’ll be less likely to miss important things and be able to compare properties more objectively.

5 Be observant Look out for the condition of the property and furniture and pay particular attention to safety features.

6 Be realistic Don’t take on more than you can afford!

7 Be equipped Take photos to help you remember which house was which. If you’re looking at several properties they tend to become a bit of a blur!

8 Be organised Start looking as early as possible togive yourself more choice. Whenyou start looking make sure you’vegot the means to pay your depositand rent so you don’t miss out.

9 Be informed Make sure you know your rights. If you need advice contact theAccommodation Office.

10 Be on the ball Keep an eye out for any repairs andask if the landlord intends to getthem fixed. If you decide to takethe property get this in writing thatit will be done before you move in.

Top 10 tips before entering into an agreement

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Many students encounter problemswith their property after they havemoved in because they did notcheck the property for potentialdefects before they signed thetenancy agreement. Most studentstry and find their accommodationin the second semester. It isimportant that you consider whatthe property will be like when it iscold, dark and raining. Look at thecondition of the property. Howwell insulated is the property? Are

your personal belongings going tobe safe? How secure is theproperty? The structure of theproperty should always be carefullyexamined first before entering theproperty. If this fails at the firsthurdle then this property should be completely ruled out. The check list should be taken to eachproperty viewing, to give you an idea of factors you need to consider before signing the contract.

Inspecting a property

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Property address

Property 1

Property visit

Is anything broken, loose ormissing?

Roof and gutering Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Are they overgrown with weedsor moss?

Are they in a good condition?

Doors and windows

Is there double glazing?

Are the walls in good condition?

Walls

Are they free from signs of damp?

Is there storage for rubbish andrecycling?

Other external

Who is responsible for gardenmaintenance?

Is there enough furniture in goodcondition?

Furniture

Is all the furniture you see stayingin the property?

Is it fire resistant? (Check labels)

Are they in good condition?

Appliances

Is a washing machine provided?

Property 2

Property 3

Property 4

House Hunting Checklist

Take our checklist with you when you’re house hunting. You’ll find it easier to compare different properties and itwill help you to remember details from the viewings.

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

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Is it gas or electric?

Heating and hot water

Is there heating in every room?

Are space, seating, bathingfacilities adequate?

Other internal

Are there enough facilities for thenumber of tenants e.g. cupboardsand fridge?

Are there any signs of damp orcondensation?

Can you hear noise fromneighbours or outside?

Is there a gas safety certificate?

Gas safety

Is there an electrical safetycertificate?

Electrical safety

Are there enough plug sockets?

Does the wiring look in goodcondition?

Are there smoke detectors?What type are they?

Fire safety

Is the area convenient for yourstudies?

Location

Is the house close to publictransport?

Are the local shops and facilitiesadequate?

Would you feel safe in the area onyour own at night?

If any repairs need doing, make sure you get any promises in writing before signing a contract.

Notes

Other comments, eg rent deposit

Other Comments

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

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There are many people whosecompany you can enjoy in theStudents’ Union bar but who youwould not enjoy living with.Successfully sharing a house withsomeone requires a completelydifferent set of skills than those youuse while enjoying a good night outwith them or even living in thesame corridor in the halls ofresidence. To demonstrate this, tryanswering the following quiz.

Which of the following mostdescribes your attitude tocleanliness? A. It’s important that everyone

pulls their weight, following a housework rota

B. So long as the washing up is done, I can put up with some untidiness

C. Can’t say that tidiness has ever been my strong point

Which of the following bestdescribes your attitude to noise? A. I need a quiet place to study, this

is what I’m here to do after all B. I’m easy, as long as you keep it

down when I need to get to sleep

C. I love to party! I can put up with your noise, if you can put up with mine

What time do you usually go to sleep? A. I’m in at 9am most days so I’m

usually asleep by 11pm B. If I’ve got a deadline to meet

sometimes I can stay up all night but usually I’m asleep anytime between 12pm and 2am

C. I am nocturnal and don’t appreciate the benefits of daytime living/studying

If you answered mostly As youshould not consider living withsomeone with Cs. You will almostcertainly fall out at some stage.This is not to say that As are moresensible than Cs, it just means thatyou have different perspectives onlife at University.

Before you decide on the groupyou are going to live with youshould have an open discussionabout each of your expectationssuch as washing-up, payment ofbills, rules about guests, when theheating should be on. This willavoid the small individual irritationsbecoming an issue and turning intobigger problems.

How many should you share with? The general rule is the morepeople you live with the cheaper itis. For example two people sharingwill pay more for the property thanfour sharing. However, beyondfour people there are usually noadditional savings. Properties withfive or more tenants are licensable,this extra cost maybe added to therent.

Do you all have comparableincome? Tensions can occur when some ofthe group can barely afford to eatwhilst the rest of the group are outpartying and clubbing every night.Friends staying overnight and forlonger periods can cause issues - Ifyou live with three others how willyou feel when you are forced toshare with five or six?

When you are seriously interestedin a property, don’t just look at thesurrounding area during thedaytime, go back at night and see ifyou still like it at this time also.

Living with friends

Useful informationOther factors that need to beconsidered are:• Are you in agreement on the

length of the lease?• What will happen if someone

decides to leave after 9 months and the tenancy is a 12 month contract – who will be responsible for paying the rent for the rest of the tenancy?

• Refer to signing a contract section page 18.

Most UK students will qualify forthe statutory financial supportpackage, which comprises of a loanfor tuition fees, a maintenance loanand (depending on the familyincome) a grant to help with livingcosts. If you are assessed as beingeligible for a maintenance grantthen you will also receive a bursaryfrom the University (currently upto £1077). Students withdependents may also be able toobtain certain State Benefits.

The Access to Learning Fundprovides discretionary financialassistance in the form of grants,which do not have to be repaid and is available to all ‘home’students studying at least 50% of a full-time course.

Realistically, most students willhave to work part time to helpfund their living costs. It isimportant not to let your debtsspiral out of control and this iswhere budgeting comes into play.

A budget has to be accurate to beeffective so you need to keep trackof everything. The easiest way todo this is to keep a record of whatyou spend in shops, pubs andanywhere else. All these things addup and you will probably spendmore than you think. A BudgetPlanner is available from theStudent Money Advice Servicewebsite (www.chi.ac.uk/moneyadvice).

The Student Money Advice serviceis located in Student Support, onboth campuses. Student MoneyAdvisors are available to talk aboutbudgeting issues with students onan individual or group basis. For an appointment contact themon stumoneyadv@chi.ac.uk orcontact them by telephone on:01243 812154 or 01243 816038.

To give you an idea of the type ofcosts you should be budgeting for,we have created an examplebudget list and some helpful tips onpage 16.

Food Shopping Food is an essential part of yourbudget and is very important whenit comes to cost saving as it isprobably the most flexible part ofthe budget. Therefore, whenoverspending takes placeelsewhere it is usually the foodbudget that is cut first. Howeverthis is not something that is simplydone. Careful thought and planningis required to ensure a nutritional,balanced diet is retained. Someuseful tips:

• Plan a weekly menu and buy foods accordingly.

• Remember packed lunches work out much cheaper than bought sandwiches or eating out.

• Always use a shopping list, which relates to your planned menu and stick to it! Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry.

• On arriving at the supermarket, immediately check out the reduced item shelves to see if there are any items that you could use.

• Watch the sell by dates as you shop. You do not want to be throwing away food, which you bought cheaply but are unable to use in time.

• Take advantage of discounts for buying in bulk but only when you are sure you will be able to use the items.

• Buying fresh vegetables from the local market or greengrocer can sometimes work out cheaper than buying them from the supermarket.

• Avoid prepared instant meals as you are paying for expensive labour.

• Buy own brand products, which are invariably cheaper and just as nutritious.

• Take advantage of promotional money-off coupons.

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Budgeting

Useful informationIt is a good idea to have a kitty forgeneral expenses i.e. toilet paper,cleaning products. Useful linkswww.money.msn.co.uk has a studentsection with information on financialaspects of student life.www.nusonline.co.uk has informationabout many areas of student lifeincluding money.

(Assumes 52 week contract)Individual start-up costs Per Person

Approximate expenditure Annually Per week Rent £3,600 £75 Equipment-cutlery, crockery, linen etc £80 (one payment)

Rent deposit of one month £300 (one payment must be paid monthly)

Broadband £104 £2Water rates £156 £3.00 Electricity £260 £5.00

Additional individual expenses Annually Per weekGas £260 £5.001 month rent in advance £300 (one payment must be paid monthly)

Mobile phone £525 £10Entertainment £1,300 £25Housekeeping (food etc.) £1,820 £35Books and equipment £360 £6.92TV licence £145.50 £0.93 Gym/sport’s club membership £150 £2.88Clothing/footwear £312 £6 Make-up/toiletries £260 £5Newspapers/magazines/CDs £260 £5Cigarettes/tobacco/alcohol £1,040 £20

Individual weekly expenditure total: £206.73(inc. bills and rent)

Extra Per PersonAnnually Per week

Car insurance, road tax and fuel £1,200 £25

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Budgeting list

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Damage deposits A damage deposit or tenancydeposit is usually to be paid whensigning the tenancy agreement. Thedeposit is the landlords insuranceagainst you causing damage to theproperty or breaching the terms ofthe contract. Depending on thetenancy agreement the landlordmay make a deduction from yourdeposit for one or more of thefollowing; damage to the property,unpaid rent, missing items and/orcleaning.

