Using Liverpool Student Homes

What is Liverpool Student Homes?

Liverpool Student Homes (LSH) is the only official place to find your accommodation and is supported by Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool University, Hope University, LIPA and Liverpool Community College.

Each year LSH advertises thousands of bed spaces; from six bedroom houses to luxury apartments there is something to suit everyone.

In order to be advertised Landlords must register with LSH and sign up to their Code of Practice. This commits them to providing quality accommodation, ensuring that the property is large enough, safe enough and secure enough for you to live in.

Where are LSH registered properties advertised?

• Website- www.lsh.liv.ac.uk has a searchable database of properties allows you to find more about prospective properties including, allowing you to shop around and find that one for you.
• Liverpool Student Homes Office- You can visit LSH’s Office which can be found at 140 Mount Pleasant (directly opposite the cark park entrance to the Metropolitan Cathedral). Not only are there PCs for you to search online, but there are also adverts posted on notice boards. Staff are also on hand to help you in your search.
• Student Union- During Housing Week housing lists are available in Student Unions.

Types of Accommodation

Private Sector Housing

These private homes can range from a terraced house to an apartment and from a three bedroom to a seven bedroom house.  It is worth knowing about the differences between these various dwellings and what they would mean to you. For each of these properties always remember that it is your right to negotiate the terms of a contract including the rent before you sign. If you are not happy with a contract, don’t sign it. There will be more properties in Liverpool, don’t panic!

Private House/Apartments

Tenants should look to sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy which gives them the right to occupy a private house or an apartment. It is better to sign an individual contract to avoid sharing liability with your housemates.  Many landlords use contracts which include ‘joint and several liability’ which basically means that should one housemate leave, it would become the responsibility of the remaining housemates to pay their rent to the landlord. The disadvantages of such contracts outweigh any advantage, so it is always better to sign an individual contract. 

One thing to note about apartments in particular is that there will often be additional service charges which cover the maintenance of communal areas such as corridors and stairs and any staffing such as caretakers. Always ask about such charges before signing your contract.

Houses of Multiple Occupation

If a shared house has over five unrelated tenants and has three floors or more, it is classed as a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and the landlord must be licensed to manage such a property. Generally, this would mean that there must be more than one bathroom. You should check that your landlord is licensed for the HMO.

Private Halls

Private halls are not too different from University Halls and usually contain private study rooms and shared kitchens and social areas. Many of the newer privately owned halls have ensuite bathroom facilities although there are still a few which have shared bathrooms. Standards and amenities differ depending on the provider and you should make sure you know what you are getting for your money. Things to look out for are key charges, cleaning charges and charges for late payment of rent. Rent payments are usually collected in two or three instalments. These arrangements will be detailed on your contract – make sure that they relate to your student loan payment dates!

Residential Landlords

When a tenant shares the property with the landlord, owner or close relative acting on behalf of the landlord (such as carrying out repairs, collecting rent) they are an unprotected tenant. Within this arrangement a tenant is only entitled to reasonable notice for eviction. You should make sure that you keep a rent book to record all of your payments and also agree to some terms and conditions in writing before the start of your tenancy.

Tenancy Agreements

Tenancy Agreements, also known as a contract, can often appear like they are written in a foreign language and sometimes they appear more confusing then they actually are.  Below are a few hints and tips about what to look for and what an agreement actually means. Best advice is to contact your Student Union Advice Centre who will have a look at your agreement for you to make sure you understand everything in it.

The Legal Stuff

Once you have signed on the dotted line, the agreement is legally binding. This means that you are responsible for paying the rent, ensuring that you do not damage the property and complying with the terms and conditions of your agreement. Be aware that even if you don’t sign an agreement, any verbal agreement to pay rent could be classed as a verbal contract, which can be just as binding. There are other occasions when you could be deemed to have entered into a binding agreement; ask your Student Union Advice Centre for more information. If you have signed a Joint Tenancy Agreement with your housemates, then each one of you is then responsible for the others rent should anyone not be able to pay their rent, even if you have already paid your own rent in full and on time. See Joint and Severally liable for more on this.

|It’s important to note that most agreements do not contain ‘get out’ clauses and therefore are hard to get out of without consequences.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

This is the brand new scheme that applies to tenancies that began after the 6^th April 2007. Under this scheme, when you pay a deposit for an Assured Shorthold tenancy, the landlord must protect your deposit through a Government-backed tenancy deposit scheme. There are two types of scheme: custodial or insurance. Which ever one your Landlord chooses, they must let you now within 14 days of you paying the deposit, which scheme will be used, as well as provide other information. This is a legal requirement and failure of the Landlord to do will result in you being able to take action against them. See your Student Advice Centre for more details or visit www.lsh.liv.ac.uk for more information.

