A good relationship between you and your landlord can make a huge difference to your experience of student house sharing.
Potentially you will be living in a house by him or her for two or more years so investing goodwill and effort into your interactions is important.
Encouraging your housemates to do the same can only make your life easier.
Think ahead to the future, your landlord is a good source of references for employers and the owners of future rentals.
Bank good behaviour points so he won’t mind you looking after your friend’s dog in an emergency. A landlord who is happy with the people in your house will be much more responsive to your need for repairs or decorating.
Renting a student property
Here’s how to be the best tenant you can be and sail through your first experience of renting a student property.
Pay your rent.
Pay up every month and on the date agreed. This isn’t an annoyance or a monthly opportunity for your landlord to chase you for money and complain. You signed a binding contract so you are legally required to pay.
Also, maybe they rely on your rent money to pay their own bills, ever thought of that? If you are genuinely struggling and there is good reason for late payment then be respectful and communicate that there’s a problem. At least then he or she can plan their own finances accordingly.
Add a personal touch to contracts.
The tenancy contract should have a standard legal agreement at the core of it. However, a personally created list of rights and responsibilities and the condition of the property at occupancy would be a powerful tool in any disputes that occur, much more so than a generic form.
Deal with minor repairs yourself.
One of the most difficult aspects of being a landlord is keeping up with the niggles and issues that occur in every house, rented or owned. Your landlord will be hugely grateful if you and your housemates replace light bulbs, fire alarm batteries and bathroom sealant yourselves. Send an email to let them know what you have fixed and how.
Save SOS calls for the bigger things you can’t fix safely or competently. Allow your landlord the time to organise a repair, be patient, a day or two is reasonable unless it’s a true emergency such as the boiler breaking down in winter or toilets that won’t flush.
What are utility bills – organise your own
What are utility bills other than a huge headache for a landlord with a property portfolio? Contact Glide Utilities and introduce the concept of simple, fair and good value utility bills to the owner of your rental property, they will be very grateful!
Don’t make outlandish demands.
So, you and your student house sharing mates imagine a summer full of BBQ’s in the garden. Sounds lovely but it’s not your landlord’s responsibility to provide decking and outdoor furniture.
Hate the colour of the carpet on the stairwell of your three-storey house? If it’s clean and in fairly good nick then demanding a change won’t go down well with a landlord who would have to pay hundreds of pounds to indulge your whim.
Be pleasant.
If you’re on the edge over your dissertation and your Mum is nagging you to come home for a random relative’s wedding the last thing you need is the landlord asking to come over at 8am on Saturday to fix a leaky pipe. But BE NICE! Grit your teeth and be grateful he cares enough to provide his tenants with a fully functioning property.
Be respectful of the property you live in.
Keep the house clean and tidy. Ensure the front and back outside areas are presentable and clutter free. No one is expecting you to have a kitchen that is constantly clear of dirty dishes but making the effort to wash up when the landlord is visiting is just good manners.
If your back garden is full of bin bags and you start complaining about a rat problem then you won’t get much sympathy from a house owner expected to sort out a problem you’ve caused.
Show appreciation for student broadband deals
Take advantage of the great value student broadband deals you can get through Glide and email your landlord to say thank you when he or she has made upgrades, sorted an issue promptly or allowed you to pay your rent a day or two late.
Show you care, that you notice efforts made to fix and improve, it will make an enormous difference to your relationship with your landlord.
Report problems as soon as they occur.
A lingering problem that seems minor on the surface can eventually cause a huge amount of damage. Student house sharing means that you and your housemates need to be the eyes and ears of your landlord. While reporting every tiny problem, such as a dead light bulb, isn’t a good idea bigger issues are important to share immediately.
Be a good neighbour.
If your landlord is getting grief from your neighbours about loud parties then don’t expect prompt responses to your complaints about their habit of mowing the grass early on a Sunday morning. Play nice. If there are issues try to sort it out amongst yourselves like student house sharing, sensible adults.