When a landlord or letting agenttakes a deposit from a tenant, thedeposit must be protected in aGovernment authorised TenancyDeposit Scheme. This Scheme wasintroduced to make it more difficultfor landlords to unfairly hold backdeposits. It is essential to keep anaccurate and comprehensiverecord of the condition of theproperty and furniture both at thebeginning and at the end of thetenancy. This will help preventdisputes arising. For more on thisrefer to the Tenancy DepositScheme section. The deposit isusually one month’s rent perindividual, although this cansometimes be one and a halfmonth’s rent.

Ways to protect your deposit You should ensure that you cleanthe property regularly during yourtenancy agreement and report anydamage or repairs immediately toyour landlord. You shouldcomplete a thorough inventorycheck including a list of all thefurniture and equipment and thecondition of items on arrival.

Deductions should never be madefor general wear and tear or fordamage caused before yourtenancy begins or after it ends. TheAccommodation Office has sampleinventories that you can use if yourlandlord does not provide one. It isessential that you check that theinventory is accurate and that younote whether there is anythingmissing or whether the previoustenants have left items behind.Taking photos at the beginning andend of the tenancy is a good idea.Writing down the condition of thefurniture and equipment (marks,tears and damage) as well as notingthe state of decoration (blu-tacstains, etc.) is advised.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme Tenancy deposit law wasintroduced on 6th April 2007 andprovides protection to tenants bypreventing landlords and lettingagents from unfairly withholding adeposit. The scheme protects allAssured Shorthold Tenancies inEngland and Wales (covering mosttenancies since 1997). If, however,you will be sharing accommodationwith the landlord, then the schemewill not apply.

Tenancy Deposit Protection isdesigned to ensure: • You get all or part of your

deposit back, when you are entitled to it

• Any disputes between you and your landlord or agent will be easier to resolve

If your Landlord or letting agenthas not protected your deposit,you can apply to the local county

court, who will order them torepay three times the amount ofthe deposit to you.

Who runs the TenancyDeposit Schemes? The Government has awardedcontracts to three companies torun tenancy deposit protectionschemes.

The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) The DPS is the only custodialdeposit protection scheme, it isfree to use and open to allLandlords and Letting Agents. Theservice is funded entirely from theinterest earned from deposits held.Landlords and Letting Agents areable to register and maketransactions online. Paper formsare available should internet accessbe an issue. The scheme issupported by a dedicated callcentre and an independent dispute resolution service. For moreinformation, visit the websitebelow or telephone: • Tel: 0870 7071707. • www.depositprotection.com

Tenancy Deposit Solutions Ltd (TDSL) TDSL is a partnership between theNational Landlords Association andHamilton Fraser Insurance. Thisinsurance-based tenancy depositprotection scheme enableslandlords, either directly or throughagents, to hold deposits.• Tel: 0871 703 0552. • www.mydeposits.co.uk

Signing up

Useful information

Holding deposit A holding deposit is paid to the landlordto hold the property for you whilst youdecide whether you want to take it ornot. Exactly what has been agreeddepends on wording, but in most casesonce you have paid a holding depositthe landlord should not show theproperty to other prospective tenants.Essentially you should be paying to getfirst refusal on the property. If you laterdecide you no longer want the propertyyou may lose your holding depositbecause the landlord may argue theyhave lost rent by not renting tosomeone else whilst you were makingyour mind up. You should thereforeonly pay the holding deposit if you arepretty sure you want the propertyand/or you will be able to find thatextra tenant to join your group.

It is important that you check with thelandlord that once you have paid theholding deposit that they will not offerthe property to another group. It is notunheard of for landlords to takemultiple deposits from several groupsfor the same property. The landlord issimply finding out who is serious abouttaking up the tenancy. Check the termsof the holding deposit agreement. Itcan entail that you are committing totaking the property before you haveeven signed a tenancy agreement.Check that your landlord allows the useof blu-tac before you move in as it canleave greasy stains and possibly lead todeductions for redecoration. (If youcan’t get the stains off, try using sugar-soap). If you have to maintain thegarden, make a note of the conditionof the garden too. You and the landlordshould both sign the inventory andeach keep a copy.

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The Tenancy Deposit Scheme(TDS) TDS is an insurance-backed depositprotection and dispute resolutionscheme run by The Dispute Servicethat builds on a scheme establishedin 2003 to provide disputeresolution and complaints handlingfor the lettings industry. Thescheme enables letting agents andlandlords to hold deposits.• Tel: 0845 226 7837• www.tds.gb.com

If a dispute occurs and noagreement can be reached abouthow much of the deposit should bereturned, there is a free service,offered by the scheme protectingthe deposit, to help resolve anydisputes – the Alternative DisputeResolution (ADR) service.

What happens if there is a dispute? When a dispute occurs, and iflandlord and tenant both agree touse the service to resolve disputesoffered by their scheme provider,they are agreeing to be bound byits decision.

There are two types of tenancydeposit protection schemesavailable for landlords and lettingagents. Both provide a free disputeresolution service, these are:

Custodial scheme The tenant pays the deposit to thelandlord or agent. The landlord oragent then pays the deposit intothe scheme. Within 14 days ofreceiving the deposit the landlordor agent must give the tenant thedetails about how their deposit isprotected including:

• The contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme selected

• The landlord or agent’s contact details

• How to apply for the release of the deposit

• Information explaining the purpose of the deposit

• What to do if there is a dispute about the deposit.

If a landlord or tenant does notagree to the release of full or partof the deposit, ADR will be thedefault way in which to resolve adispute. If there is a dispute, thescheme will continue to hold theamount until the ADR or courtsdecide what is fair. At the end ofthe tenancy, if an agreement isreached about how the depositshould be divided, the scheme willreturn the deposit, divided in theway agreed by both parties.

If there is a dispute, the schemewill hold the deposit until thedispute resolution service or courtsdecide what is fair. The interestaccrued by deposits in the schemeis used to pay for the running ofthe scheme.

Insurance schemes The tenant pays the deposit to thelandlord. The landlord retains thedeposit and pays a premium to theinsurer - the key difference to thecustodial scheme.

Within 14 days of receiving adeposit the landlord or agent mustgive the tenant the details abouthow their deposit is protectedincluding: the contact details of thetenancy deposit scheme selected,

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the landlord or agent’s contactdetails, how to apply for therelease of the deposit, informationexplaining the purpose of thedeposit and what to do if there is adispute about the deposit. If thelandlord is refusing to co-operatewith the scheme administrator toresolve the dispute, it will bemandatory for the case to bereferred to the scheme’s ADRservice. If there is a dispute and thedeposit is safeguarded by aninsurance-based scheme, thelandlord must hand over thedisputed amount to the scheme forsafekeeping until the dispute isresolved.

The scheme administrator willdivide the disputed amount inaccordance with the ADR services,or court's decision. If the landlordfails to transfer the disputedamount into the scheme then thescheme will pay the amount due tothe tenant as a result of the ADRservice's or court's decision. Thescheme will then recover themoney from the landlord.

At the end of the tenancy, if anagreement is reached about howthe deposit should be divided, thelandlord or agent returns all orsome of the deposit. If there is adispute, the landlord must handover the disputed amount to thescheme for safekeeping until thedispute is resolved. If for anyreason the landlord fails to comply,the insurance arrangements willensure the return of the deposit tothe tenant if they are entitled to it.

What if your landlord is notprotecting your deposit? You can apply to your local countycourt. The court can order thelandlord or agent to either repaythe deposit to you or protect it in a

scheme. If your landlord or agenthas not protected your deposit,they will be ordered to repay threetimes the deposit amount.

Signing a contract There are two main types of lettingcontracts (although others exist).All student houses will be coveredby an Assured Shorthold Tenancy,this is when you have solepossession of your house or flat(i.e. your landlord does not livewith you). This is likely to be for afixed term, this means that you areguaranteed to have occupancy ofthe property, and are committed topaying the full rent for the periodstated on the contract.

Students are advised to be awareof the following informationbefore signing a housingagreement: When you sign your housingagreement, you accept theconditions and terms of theagreement. Never sign a contractwith which you do not agree orwhich you do not understand. You have the right to understand acontract before you are asked tosign it. If there is something youdon’t understand, ask for anexplanation. If you have doubts, go home and think it over. Don'tbe pressured into signing beforeyou are ready.

Joint and Several TenancyAgreement A group of you are renting aproperty together and you are allnamed on the contract. It is likelythat you will have what is called ajoint tenancy.

This means that all the tenants areequally liable for the full rent of theproperty. The consequence of this

type of tenancy is that if a tenantmoves out, the remaining tenantsare liable for that person’s rent. Inthese circumstances, the bestsolution is for the leaving tenant tofind someone to replace them. Alltenants (new, old and landlord)should then sign an assignmentdocument, which will allow theexisting contract to continue underthe same terms and conditions asbefore, but just with differentpeople. The leaving tenant will becompletely released from thecontract.

Individual Tenancy Agreement With this type of tenancy you canavoid the burdens of a jointtenancy, however the type oftenancy issued is usually the choiceof the landlord. You could try andnegotiate individual tenancies ofeach of your rooms. This meansthat you are only liable for the rentfor your room and communalareas, but not anyone else’s room.

