student property
Understanding billsHelp with renting your first student property
Students
Understanding Bills
Agency Fees and Deposits
Agency fees cover a host of costs including
• drawing up tenancy agreements and an inventory of the property
• carrying out credit checks
• getting references from your employer, bank or previous landlord
• administrative costs such as phone calls and postage
If you wish to apply to live at one of our properties, you must put down a deposit on that property. This payment is protection against the landlord in the event that damages are made to the property during tenancy. Deposits are usually the equivalent to one months rent on the property + £100 (if you are a student the deposit will need to be divided accordingly between each tenant). This deposit is paid into the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS).
At the end of your tenancy you and your landlord will need to agree how your deposit will be repaid. It’s important that the Deposit Protection Scheme hear from you both. In the event you’re unable to agree on how your deposit should be repaid, the DPS free independent Alternative Dispute Resolution service can be used to resolve your dispute.
Council Tax Exemption
As you may know, when you live in a property you must then pay council tax for living in that property. The costs of this varies depending on what council tax band the property falls under. However, households where everyone is a full-time student don’t have to pay Council Tax. If you do get a bill, you can apply for an exemption on the government website.
To count as a full-time student, your course must:
- last at least 1 year
- involve at least 21 hours study per week
If you study for a qualification up to A level and you’re under 20, your course must:
- last at least 3 months
- involve at least 12 hours study per week
Paying/ Setting up of Bills
When you move into your property you are required to register with a gas, electricity and water supplier of your choice (depending on the property). To do this you must take a meter reading as soon as you move in to avoid having to pay any extra on your energy bills. The gas and electricity meters can usually be found in cupboards or possibly under the stairs in a student home. The water meters are usually found outside of the property beneath a lid. If you are unsure of where your meters are you must either ask the landlord or the supplier you are planning to sign up with. These suppliers usually have notes on the property telling them where you can find the meters.
Once you have taken note of the readings you can then ring the suppliers and set up an account. Paying the bills in the property is your responsibility and not the landlords.
Please ensure when you move out that you have settled all of the bills by paying any outstanding fees and closing the account. This must be proved via evidence to the landlord/letting agent. Failure to do this may result in conflict when releasing the deposits from the Deposit Protection Scheme.
Student property
Renting with us
Jeffrey Ross have a large range of modern and spacious student housing. From studio apartments to 8-bed house shares, we can find you and your friends the perfect place to live while you study.
