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Tips for house sharing!
The start of the academic year 2011 / 2012 is almost here and here at StudentTenant.com we're getting ready to go! Welcome to those of you who are just arriving in Canterbury and welcome back to those of you who are returning.Canterbury's a great university city with a lot to offer. It was recently named as the safest university city in the UK, has a great selection of student nights going on and also has pretty decent levels of student accommodation!
For students sharing a house or flat for the first time, it can be a period of real adjustment and without a doubt is one that takes a while to get used to! Sharing a house and living with friends can be one of the best experiences of university - parties, freedom and friendships - however there is a flip side to this also. For some, the experience of living in a shared house can be a difficult one.
Here are are few tips and hints to help if you're starting to live in shared accommodation, or even just starting to think about it!
Think about who you live with
During the early stages of university friendships can be formed quickly, however as people get to know each other better over the course of the year, and get to meet more people, friendship groups can change. Don't be rushed into committing to live with people. House hunting can start as early as November however the universities and student unions reassure students on an annual basis that there will still be properties left throughout the year. In a survey carried out by StudentTenant.com's parent company Jakuta, it was revealed that February was the peak month for committing to student accommodation, so don't feel pressured into committing to live with a group of people too early because you're worried you'll be left without a house if you don't!
Make sure that the housemates you do decide to live with know what you're comfortable with before you move in and vice versa. If you can't stand smoking in the house and would prefer to be a visitor at party central rather than a resident, be open about this. It's a lot easier to find out about major lifestyle differences before you've signed the contract and moved in than after!
Bills Included?
Many landlords and agents offer packages which are inclusive of the bills. This can be a great way to stop the headaches of splitting and paying utility bills such as gas, water and electricity. If your utility bills don't get paid, you could end getting these services cut off and additionally, it could even end up harming your credit rating - stopping you from getting decent credit cards and loans to see you through your time at uni. If you're moving in with people you've not known for that long, you wont be able to tell what they're like with their finances until you're committed to paying bills together, so a package inclusive of bills can be a great way to cut out hassle.
For those moving into properties where bills are not included, make sure that the bills are kept on top of. Students don't pay council tax, but an exemption form will need to be filled in. Visit the DirectGov website for more information on this. Find out how many utility bills you have at the start of the year (broadband, TV Licence, Gas, Electric, Water etc), how often they need to be paid and have a clear agreement between housemates about what method you'll use for doing so.
Kitchens and Bathrooms.
One of the biggest areas of dispute when students live together for the first time can come from people using or taking other peoples products which are left in communal places. Using your housemate's butter or ketchup occasionally shouldn't cause too many problems, but continually helping yourself to their food and beer without their permission, may well do. Money's generally an issue for students living in private accommodation and housemates will start to get pretty fed up if they feel that they're bankrolling their housemates dietary requirements!
Kitchens and bathrooms also require products that are for general use such as cleaning products, soaps and of course toilet roll. Try to come up with a fair way of distributing the cost for these amongst all housemates. It's not fair if just one housemate pays week on week to supply everyone else with these essentials!
Noise!
Aside from the wild parties, visits to the pub and general socialising that goes on at university, there is also the matter of study! When people move into a house, this will often be with friends and housemates who are not on the same course and are therefore working to a different timetable. It can cause real issues if one housemate has got to be in at uni for 9am every Tuesday, but is kept awake all night by her housemates partying. Let your housemates know what your weekly schedule is so you can work around those early mornings and study times and reduce possible causes of conflict.
A cleaning rota?
We all know that people have got different tolerance levels when it comes to tidiness around the house. Some people are generally not as concerned as others about keeping the house tidy and clean, but most people want a general level of hygiene to exist.
As with the bills, agree a method of keeping the place at an acceptable level of tidiness and cleanliness early on in the year. Allocate a specific day that cleaning is done on or different areas of the house that different people are responsible for. The important thing is to try not to let the house get into too much of a state as this can lead to arguments, loss of deposits and even health issues! Find out from your landlord and agent when the recyling and rubbish collection days are. Rubbish piling up outside your house can be a real nightmare and can lead to unwanted guests such as rats and mice.
Neighbours
Many student properties are located in neighbourhoods with local residents who have been living there for a long time. They may be couples with young children, professionals who have to get up early and work long hours, or elderly people who have been living in the neighbourhood for years. When you first move in, introduce yourself to your neighbours. If you know you'll have the occasional party, let them know when you'll be doing so, try to keep the noise down and give them your number so they can ring you if they need the music turning down or have any other issues.
Talking Tenants!
Many problems that tenants face, be it with housemates, local residents or any other issue when it comes to living in a shared house can really be helped by communication. Try to talk things through with your housemates and resolve disputes if they do arise and remember that parents, relatives, the University and the student unions are all good places to go for help and advice if you're finding it hard to deal with any aspect of renting.
Where you live and who you live with has a massive impact upon your overall time at university. Try to make it as enjoyable an experience as possible.