The disadvantages of thisagreement are: If someone leaves the property,you do not have any say over whothe leaving tenant or landlordreplaces them with. Also becauseyou only have a tenancy agreementof your room, the landlord canhave somewhat free access to thecommunal parts of the property(i.e. kitchen, bathroom).

Break clauses Before signing a tenancy agreementit might be a good idea to discusswith your landlord the possibility ofa break clause, as this will enableyou to end your tenancy before theend of the fixed term. Mostcommonly a landlord requires atenant to sign a 12 month tenancyagreement. However, theuniversity term ends by the end of

21

May/early June and therefore youmay be signing an agreement forlonger than you require.

The break clause will allow you toend your tenancy agreement early.You must be aware that althoughyou will be able to end yourtenancy, the landlord also has theright to terminate your agreementafter 9 months. So if you want toremain in the property for the full12 months, you may not want tonegotiate a break clause.

Parental Guarantors A guarantor gives the landlord adegree of financial security whichmay persuade them to take you inpreference to another tenantwithout a guarantor. A guarantor issomeone who agrees to beresponsible for unpaid rent or fordamage caused if the tenant doesnot pay. As with all legaldocuments, it is a good idea to getthe guarantor agreement checkedwith an advisor before it is signed.

Get everything in writing If your landlord has agreed to carryout repairs on the property beforeyou move in, always get thiswritten into the contract, andinclude an exact date by which thework will be completed. Similarly, ifyour landlord has promised to buyextra furniture, or have itemsremoved from the property, makesure the landlord confirms this inwriting. A verbal agreement to renta property can be just as binding asone that is written down.However, it is normally best tohave a written housing contractbecause if a dispute arises, provingverbally agreed terms can be verydifficult.

If you have moved into a propertywithout signing any form ofcontract, you can make a writtenrequest for the landlord/agent togive you certain details of yourtenancy: rent level, period ofcontract, and commencementdate. The landlord/agent will becommitting an offence if s/he failsto comply with your request within28 days. If you find youraccommodation via an agency (oreven if you negotiate directly withthe landlord), make sure that youare given the landlord's full nameand address before you sign thecontract. This will be veryimportant if there are disputeslater on.

Once you have found a property,there may be some individual startup costs both before and when youare signing the contract.

Remember when you hand overmoney, you need to get a receipt.Make sure the receipt states clearlythe amount you paid, the date,your name, the name of theperson you are paying the moneyto, and a description of what youare paying for. Try to avoid payingcash, pay by cheque or bankersdraft, although most landlords willprefer cash.

Moving Out At the end of the tenancy, checkwhether you are leaving theproperty and its contents in thecondition in which it was let to you- allowing for fair wear and tear -and check that you have paid yourrent and any other expenses. Thenagree with your landlord or agenthow much of the deposit should bereturned to you. Within 10 daysyou should have received theagreed amount of the deposit.

Useful information

Never sign a contract with which you do not agree or which you do not understand. Example: You have entered into yourtenancy agreement in September, for afixed 12 month term. You want toleave in June (9 months), after yourexams have finished. An example ofhow the clause would work is that theLandlord or the Tenant may give 2months prior written notice at any timeprovided that such notice does notexpire sooner than nine months fromthe start of the tenancy. Be wary oflandlords who want you to sign on thespot, before you have had a chance toproperly read the contract and/or takeadvice, and always keep a copy of thecontract for yourself.

Never sign a contract with blankspaces. Cross out any blank spaces andany statements that do not apply toyour purchase. Get an exact copy ofthe contract when you sign it. Don't letthem tell you that a copy will be mailedto you later. Make changes on thecontract before signing. If you want toadd or delete something in thecontract, do it before you sign. TheTenancy Deposit Scheme leaflet isavailable from your AccommodationOffice explaining what to expect underthe new legislation, also visitwww.direct.gov.uk/tenancydeposit ortelephone: 0845 609 0696 for moreinformation.

Alternatively contact the followingorganisations: Shelter: FREE housing advice helpline • Tel: 0808 800 4444 (Open 8am

to midnight 7 days a week) • www.shelter.org.uk/advice Citizens Advice• Tel: 01243 784231 (Chichester) • Tel: 01243 820667 (Bognor) • www.adviceguide.org.uk National Union of Students• www.nusonline.co.uk/info/housing

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Now that you have found a place tolive, and the move in dateapproaches, it is important to remainorganised and to take some basicprecautions to ensure that your stayis as problem free as possible. Thissection provides information onmoving in and out of your home andsome of the common problems thatstudents encounter within privatesector housing.

Inventory and Schedule ofConditionWhilst in most cases a tenancy willend without any dispute or problemwith the returning of a deposit,some students will experience theloss of some or all of their deposit.

With the introduction of theTenancy Deposit Scheme thissituation will improve, however youshould always keep an accuraterecord of the condition of theproperty both at the beginning andat the end of the agreement. Toavoid you losing any of your depositfor something you have not causedprepare an inventory (a list ofcontents) and schedule of condition(description of the overallcondition).

The inventory is revised at the endof the letting agreement against thecondition of the property. Somedeterioration is allowed (i.e. fairwear and tear) but if the walls arecovered in blu tack stains at the endof the tenancy, unless the inventoryshows that those stains were alsothere at the beginning, you could becharged for repainting.

If not provided by the landlord oragency, do your own inventory andschedule of condition on the day thetenancy starts, ideally with thelandlord who should also sign anddate the inventory. You both shouldhave a copy and always takephotographs. Every item in theproperty should be listed and tickedoff on the inventory, as well as thegeneral condition of walls, carpets,mattresses, kitchen work tops. Notedown anything that does not workand ask the landlord to replace it.You can get a blank inventory formfrom the Accommodation Office.

Utility bills

Gas, electricity and water It is the tenants responsibility tocontact the utility companies at thestart of the contract to transfer theirnames on to the gas, electric andwater bills. This should be an easystraightforward process. For gas andelectricity, you will simply need togive details of the current meterreadings to the suppliers. If you areunsure about how to do this askyour landlord. It may be possible tosave money by moving betweensuppliers, however you must checkthat your contract allows you to dothis - check with the landlord if indoubt. If you will not be using thesupply until September let the utilitycompanies know. Also make sureyou know where the gas mains leveris and where the mains electricityswitch, fuse box and the waterstopcock are.

Key or card electricity and gasmeters If you have these meters you willpay for your supply as you use it bycharging up the key/card at a localoutlet. If you are away from theproperty for any length of timeremember to leave the metercharged with enough credit to coverthe running costs of thefridge/freezer/video etc.

Council Tax Concerning who does and does notpay council tax, please refer to theAccommodation Web Pages listedat the back of this brochure. TheUniversity sends the local authority alist of students living in the area. Thelocal authority will send anexemption form to your addresswhich you need to complete andreturn in a timely fashion to avoidpaying this tax.

Important: final year students areliable for council tax from the dayafter their last taught course day untilthe end of the tenancy agreement.

TV licence If you have a TV you will need alicence. If you share a house withother students and are part of ajoint tenancy then you will only needone licence. If you and any othertenants have individual tenancyagreement then a TV license isrequired for each person with a TV• Tel: 0870241 6468 • www.tvlicensing.co.uk/students

Getting caught without a TV licencemeans you could face prosecutionand a fine of up to £1,000, so it’s agood idea to get one.

Moving in and moving out

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Insurance Consider taking out insurance tocover your possessions. This will alsousually cover accidental damage tothe landlord’s possessions. Someinsurers will only insure yourbelongings if the property haswindow locks and locks onbedroom doors so make sure youcheck whether this is a requirementof the policy administrator. TheNUS recommends EndsleighInsurance. If you are broken into youmust obtain a crime referencenumber from the Police as you orthe landlord will need this for anyinsurance claim. If you damageanything of your own or belongingto your landlord, for example thewashing machine leaks and floodsthe floor, tell the insurance companystraight away as they will need toassess the damage and the person at fault.

Be considerate You are not just a student andtenant, but a representative of theuniversity and a valuable member ofthe community in which you live.The university works hard tomaintain good relationships withlocal communities, and you areexpected to be a good neighbourand show consideration towards thepeople around you, including thoseyou live with. The majority ofcomplaints about students in thecommunity centre around refuseand noise.

Rubbish and recycling Information about collection daysfor your area and what can and can’tbe recycled can be found on yourlocal council’s website: www.chichester.gov.uk www.arun.gov.uk

Please make sure you follow theCouncil’s guidelines about rubbishcollection. Rubbish left out for anylength of time attracts all sorts ofwildlife which have a tendency tospread rubbish all over the street.Apart from being unpleasant andunhygienic, you will also becomevery unpopular with yourneighbours. Try to keep outsideareas such as front gardens tidy andfree from rubbish as well.

NoisePlease be aware of your neighbours: • Your neighbours may be families

with young children or elderly and have very different lifestyles to you.

• Introduce yourself to your neighbours. A friendly ‘hello’ goes a long way!

• Try to keep noise to a minimum when returning home after a night out to avoid disturbing your neighbours.

• Let your neighbours know if you are planning a party.

• Your household may not be the only student house in the area, so consider the cumulative effects of multiple late night noise and rubbish.

• Remember that in signing your tenancy agreement you have undertaken to behave in a responsible and reasonable manner.

Complaints about noise are takenseriously and will be investigated. Persistent complaints may result inthe university taking disciplinary orthe local authority taking legal actionagainst you, so please consider howyour lifestyle might affect othersaround you.

