Student Housing: Do’s and Don’t’s

DO:

• Start looking early
• Go to see the properties- they can be very different in real life! Don’t trust a pretty picture.
• Ask any questions you may have- e.g. is there a parking space? What are the neighbours like?
• Check whether the price includes bills- and which bills exactly.
• Look at lots of different places.
• Take in consideration the amount others in your group are willing to pay.
• Look at the property carefully- check for mould/ dampness/ structural problems.
• Read what you’re signing! Check how long you have the property/ that the rent is right- once it’s signed it’s a lot harder to change terms!
• Consider location- is it near a bus stop? If you surf a lot is it near the beach?
• Talk to others- find out the best areas, see if anyone has recommendations.

DON’T:

• Sign anything without reading it!
• Leave it til the last minute- it just makes it a rush and will stress you out.
• Trust that someone else will sort it out- grab the steering wheel yourself.
• Go for something you’re not happy with- you’ll have to live there for a year.
• Assume that you can trust everyone- get it all done legally; the property isn’t yours until the paperwork has been done.
• Get into a fight about it! Work out who gets the biggest bedroom fairly!
• Get stressed! You won’t be left homeless so don’t worry about it too much.
• Set your heart on one property- you might not get it. Have several options.

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