Generally, there are two main accommodation options for students moving into their second year at university, living in the private rented sector,or or living in a house bought by their parents.
Most s students will move into private sector accommodation for their second and subsequent years at university, nearly all of them will rent a shared house with a group of friends. For most students this is another step on the road to independence and again it can be a steep learning curve. For parents it can be another time of stress, with questions such as: where will they live; will they find somewhere to live; will the house be safe; will they be able to afford it; and lots more.
As parents there is a lot you can do to help your son or daughter along this new road, here we have tried to answer the questions parents ask us .Around the middle of the Autumn Term, when first year students have only been at university for six weeks an urban myth starts to go round that if students don't sign a contract for a house soon they will have nowhere to live next year; this is not true.
In the Autumn Term some landlords will advertise their properties around campus, we hear of students who follow these adverts being told there is a shortage of houses, or there are only a certain number of houses for their group size; parents also start asking their sons and daughters if they have found somewhere to live; parents can help to ease this stress, by encouraging their student to look at the information available on finding somewhere to live and reassuring any students who are worried. It is our experience that students who take their time in finding their accommodation and in forming their group of future housemates usually have the best experience.
Will they find somewhere to live?
There is plenty of private sector accommodation in York to suit all tastes. We advise students to wait until the Accommodation Office releases its list of accommodation, which is usually around the begriming of February. All landlords on the list have signed up to a Code of Best Practice for their property.
Where will they live?
York is a relatively small city and there are a number of areas that students can choose to live in. Some students like to live between the city centre and the University, some like to live nearer the outer suburbs or nearer the river, some students prefer a small house with only 2 or 3 tenants and some prefer a large house of up to 10! This is another reason why it is a good idea for the students to wait and be sure of where they are living, every year a number of students sign contracts to live in houses and later do not want to, or can't live in the house, or fall out with their future housemates.
Will the house be safe?
We cannot guarantee the safety of a landlords property, but there is a large regulatory framework to protect tenants safety but there are things that a student can do to help try and ensure they are getting a property that is as safe as it can be. We advise students to look at our housing information, or to come and see us and discuss any issues they may have. Again with the landlords who have signed up to the the Code of Best Practice, their properties will have all the relevant safety checks done in order that they can advertise their properties via the University. We also advise students to come to one of our contract checking workshops or have their contract checked by a Student Welfare Adviser.
Will my son or daughter be able to afford it?
If you were able to give your son or daughter some experience at budgeting and you can encourage them to prepare a budget for the coming year they will be best placed to know if they are going to be able to manage the finances. They will need to consider all the additional expenses of running a house: utility bills, telephones; internet access; insurance etc. If you give your son or daughter additional funding consider paying for something specific like the rent or the phone bill,or set up a standing order/direct debit so if you are giving them money they will know what is coming into their account and when.
What is the landlord like?
it would be unethical of us to label landlords as good or bad. One students will have a positive experience with one landlord and another will not. We encourage students to ask current tenants how they have found a landlord, whether the landlord has responded when repairs are needed and to look at our information on looking around houses.
I have been asked to act as guarantor what does this mean?
This means you are guaranteeing to pay the rent if your son or daughter doesn't. Many landlords and agencies are now asking for references for either the student or the parent. if you are signing a guarantor form you should ensure that you are only responsible for your son or daughters share of the rent if they are signing a joint tenancy.
What if my son or daughter has signed a contract for a house and cannot or does not want to live there.
Once signed, like all contracts, the parties are tied in, although in housing this is not the end. A housing contract should give a tenant the right to 'Assign or Sublet' this means the contract they will have signed will allow them to find someone else to replace them in the house and on the contract.
The tenant is still responsible for their share of the rent until they have found a replacement.
If they do not pay the rent they may find that either the landlord or the other tenants are pursuing them for the rent that is owed. Alternatively, the landlord may pursue you if you have sign as guarantor.
This is another reason students need to be sure they are happy with the choice they have made with their accommodation.
What if the landlord has promised to do repairs to the house before my son or daughter moves in, what should they do?
It will depend on the type of work being done as to what they should do. Minor work will not affect the tenants ability to live in the house, so for instance they will not lose a service such as heating or hot water.
If the landlord is doing some minor work to the house to improve it then your son/daughter should get a letter from the landlord detailing the work they are intending to do, when they are going to do it, when the work will be finished, and finally what happens if the work is not done. Normally, this would be a reduction in the rent until the work is finished.
With major work the procedure is the same but the students should seriously consider how they will cope if the improvement work is not finished in time or the landlord does not do the work. With major work again the reduction in rent is based on the facilities that are not available/not improved.
Every year we meet students who are encouraged to sign contracts for houses that are having major works done, some are even still being built. So every year we meet group of students who are not living in the accommodation they have signed a contract for. In this situation the landlord has breached the contract and has to find them somewhere to live and pay reasonable costs; the students may find themselves living a long way from the University getting a bus every day or walking to campus. They are living in a very unstable situation and we find that these students get very distressed.
If your son/daughter is thinking of signing a contract for a house where the landlord is going to be renovating the house we would recommend they contact a Welfare Adviser for advice about their situation.
Some parents choose to buy a house for their son or daughter to live in whilst they are at university, often they will share the house with friends they have made during their first year living in halls. Letting property is very complex and there is a lot of regulatory requirements that are not always apparent when someone is first considering the idea.We would advise any parent who is considering buying a property to take legal advice from a lawyer specialising in housing law and to speak to City of York Council's Private Sector Housing .
Page last updated July 2008 sm49 Legal statement