What if you can't move in? If you have secured a property bysigning a contract and paid all thenecessary fees, it can be a seriousproblem if you feel you can't moveinto the property on the agreeddate. What you should do nextdepends on the circumstances youfind yourself in.

If you can't move in because you nolonger want to go ahead with thetenancy: Sometimes, students findthat they don't want to move into ahouse or flat they have arrangedbecause they have made alternativearrangements perhaps they havefound another place to live, orperhaps they may be returninghome or to another town or city. Ifyou find yourself in this situation,you need to remember that youhave signed a legally binding contractwith your landlord or agent.

You should contact your landlord oragent as soon as you decide you willnot be moving in. It is unlikely thatyou will simply be released from thecontract. In reality you will usually be held liable for the rent until a replacement is found for you, so it is essential to let them know ofthe situation as soon as possible.The earlier you let them know, themore likely it is that a replacementwill be found.

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If you can't move in because there isa problem with the property: Very rarely, a student may feel thatthere is a problem with theproperty: to the degree that they donot want to move in. For example,the landlord may have agreed tocomplete refurbishments by thetime of the move but on the agreeddate you find that work is stillongoing. In such a situation youshould always discuss this with yourlandlord immediately. Depending onthe situation, the landlord may beobliged to return some or all of therent you have paid for any periodwhen the property is considereduninhabitable.

If you feel that a property is unsafeto live in you should report thisimmediately to the AccommodationOffice or to the Students' Union.You can also contact the Council'sEnvironmental Health Department Email: environmentalhealth@chichester.gov.uk or Tel: 01243 785166

Leaving the property empty atvacations Student properties are a primetarget for burglars, especially duringvacations when many properties areempty. If you are going home duringvacations and cannot take yourvaluables and electrical equipmentwith you consider putting them intostorage. Some companies givestudent discounts.

During the tenancy You must clean your propertyregularly. If you block sinks or toiletsyou will be charged to have themunblocked. Ensure vacuum cleanersare emptied regularly and the bagschanged to avoid damaging them.

Ask the landlord what thearrangements are if you have aplumbing/electrical emergency andtry to get this written down. Try toget the name of the plumber thatthe landlord uses so that you can callthe plumber direct in case ofemergency. Make a note ofimportant local numbers (i.e.licensed taxi companies, local policestations etc).

When moving in, check the propertyfor evidence of damp, mice or otherpests. Contact your landlordimmediately to report this, as it isthe landlords responsibility toremove them, if you can prove theywere present before you moved in.

Moving out It is just as important to have arecord of the contents and conditionof the property at the end of thetenancy as it is at the beginning. Theoriginal inventory may be used forthis purpose or a new one can bedrawn up to list any differencesbetween the moving in inventoryand the moving out document.

Ideally you should clean theproperty up as much as possible twoweeks before the end of the tenancythen arrange for the landlord/agentto visit to discuss any mattersneeding attention giving you theopportunity to carry out anynecessary cleaning or other smalljobs without the landlord/agentemploying professionals to do thiswork.

On the last day of the tenancyarrange for the landlord/agent toinspect the property using themoving in inventory against themoving out one Once agreed on anydifferences the inventory should besigned and dated.

If the landlord/agent is notcooperative and does not visit theproperty two weeks before the endof the tenancy or to carry out themoving out inventory at the end ofyour tenancy agreement, youshould make a record of thecondition of the property on thelast day of your agreement.

Take photographic evidenceindicating the date when the photoswere taken (this can be done whenhaving the photos developed oranother way is to hold up a newspaper headline whilst taking the firstphoto and then again at the end ofthe film).

Useful information

Pre-arrange how you will pay thebills (whose name is going to be onwhat bill) check all the metersbefore you start using them (gas,electric etc.) or ring the companyto request a final reading so youknow you’re paying from the dayyou move in.

Before moving in decide what otheramenities you will want to shareand divide cost (i.e. Sky TV, TVlicence etc.)

You may have to pay a separatelicence fee for each TV in thehouse, especially if the rooms havelocks on.

Decide in advance who is going tohave which room.

In the event of a leak or a flood –you need to shut down the watersystem immediately. Ask thelandlord to show you where thestop valve is before an emergencyoccurs.

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Energy Saving Tips for Students

In your room

� Switch off lights, televisions and music systems when leaving the room.

� Switch off computers when not in use (or at

the least turn off the screen!).

� Unplug appliances when not in use

(including phone/i-pod chargers).

� Don’t leave appliances on standby.

� In winter, keep curtains open during the day

but make sure they are drawn at dusk.

� If your curtains are above a radiator - tuck them behind it when they are closed.

� If you've got a heater in your room, put a

jumper on rather than turning it up.

� For those who use hair dryers, give your

hair a rest and let it dry naturally at least

part way before blow drying. You'll save money on heat protection treatments as

well!

� Put on a jumper rather than turning up the

thermostat.

� Use energy-saving light bulbs. The average

energy-saving light bulb uses 75% less

electricity than a conventional bulb and lasts up to 10 times longer.

� Watch your favourite TV shows together. Five of you watching one television uses

five times less energy than five of you

watching five televisions!

� Avoid drying clothes on heaters as it lowers

the room temperature and makes your

boiler work harder.

In the kitchen

� Cover your pans when you cook.

� Boil only the amount of water you need.

� Make sure all food is cooled down before it goes

in the fridge or freezer.

� Use the right size pan for the food and cooker

ring.

� Cook together to show off those Delia skills and save energy!

� Use the half load or economy buttons on your washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer

when possible.

In the bathroom � If you have the choice, go for the

shower not the bath.

� Find someone to shower with!

� Don’t leave the hot tap dripping

Out and about

� For the social types amongst you, get down the

bar, the studious types, get to the library and the sporty types, get to the gym because as long as all

your appliances are off in your room, you’ll save

energy at home by being elsewhere!

� Be social. Get to know other students and go to

their house for a cuppa, a meal or an evening out.

� Use public transport, walk or cycle rather than

using the car.

� Use someone else’s electricity – stay with a friend! 26

27

Fire safety Check that there are smokedetectors in the property. Theseneed to be tested regularly. Allproperties classed as Houses inMultiple Occupation (HMO) musthave a mains wired smoke and heatdetection system. If there is no firedetection equipment and you foundthe property through the universityplease let us know.

If there are fire blankets and fireextinguishers check that they areoperational and within date.

Candles are a fire risk. Be aware thatyou may not be permitted to usethem in your property as part ofyour tenancy agreement.

Check that furniture is fire resistant– check labels on sofas, mattressesand other fabric or foam items.

Be aware of fire escape routes andavoid blocking hallways with bicyclesand so on.

Appliances Check that there are instructionmanuals accompanying anyappliances, such as washingmachines, boilers, fridges and so on.

Make sure you know how to usethem correctly – you can be chargedfor repairs arising from improperuse. Ask your landlord or agent ifyou are unsure.

Keep them clean. Dirty ovens arenot only unhygienic but a build up ofgrease will cause smoke alarms tobe set off. Clean the fridge regularlyand keep an eye on what’s in there.

Energy Efficiency (See poster left)

Council Tax

What is council tax? It is a charge made by LocalAuthorities on residential propertiesto pay for local public services. It isnot a tax on any individual.

Who has to pay council tax? Most non-students and part-timestudents who are over 18.

The landlord of the property will beresponsible for the Council Tax ifyou rent a room in their home andare not a joint tenant. If you are indoubt about this matter pleasecontact your local council.

Are all students exempt fromcouncil tax? Only if all the students in the houseare full-time students and they havecompleted a student exemptionform, and provided a studentcertificate. The University ofChichester provides the council witha list of current students. Theproperty will only be exempt for theperiod of the students course.Please note that the period ofexemption will cease on the last dayof your course. The period fromyour last taught course day and theend of your tenancy will not becovered by the exemption.

What if there is a non-studentresident? Council tax is made up of a 50%charge in respect of the propertyand 50% in respect of the occupants(assuming at least 2 adults are

resident – 25% per adult). If oneperson is not a student then a chargeof 75% will apply. If you live inChichester your local authority thatoversees the administration relatedto the tax will be Chichester DistrictCouncil and if you live in BognorRegis your local authority will beArun District Council. The best wayfor a full-time student to avoidproblems with their local authorityon the payment, or as it shouldprobably be, non-payment ofCouncil Tax is:

• To make sure that you only share with other full-time students

• To fill out an EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE stating that you are a full time student and send it to your local authority (keep a copy).

Contact Council Tax:

• Chichester:01243 534501 • www.chichester.gov.uk

• Arun: 01903 737500 • www.arun.gov.uk

Does your house require a licence? The Housing Act 2004 is asignificant piece of legislation, manyof the provisions of which haveundergone scrutiny and debateover a number of years. Many ofthe provisions in the Act aredesigned to combat the problem ofanti-social housing that still existthroughout the country.

What is a house in multipleoccupation (HMO)? This is any property let to three ormore tenants who are unrelated –forming two or more households

Useful Information

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and who share facilities such asbathroom, kitchens and communalareas (so basically every studenthouse).

Which HMOs will require alicence? HMOs which require a mandatorylicence are properties consideredto be high risk which are threestoreys or more and are occupiedby five or more persons.

How does the Act’s minimumstandards affect me? The minimum standards areimplemented to protect and makethe property safe for theoccupants, for example how easy itis to get out of the property in theevent of a fire. The council willprovide guidance on how to do thisbut the landlord will need toensure that they minimise anypotential risks. Licensing alsorequires the landlord or their agentto prove that they are a fit andproper person to manage an HMO.The local authority will have thepower to check criminal recordsand other past behaviour.

Whose responsibility is it to applyfor the licence? It is the landlords responsibility tocontact the local authority andapply for the licence. The licencewill last for up to 5 years and thelandlord will be required to pay afee. It is a criminal offence tocontrol or manage a propertywhich ought to be licensed, but isnot. The maximum fine that can beimposed is up to £20,000. Aperson will not be guilty of such anoffence if an application isoutstanding or if a temporarynotice has been issued.

Is your property accredited by theCouncil? Landlords are encouraged to applyto join the housing accreditationscheme, which is run by ChichesterDistrict Council, in partnershipwith Arun District Council, free ofcharge. The scheme wasrecommended in a council report,following the House ConditionSurvey carried out in 2006, whichrevealed that 15.5% of propertiesin the Chichester District arerented privately. All propertiesregistered with the University areaccredited or working towardsaccreditation.

The scheme aims to recogniselandlords who provide goodquality, safe and well-managedaccommodation. When a landlordapplies to the Council, thepremises will be inspected by anEnvironmental Health Officer, whowill assess the property against anumber of criteria includingexternal structure; timescale forrepairs; electrical safety; gas safety;security; cleaning; facilities; heating;room sizes; decoration andcarpeting; waste disposal;maintained garden; fire safety andenergy efficiency.

Landlords who join the schemeenjoy a variety of benefits such asaccess to financial assistance tomake changes to the property;publication on the ChichesterDistrict Council web site; listing onan accreditation web page withnews and information and training.Most importantly, if their propertyachieves the standard, they maketheir property more attractive tothose who wish to rent.

What does this mean forstudents?For prospective tenants it not onlyprovides them with peace of mind,but it also gives them a list ofaccredited properties to choosefrom. Many students come fromother parts of the country, or fromabroad, and need help findingsuitable accommodation. Thisscheme not only assists them, butalso provides their families with thereassurance that they are staying ina property that meets highstandards.

29

Useful information

Safety and SecurityUnfortunately students are oftentargeted by burglars – not surprisingwhen you consider that studentshave more expensive consumergoods per head than the rest of thepopulation!

The safety and security of both yourbelongings and, of course, yourself,are paramount - but there areseveral steps you can take to reduceyour chances of becoming a victimof crime:

• Check the security of door and window locks when viewing properties. Are there locks on ground floor windows?

• Use common sense and try to keep keys and valuables out of sight as much as possible.

• Make a note of serial numbers and model numbers of electronic goods.

• Consider contents insurance – in the event of a burglary or damage to your belongings you may be able to claim to replace the items.

Safety around the house Before you move in you need tocheck that safety certificates andequipment are in place. Be aware ofsafety around the house as it couldsave your life.

Gas safety• Check that there is a current gas

safety certificate. An inspection, by law, needs to be carried out annually.

• Check that there is a carbon monoxide detector. Currently these are not a legal requirement, but there should be one if you found your home through the university, as the landlord will have signed up to the Landlords Code. Please let us know if there isn’t one.

• If you smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector goes off then call the National Grid on 0800 111 999 immediately.

Electrical safety: Check that there is an electricalsafety certificate. There is no legalrequirement for one, but it doesmean that all electrical installationshave been checked. All studentpadhouses will have a certificate. Donot overload power sockets.

Properties on StudentpadAll properties on the ChichesterStudentpad Website are Accredited or working towards gainingAccreditation. If a property isAccredited the house meets a higher standard than thelegislation requires. Always prioritisean Accredited property if possiblewhen looking for accommodation.

Code of Practic

e

LANDLORDS

0230

• The landlord must supply an Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement (either “joint” or “individual”)

• The property is structurally stable • The landlord must ensure repairs

are completed with a reasonable timescale depending on the severity of the problem

• The property has a current gas safety certificate (renewable annually)

• The property has a current valid electrical certificate

• The property has an adequate oil-fired or gas central heating system. (It must be capable of maintaining 21oc in the living rooms and bathrooms and 18oc in all other rooms)

• Kitchens must be provided at a ratio of 1 per 5 occupants and adequate facilities provided. This maybe increases to 6 if the kitchen is of an adequate size

• Bathrooms must be provided at a ratio of 1 per 5 occupants. This may increase to 1 per 6 if a separate WC is provided

• Minimum bedroom size of 6.5 m2

• The landlord must ensure that gardens are kept in a well maintained condition

• All furniture provided must be labelled to show compliance with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1998.

• The property must be energy efficient

• The landlord must ensure that the property is thoroughly cleaned to a professional standard throughout on a change of occupancy.

• The landlord must ensure that the property is decorated to a satisfactory standard and is redecorated at least every 3 years.

For further questions about thescheme or to receive an applicationpack please contact:

Chichester District Council Environmental Health Housing Team on 01243 534620 or email accreditation@chichester.gov.uk

Chichester District Council, Environmental Health Services, East Pallant House, 1 East Pallant, Chichester PO19 1TY

Arun District Council, Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton BN17 5LF Tel: 01903 737500

Agency Fees Letting agents charges vary. Typicalcharges can be:

• Contract fee (drawing up of the contract).

• Reference checking fee. • Finder’s fee.

There is no limit to what agents cancharge tenants once they have foundthem housing, if it is stated in theirterms and conditions. Before youstart to use a letting agent, youshould request a list of all the feesthat they can charge tenants. If theyare making too many charges, goelsewhere.

The Accommodation Agencies Actof 1953 makes it a criminal offencefor an agency to charge forregistering a person’s details and/orsupplying addresses of places torent. An agency can only demandpayment from you if it has given youthe details of accommodation whichyou take. An agency cannot chargeyou for showing you housing or ahousing list. Therefore, if you putyour name down on the books ofseveral agencies you are only liableto pay the one who supplies youwith accommodation you actuallytake. Agencies making illegal chargesshould be reported to the localauthority’s tenancy relations or legaldepartment officer.

Professional Bodies for LettingAgents Anyone can set themselves up as aletting agent. However, there areprofessional bodies that imposeminimum sets of standards on theirmembers. It is probably best to bedealing with an agent registered toone of the following:

Association of Residential LettingAgents (ARLA) www.arla.co.uk

The National Approved LettingScheme (NALS)www.nalscheme.co.uk

National Association of EstateAgents (NAEA) www.naea.co.uk

Summary of Accreditation

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Your landlord is legally obligated tocarry out repairs even if it is notspecifically mentioned in yourcontract or if you do not have awritten contract.

Tenant responsibilities• Keeping the property clean • Minor maintenance • Replacing light bulbs, unblocking

sinks, etc. and for using the property in a responsible way and taking care of it: for example, leaving heating on low during absences to protect against frost damage.

• Reporting the need for all repairs or damage as soon as they arise

• Not damaging the property. If you do, you will be responsible for the subsequent costs. If you want to put up shelves, repaint etc, get written permission first!

Repairs Landlords are only responsible forundertaking a repair once they havebeen notified of it. It is best toreport repairs in writing (unless therepair is an emergency) so that youhave proof of having reported it andthe date on which you did so. Keepcopies of your correspondence.

This may seem very formal but getting into habit of doing this at anearly stage should help you to avoidproblems developing later on. If youdo not get a response to your letterthen you should write again pointingout the landlord’s legal obligations.Give your landlord two days to respond.

Under the Landlord and Tenant Act1985 a landlord has a duty to carryout repairs. If a landlord does notcarry out repairs within a reasonableperiod of time, you may be able toclaim against them for financialdamages – you can also use yourlocal authority to put pressure onthe landlord to carry out the work(See the back of this brochure forwhere you can get more help).

You should allow a reasonableamount of time for repairs to becarried out. The time taken to carryout a repair will depend on howurgent it is. For example, repairs thatpresent a danger to health and safetyshould generally be carried outwithin 1-3 days, whilst non-essential repairs might take up to a month.There can be delays if parts are notavailable.

Environmental Health Environmental Health Officers(EHOs) or the Environmental HealthHousing Team (EHHT) based at thelocal council deal with housing that isin poor condition, unfit for humanhabitation or a “statutory nuisance”and have the power to enforcelegislation relating to disrepair andstatutory nuisance and can servenotices on landlords requiring themto carry out certain repairs.

If you are suffering from poorhousing conditions, for exampledampness or disrepair, the EHHTwill investigate. Under the newrating system houses are checked forpossible health and safety hazardsand a number of options areavailable to improve unsatisfactoryproperties.

The EHHT also ensures that therequired standards are met, inrelation to Houses in MultipleOccupation (HMO's), where therisk of fire is higher than in singlefamily occupation. HMO's must alsohave sufficient amenities and beproperly managed. In some casesHMO's need to be licensed by theCouncil. Complaints ofovercrowding and problems withdrainage are also investigated by theEHHT.

Carrying outrepairs/improvement works Since January 2005 anyone carryingout fixed electrical installation workin a rented property must complywith building regulations.

These require that either: • The local authority is informed

of the work and they have given permission for the work to be carried out.

• The work is carried out by an individual or company that has been authorised to certify their own work. This information can be obtained from your local authority building control department.

• The proposed work is of a very minor nature.

Any work being carried out on gasappliances must be carried out by aGASSA registered engineer. If youare concerned about who is carryingout the work contact the localauthority or GASSA (gas relatedrepairs) to confirm that they arepermitted to do the work that theyare doing.

Dealing with Problems

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Withholding rent and payingfor repairs yourself Never stop paying rent withouttaking advice. Your landlord mayhave grounds to take you to courtfor non-payment of rent.

Reductions in rent orcompensationYou may be able to ask yourlandlord for a reduction in rent orfor compensation if you havesuffered major inconvenience (suchas having no cooking or bathingfacilities), damage to your property,or have suffered financial loss, forexample, having to move out whilework is done. The AccommodationOffice is happy to advise on repairissues and will checkcorrespondence or help write lettersto your landlord or advise you ofany action that you need to take.

Withholding the last month’srentIt is common for tenants to withholdthe last month’s rent because theyare worried that the landlord will notreturn their deposit at the end oftheir tenancy. This is a breach ofcontract. Your landlord could takeyou to court to recover the money.You are contractually liable to payrent until the end of your tenancyagreement. If you are worried thatyou will not receive your deposit seek further advice. Landlordsregistered with the AccommodationOffice are members of theChichester and Arun LandlordAccreditation Scheme whichsupports good management.

Leaving early Leaving a contract early can be verytricky and it is very difficult to do thiswithout the agreement of thelandlord. Before deciding to leaveyou should seek further advice.

In most cases you will need to find areplacement for yourself that isacceptable to the landlord and, ifyou are in a joint contract, your co-sharers. In this instance and to avoidconfusion later on you should fill outa Deed of Assignment. A blank deedcan be downloaded from ourwebsite www.chi.ac.uk/accom

Intrusive landlords When entering a tenancy agreementyou are paying rent for a housewhich you do not share with thelandlord, it is classed as your home.The landlord cannot come into yourhome without your permission.(Although you must remember thatthe house is the landlord’s propertyand he/she is entitled to inspect theproperty every few months to checkon the state of repair). Usually youcan insist on being given 24 hoursnotice of any visits and you can insiston knowing the reason for the visit.Check the tenancy agreement as itmay oblige you to give the landlordaccess for other reasons such asshowing prospective tenants roundif you are moving out before the endof tenancy – the landlord will usuallygive you prior warning. If this is notthe case and the landlord is beingunreasonable, send a letter ofcomplaint. If the landlord ignoresthis letter, get an adviser to contactthe landlord to explain to them theirlegal obligations.

Where else can I go for help? In many cases described in thishandbook such as poor condition,harassment or eviction the next stepwould be contacting your localauthority. Below describes servicesavailable to you.

Environmental Health Officers Environmental Health Housing Team(EHHT) based at the local councildeal with housing that is in poorcondition, unfit for human habitationor a “statutory nuisance” and havethe power to enforce legislationrelating to disrepair and statutorynuisance and can serve notices onlandlords requiring them to carryout certain repairs and have powersto prosecute landlords who rent outproperties that are bad for health.

Students’ Union or Accommodation Office The Students’ Union andAccommodation Office are able toassist you with housing advice andgive you information about supportthat is available. If your house islisted on the UniversityAccommodation website, it isimportant that you let us know ofany problems.

Citizens Advice Bureau The Accommodation Office islimited on how involved they can getin individual cases and sometimeswill refer you to the Citizens AdviceBureau (CAB) where they can offerfree legal advice. You can find yournearest CAB through the followingwebsite www.nacad.org.uk

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Useful information

This section will cover many issuesyou may come across living in studenthousing. The majority of University of Chichester students have had asatisfying experience with theirstudent house, nevertheless somestudents do experience problems andthis section is designed to tell youabout what rights you have whenthings go wrong.

The most important rules for students experiencing housingproblems are as follows:

Put things in writing as soon as possible This is particularly important whenreferring to a repair issue since thelandlord is only obliged to startremedial action within reasonabletime of being informed of theproblem. By telephoning the landlord,they can deny that you tried tocontact them or that you contactedthem later than you did.

Get advice as soon as possible You need to check with an adviserthat what you are asking from thelandlord is something that they areobliged to do. This may be because ofthe tenancy agreement or undercurrent housing law.

Always try to keep emotions out ofdisputes It might make you feel better bywriting angry letters or leavingmessages, but they will not be helpfulwith finding a solution to the problem.

Landlord responsibilities Section 11 of the Landlord andTenant Act 1985 makes landlordsresponsible for keeping in good repairand proper working order thestructure and exterior of the propertyand installations of the property. Thisincludes:

• Roof, walls, windows and floors • The heating installations • The water, electricity and gas supply • Basins, sinks, bath/shower and

toilets

Here is an example letter to record a maintenance problem:

Re: 10 Chichester Way, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6PE

Dear Mr Jones

Thank you for talking to us on 23rd January about the problem withour washing machine. As you are aware, the door has become stuckand won’t open.

This letter is just for your records and confirms that we are happy foryou to give our telephone numbers to the engineers so that they canarrange a time to come to the property when we will be in.

Our telephone numbers are:

John 07707XXXXXX, Mike 07756XXXXXX Jim 07541XXXXXX.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Scott

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ArrearsThis relates to late rent payment orfailure to pay rent on the specifieddate agreed in your tenancyagreement.

Assured Shorthold Tenancies(ASTs)These are tenancies created after 28 February 1997. ASTs apply to a property for which you pay rent and where your landlord does not reside.

Break-clauseThis relates to a term in yourtenancy agreement allowing bothparties to end the tenancy beforethe due date. Although this may bebeneficial to the tenant, ending atenancy early has to be agreed bythe landlord.

EvictionThis can be a complex area in whicha landlord can request, through thecourts, to have an order directing atenant to leave the landlord’spremises. There are specificprocedures that need to be followedbefore a tenant can be evicted andtrying to evict someone illegally isprotected by law under thePrevention from Eviction Act.

Harassment Harassment can take the form ofphone calls, unannounced visits,cutting off utility supplies, such as gasor electricity and intimidation.

Holding deposit These are used by the landlord orestate agent to secure a property foryou before the tenancy has beensigned. They form an agreement forboth parties to act on followingthrough to the tenancy agreement.

Housing Health and SafetyRating System (HHSRS) This is a check list used by thecouncil’s private sector housingteams to ensure that properties are safe and to assess any potentialhealth risks and dangers which could occur.

HMOHouses of multiple occupancy(HMOs) are categorised as houseswhich have five or more unrelatedpersons and go across three floors.These properties require a licence tobe issued by the council to landlordsand are subject to HHSRS checks.

Inventory An inventory is a detailed listproduced by the landlord whichstates the condition and age ofvarious items in the rental propertysuch as cookers, chairs and carpets.It should also list items which arepresent, even down to the numberof hooks on the walls. The inventoryis an important way of clarifying atthe end of the tenancy whether any items have been damaged or are missing.

Joint tenancy agreement If all the students living in theproperty sign one agreement withthe landlord at the time of movingin, this forms a joint tenancyagreement. All the tenants haveexactly the same rights and are allequally responsible for paying therent and keeping to the terms of the agreement. If one tenant is notpaying the rent or causing otherproblems you could end up havingto pay her/his share, or any other costs.

Landlord The person who has the legal rightto let the property. Landlords alsocollect rent for the property and areresponsible for ensuring that theproperty is in working order.

Letting agents These act on behalf of the landlordand can have responsibility forcollecting rent, dealing with repairsas well as undertaking referencechecks and regular maintenancechecks.

Notice This is the amount of time that yourlandlord gives you or that you givebefore ending a tenancy. Landlordsnormally have to give two monthsand tenants one month, however,this can vary depending on thecondition of the tenancy agreementand therefore it is important to seekadvice if you are unsure.

Jargon Buster

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Private sector This consists of housing which isowned by private landlords ratherthan the council or housingassociations.

SublettingThis means that the person whoentered into the tenancy agreementwill be renting out part or, in somecases, all of their accommodationfor a set period of time. This canonly happen if the landlord allows it.

Tenancy Private tenants are given a TenancyAgreement by the landlord (usuallyin writing) to confirm the tenant’srights and responsibilities to theproperty whilst it is being let.

Tenancy deposit scheme This came into effect in April 2007and is relevant to any tenancyagreement that was entered intoafter this point in time. The schemeplaces your tenancy deposit either inthe hands of a third party insurer(known as the custodial scheme) orit is initially held by the landlord whoinsures the deposit. In case ofdispute the deposit is handed overto a third party until the dispute isresolved (this is known as theinsurance-based scheme).

Wear and tear During a tenancy, the condition of aproperty is likely to change astenants make ‘reasonable use of thepremises’, for example, wear to thecarpets in rooms. Landlords shouldnot make a charge to the tenant forfair wear and tear. This is, however,distinguished from excessive wearand tear, for example, where thetenant has caused cigarette burns inthe carpet. Compensation from thetenant in these circumstances will besought by the landlord.

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Where are the members ofstaff that deals with off-campusaccommodation located?They are situated on the groundfloor of Block 9, Barbara SmithHalls, on the Bognor Regis campus.

When is the AccommodationOffice open? The Accommodation Office is openfrom 8:00am until 6:00pm Monday-Friday.

How can I contact theAccommodation Office? Address: University of Chichester, Bishop Otter Campus, College Lane, Chichester, PO19 6PE • Tel: 01243 816069 • Fax: 01243 816068 • Email: accommodation@chi.ac.uk

Above is general contact informationfor Chichester UniversityAccommodation Office. If you havebeen given specific contact details,please use those details.

How do I find accommodationoff campus? The Accommodation Office acts asan introductory agent between thestudent and landlord. We offer avariety of accommodation, rangingfrom a room in shared studenthouses, to whole properties, tolodgings. All the propertiesadvertised by the AccommodationOffice are inspected and approvedby the University. From 1stSeptember 2009 all student housesare Accredited by the local CountyCouncil or working towards gainingAccreditation status. You can search

for accredited properties via ourStudentpad website. If you registerwith Studentpad you will thenreceive regular email updates on anynew properties as they becomeavailable. Go to www.studentpad.co.uk/chichester

What does Accreditationmean?Accreditation is recognition that alandlord has voluntarily compliedwith standards set by Chichester &Arun District Councils (CDC andADC) regarding the condition andmanagement of their property. Tojoin the scheme a landlord must be a‘fit and proper person’, abide by theCouncil’s Code of GoodManagement and agree to accreditall his/her properties. Although thescheme is not compulsory, allproperties registered with theUniversity have to be Accredited orworking towards gainingAccreditation status.

What is The Landlords Codeof Practice? The Landlords Code of Practiceensures that landlords manage theirproperties to set standards.

Can I come and look at aprivate rented accommodationif that is my first choice as afirst year student?If you do not want to live inUniversity owned accommodationwe can guide you with your searchfor private rented accommodation.Please refer to the ‘Off-CampusAccommodation’ section of ourwebsite for full details. If you identifyaccommodation which you would

consider taking, we advise you meetwith your potential landlord as soonas is convenient to you. When youarrange to see a private propertyyou should always tell somebodywhere you are going and what timeyou expect to return, and if at allpossible take a friend with you.

Will I get any help in findingprivate rented accommodationfor my second year? Details of all private rentedaccommodation registered with theUniversity can be accessed via thestudentpad website:www.studentpad.co.uk/chichester

I haven’t found anyone to shareprivate rented accommodationwith, what should I do? The Accommodation Office runstwo schemes to help students insearch of people to shareaccommodation with. We have a‘Find a flatmate’ notice board, whichcarries adverts placed by studentssearching for an extra housemate tofill a house for which they alreadyhold a contract. Students cansubscribe to this service via: www.studentpad.co.uk/chichester

We also endeavour to run a ‘Find aflatmate’ scheme for studentswishing to form groups when lookingfor houses. This heavily depends onthe amount of housing available inJuly and August. Once you areregistered with Studentpad you willreceive an update every time a newproperty or room becomesavailable. You can then contact thestudents on the list and form groupsto search for a house together.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Who should I live with? Choosing who to live with is a veryimportant part of selectingappropriate accommodation andneeds careful consideration.

New students If you are new to the area you maynot know anyone in Chichester tolive with. Don't panic! We are hereto help. Sign up to the ‘Find aflatmate’ notice board via theStudentpad website to be added toa mailing list of other University ofChichester students who are lookingfor someone to live with.

Current students You will probably already have inmind the people that you want toshare with, but think carefully aboutthis. We would recommend that youdo not share with more than threeor four other people. Groups anylarger than this give more potentialfor arguments or personality clashes.

What should I look for inprivate rentedaccommodation? When looking for a property therewill be certain things that you arelooking for. Some important pointsto consider are:

Location Where is the property in relation towhere your lectures are held? Is it ona University bus route? Are thereshops/bars/other amenities nearby? Only you can decide what best suitsyour needs.

ParkingDo you require parking?Is it available on or off street?

LandlordDo you have a good rapport withthe Landlord?

Outside space Is it well maintained? Who Isresponsible for the on-goingmaintenance?

ConditionIs the property well furnished? Is itwell decorated?

Current TenantsTalk to them.

Cost How much is your rent going to befor the entire year? Do you have thefinances to cover this amount? Youwill be signing a legally bindingcontract to pay rent for the fullperiod, so don't commit yourself ifyou don't think you can afford it. Arethe bills included in the rent? If not,how much are they likely to be?From the 1st October 2008landlords will have to provide youwith an Energy PerformanceCertificate which will give youinformation as to how energyefficient the property is - if it scorespoorly on this certificate yourheating bills are likely to be higher.

Safety This is the most important factor of all. You need to be happy in youraccommodation, but you also needto be safe. Properties advertised onthe Studentpad website areaccredited by Chichester and ArunCouncils, and landlords have toadhere to strict codes of safety. Inorder to assist you in your searchuse the House Hunting Checklist(see earlier in this brochure).

Lease You are legally bound when you signthe lease. Make sure you fullyunderstand it; ask any questionsbefore you sign. Good landlordsknow this is probably the first timeyou have done this and will be quitewilling to give any explanations.Once you have signed, you arelegally committed to the terms.

What is Council Tax? Do I have to pay it? Council Tax is a local tax, agreed bythe Government and set by councilsto help pay for local services likepolicing and refuse collection. Itapplies to all domestic properties,including houses, bungalows, flats,maisonettes, mobile homes orhouseboats, whether owned orrented. Students in full-timeeducation are not liable to paycouncil tax. Anyone who is over 18and not a registered student will beliable to pay council tax.

Important: final year students areliable for council tax from the dayafter their last taught course day untilthe end of the tenancy agreement.

Please contact your local countycouncil for more information.

How will my rent be collected? You will arrange this directly withyour Landlord, usually done viadirect debit. If you pay cash makesure you get a receipt for everypayment, this includes paying yourinitial deposit.

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What if someone wants tomove out? If a group of people sign anagreement together, they are jointlyresponsible for paying the rent whilstliving there. If one person movesout, the full rent must be paid. Thelandlord can either pursue theperson who has left or the remainingoccupants for any shortfall of rent.The best way to enable someone toleave would be for him/her or theremaining students to find areplacement student. If this is notpossible, and the person who hasleft refuses to pay and the landlordinsists on full payment, the remainingtenants can seek to recoup the rentfrom the student leaving via courtproceedings. It’s much easier toagree about the rent before theymove, if at all possible. This can be adifficult area so you would be bestto seek advice from your localCitizen’s Advice Bureau.

What if we all want to leave? Unless there is a clause in theagreement that allows you to giveNotice to Quit you will remain liablefor the rent until the end of thetenancy unless you can find anothergroup to take over the property.Any Notice to Quit must give thelandlord at least 28 days notice inwriting. This must be given at thebeginning or end of a rent paymentperiod, list the address of theproperty and the names of thelandlord and the tenants. If you arehaving problems with youraccommodation at any time, theAccommodation Office is alwaysavailable for advice and assistance.Remember not to sign any newagreement whilst you are stillresponsible for paying rent atanother property.

What is my deposit for? If your landlord asks for a depositbefore the contract commences thisis known as a retainer or a holdingreservation deposit. Many landlordswill ask for a holding deposit. Oncethe tenancy starts, if the holdingdeposit is not refunded this normallybecomes a damage/security deposit.From April 2007 damage depositsneed to be ‘protected’ in agovernment recognised andauthorised scheme. The landlord isable to claim damages to theproperty other than fair wear andtear, and in some circumstances anyunpaid rent. To release the depositfrom the scheme, both the landlordand tenant must sign an agreement.If there is any dispute, the case willbe passed on to a third party.

The deposit cannot be used to coverany rent arrears, or be used aspayment for rent in the final month.

What if the landlord refuses to return all or part of mydeposit? If you feel your deposit has beenkept unreasonably write to yourlandlord asking for the money, sayingyou do not consider he has justcause for keeping it. Keep a copy ofthe letter and give a deadline forrepayment. If you do not get a replyor your landlord still will not give youthe money, you may consider legalaction - which may not be asdaunting as it sounds. Landlordssometimes pay up as soon as youstart legal action, so you may nothave to go court. A claim in theSmall Claims court, which you canprocess yourself, usually withoutlegal representation, is usually anappropriate remedy. Howeveralways get advice before you startfrom the Citizen’s Advice Bureauand keep the AccommodationOffice informed, as we may be able

to resolve matters informally withyour landlord. More informationabout small claims can be found at www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/ csmco2/index.jsp

When can the landlord keeppart or all of the deposit? The landlord is entitled to retain thedeposit to recover the actual cost ofrepairing damage, replacing brokenitems or cleaning the property.However carrying out the aboverecommendations makes it easier toshow your landlord is unreasonablykeeping your deposit, if they keep itfor damage you didn't cause or forrent you have paid. Where there isaccidental damage it is reasonablefor a landlord to keep some of thedeposit to pay for cleaning orreplacement. You may find that youlose a deposit if you leave before anagreed date. It is probablyunreasonable for a landlord to keepmoney for steam cleaning curtainsor carpets that you have notdamaged unless professionalcleaning, when you leave, was partof your agreement. Costs to re-let,such as advertising or agency feesshould not be claimed unless therewas an agreement to do so or youleave the tenancy early. It would beunreasonable for a landlord to keepmoney to replace old furnishingsthat have worn out.

How can I make sure mydeposit is returned?

When you move inGet a written statement of thereasons your landlord may wish tokeep the deposit and when themoney will be returned to you whenyou leave. If you are asked foradvance payments get a receipt thatshows the amount and a breakdowninto fees, rent and deposit. Use a

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cheque for any payments to yourlandlord. You may reach anagreement that your deposit will beheld in a separate client account toprotect it if your landlord goes bust.

Get an inventory (a list) of thecontents and condition of theproperty. This gives some proof ofthe state of the property when youmoved in, showing which items werealready damaged or faulty. Often theagent or landlord will do aninventory with you or hand you onethat they have already done. Checkit is correct and that everything is inworking order. Make a note ofanything that is damaged, any marks,scratches or burns to furnishings,decorative state and make a note ofanything that is about to wear out.Get the inventory signed by thelandlord and sign it yourself. KEEP ACOPY. If you don't get the co-operation of your landlord, do aninventory yourself with anindependent witness (a friend willdo); get them to sign that it is a truerecord of the condition of theproperty. We can provide a blankinventory form for you to complete.

If anything is worn, broken, ordamaged or about to fall apart,report it in writing to your landlordstraightaway and keep a copy of thereport. It is important to keeprecords of any repairs you do orreplacements you make.Photographs are useful to show thatconditions are the same as when youmoved in. It is good practice foragencies and landlords to provide arent book as a record of rent paid. Itis a legal requirement for tenantspaying rent weekly to be given one.

When you move outDo another inventory so that it canbe checked against the one you didwhen you moved in. Your landlordmay do this. Keep a copy. If your

landlord does not do one, do ityourself with an independentwitness. Note any damage ordisrepair done since you moved in.Remember, a deposit protects yourlandlord against such damage, notfor wear and tear.

What is provided in theproperty? You will need the landlord toconfirm what will be provided. Aninventory - signed and agreed byboth you and the landlord - is a goodway to record what is provided andis a useful document for both youand the landlord on departures.

Will I be responsible for thebills in the property? Some landlords may offer contractsthat include your utility bills. This isquite rare however and in mostproperties you will be expected totake responsibility for the bills. Makesure that when you arrive you takemeter readings and ask yourlandlord if he has already contactedthe utility company on your behalf. Ifthis has not been done, please dothis yourself.

I am going away for a few days,do I need to tell anyone? Although there is no obligation, it is very helpful to tell yourflatmates, and your housemates if you live in private rented sectoraccommodation, as they maybecome worried if you seem tohave disappeared!

What do I do if I haveproblems with my privaterented house? The Accommodation Office canprovide you with advice to help youdeal with any problems that arise.

Whilst we cannot guarantee to solvethe problem for you, we will be ableto give you advice and information,pointing you in the right direction toget any additional assistance if needed.

I have accepted a room in a property in the privatesector. I have just arrived and it is uninhabitable,what should I do? If you are not able to stay in yourprivate rented property pleasecontact the Accommodation Officeas we may be able to provide youwith emergency temporaryaccommodation. However, pleasebe aware that depending on thecircumstances you may not be ableto break the contract you havesigned for your private house, soplease contact us for advice beforetaking any action. The EnvironmentalHealth Department at eitherChichester or Arun District Councilwill be able to visit the property toasses whether it is habitable or notand advise on the next steps.

I have just moved into myprivate rented house and donot like it, what can I do? You will probably have signed alegally binding contract making youliable for the rent for the house untila specific date. This would mean thatyou are unlikely to be able simply tobreak the contract and move outwithout paying any more rent.However, depending on theproblem, there may be ways tomake things better for you in thehouse. You should contact theAccommodation Office for advice.

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I have signed a contract for aroom in a private rented housebut would like to live in a Hallof Residence, what can I do?We may be able to offer you aroom in Halls depending onavailability. However, it is likely thatyou will not be able to be releasedfrom your contract in the privatesector unless your circumstances areexceptional. This could mean thatyou would be paying two rents ifyou were to move into Halls. Pleasecontact the Accommodation Officefor advice before making anydecisions.

What if I can't move in? If you have secured a property bysigning a contract and paid all thenecessary fees, it can be a seriousproblem if you feel you can't moveinto the property on the agreeddate. What you should do nextdepends on the circumstances youfind yourself in.

If I can't move in because I nolonger want to go ahead withthe tenancy:Sometimes, students find that theydon't want to move into a house orflat they have arranged because theyhave made alternative arrangements- perhaps they have found anotherplace to live, or perhaps they may bereturning home or to another townor city. If you find yourself in thissituation, you need to rememberthat you have signed a legally bindingcontract with your landlord or agent.

You should contact your landlord or agent as soon as you decide youwill not be moving in. It is unlikelythat you will simply be released fromthe contract and it is likely you willcontinue to be held liable for therent until a replacement is found foryou, so it is essential to let themknow of the situation as soon aspossible. The earlier you let themknow, the more likely it is that areplacement will be found.

If I can't move in because thereis a problem with the property:Very rarely, a student may feel thatthere is a problem with the propertyto the degree that they do not wantto move in. For example, thelandlord may have agreed tocomplete refurbishments by thetime you move in but on the agreeddate you find that work is stillongoing. In this situation you shoulddiscuss this with your landlordimmediately. Depending on thesituation, the landlord may beobliged to return some or all of therent you have paid for any periodwhen the property is considereduninhabitable. If you feel that aproperty is unsafe to live in youshould report this immediately tothe Accommodation Office. You canalso contact the Council's HousingAdvice service (Email:environmentalhealth@chichester.gov.uk or Tel: 01243 534734 or 01243 534620).

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Useful Telephone Numbers

Police Central Switchboard

Fire Brigade Headquarters

Local Authorities Chichesters District Council Arun District CouncilCouncil Tax OfficeChichester District CouncilArun District CouncilPlanning, Building Control and Tenancy RelationsChichester District CouncilArun District CouncilRefuse CollectionChichester District CouncilNoise and General PollutionChichester District CouncilPest ControlChichester District CouncilEnvironmental Health (Housing Standards)Chichester District CouncilArun District CouncilTrading Standards:Chichester District Council

Electricity SWEB: Emergency SWEB: Customer Service Southern Electricity Npower MPAS: can tell you who your electricity supplier is

Gas Gas Escape Emergency Number Transco British Gas/Centrica Billing Enquiries British Gas/Centrica Meter Reading Npower Gas

British Telecom

WaterPortsmouth Water Southern water

TV Licence

Citizens Advice Bureau ChichesterBognor

Tel: 0845 456 7000

Tel: 0117 926 2061

Tel: 01243 785166Tel: 01903 737500

Tel: 01243 534501Tel: 01903 737752

Tel: 01243 534860Tel: 01903 737775

Tel: 01243 534619

Tel: 01243 534601

Tel: 01243 534604

Tel: 01243 534608Tel: 01903 737755

Tel: 01243 534601

Tel: 0800 365 900 Tel: 0800 365 000 Tel: 0845 744 4555 Tel: 0845 714 5146 Tel: 0845 601 5972

Tel: 0800 111 999 Tel: 0121 626 4431 Tel: 0845 955 5214 Tel: 0800 107 0257 Tel: 0845 790 6050

Tel: 0800 800 150

Tel: 0845 702 3778 Tel: 023 9249 9888

Tel: 0870 241 6468

Tel: 01243 784231Tel: 01243 820667

www.chichester.gov.ukwww.arun.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.ukwww.arun.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.ukwww.arun.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.ukwww.arun.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.uk

www.sweb.co.uk www.sweb.co.ukwww.southern-electric.co.ukwww.npower.comwww.energylinx.co.uk

www.nationalgrid.comwww.centrica.co.ukwww.britishgas.co.ukwww.britishgas.co.ukwww.npower.com

www.bt.com/index.jsp

www.portsmouthwater.co.ukwww.southernwater.co.uk

www.tv-l.co.uk

www.citizensadvice.org.ukwww.citizensadvice.org.uk

43

University of ChichesterStudent Union Advice Centre Student Welfare AdvisorInternational Student Advice Service Support Money Advice ServiceAccommodation Office

Tel: 01243 816000Tel: 01243 816390Tel: 01243 816238Tel: 01243 812194Tel: 01243 816038Tel: 01243 812120

www.chi.ac.uk www.chisu.org www.chi.ac.uk/studentsupportwww.chi.ac.uk/internationalsupportwww.chi.ac.uk/moneyadvicewww.accommodation@chi.ac.uk

Disclaimer The information contained in thisbrochure should be used as a guideonly and may be subject to change.Whilst the University makes everyeffort to check the accuracy of thecontent at the time of drafting, somechanges may have occurred afterpublication.

We would strongly recommend that you also check our website at www.chi.ac.uk/accomm whereinformation will be regularly updatedor contact our AccommodationOffice for further information and advice.

Equality and DiversityThe University is fully committed toembedding a culture in which thediversity of students is embraced,valued and respected and in whichall students are able to reach theirfull potential in a supportiveenvironment, free fromdiscrimination and harassment.

The United Kingdom has in place,legislation that protects individualswho are being discriminated,harassed or disadvantaged on thegrounds of their age, disability,gender, race, religion and belief and sexuality.

Contact us:

Off-Campus Accommodation Bognor Regis Campus Upper Bognor RoadBognor Regis West Sussex PO21 1HR

Tel: + 44 (0) 1243 812120Fax: + 44 (0) 1243 812053Email: accommodation@chi.ac.uk Web: www.chi.ac.uk/accomm