Common terms

Assured tenancy

 This gives the tenant (you) the right to remain in the property unless the Landlord has grounds for possession and can prove this to the Court. This is the same for an assured Shorthold tenancy (AST) except for the landlord can use the special assured shorthold procedure to evict a tenant. This procedure can be used at the end of six months, or at the end of a fixed term, if longer. The majority of agreements will be an AST.

Deposit

Money paid to the landlord when you sign the contract to say that you will stick to the terms of the agreement. This can be used to pay for any damage done to the property that is beyond reasonable wear and tear or if there are any unpaid bills/rent. If none of this occurs the Landlord must return the money to you. The amount is usually inline with the weekly rent. See Tenancy Deposit Scheme information.

Guarantor 

A person, who guarantees to pay the rent, bills etc if you fail to pay i.e. your Parents.

Joint Tenancy

A tenancy agreement between two or more people, in other words everyone signs the same agreement.

Joint & Severally Liable

This means that all the tenants in the property are jointly and severally liable. The most common problem arises when one member of a property moves out and the remaining tenants also become liable for their rent. In these cases the Landlord can seek action against all, some or just one of the tenants. The Landlord need not necessarily take action against the person who moved out. We strongly advise against this signing joint tenancies.

Retainer

Money paid to the landlord to keep the property available for you. This does not necessarily give you a right to live in the property. If the landlord insists on a retainer, make sure you get any agreement you make in writing and that it is signed by you both. The money is non-refundable and is separate from the rent and deposit.

Tenancy Agreement This is an agreement between a Landlord and tenant that gives a number of rights to both parties. It can be with in writing or a verbal agreement.                              

What ever you do, don’t sign anything you don’t understand and get your contract checked with your Student Union Advice Centre.

Viewing a Property

It’s essential that you view a property before signing a tenancy agreement and paying any money. A house may sound fantastic on the advert, but the reality could be very different. This table lists the main things you should look for when you are viewing a property. Remember, never view a property on your own- always make sure you take a friend with you.

House Hunting Check List

MOVING IN

Moving in to your new home should be an exciting time, but it’s important to make sure you take some steps to ensure that bills are paid, you are not charged for damage you did not cause and the bin bags don’t stack up!

Inventory

An inventory is basically a list of things the property comes with and their condition. Some landlords will provide an inventory and some won’t, either way it’s important that you do an inventory of the property when you first move in so you can let the landlord know of any missing or damaged items. This can also be helpful at the end of your tenancy to prove the condition of the property when you moved in.

Make a list of all the rooms within the property and then note what furniture/equipment is provided in each room. Against each of these items make a note of the condition of the item, including any marks/damage. This can include things like marked or ripped wallpaper, mould on a shower, a scratch on a desk or burn in a carpet. If you feel that there are any particular damages that the landlord needs to be made aware of then take photos of them and try to include in the photo some evidence of the date.

Once you have completed the detailed inventory invite your landlord to come and sign it, send them a copy and keep a copy for yourself, this will come in handy at the end of your tenancy.  Remember if you have a problem with disrepair you can write to your landlord and keep copies of all the letters you send. Your Student Union Advice Centre can also provide advice.

Meter Readings

If bills aren’t included in your rent then find and read your meter when you move into your new house.  Make a note of the readings and contact the suppliers with the name of each of the tenants and the reading to open an account. It’s important that the utilities are in the name of all of the tenants as it can cause problems in the future if bills remain unpaid.

The utility companies should allow you all to register jointly and it is only the cable and telephone companies which do not allow you to do so. However it’s worth remembering that whoever’s name is on the bill, the whole house has joint liability for paying the bills.

If you cannot find the meters in your property or there is some confusion over what meter services your house or flat, contact your landlord.

How do I find out who supplies the gas, electricity and water to my house?

Water: United Utilities supplies Water to everyone in this area. Unless you are on a meter you don’t have to get a reading for this. Contact United Utilities with your names and they will set up an account for you which can be paid monthly or three monthly. To contact United Utilities to set up your account or for any problems to do with your water at www.unitedutilities.com/

Gas and Electricity: Many companies can now supply your gas or electricity or both. However with choice often comes confusion. To find out who currently supplies gas to your house contact M-Number on 0870 6081524

Remember if you don’t do this straight away you could find yourself paying for the previous tenants’ gas. 

To find out your electricity supplier contact M-Pas on 0845 3300889 with your meter reading as before.

Insurance

Landlords are usually responsible for the repairs and structure of private rented accommodation, and will usually have buildings insurance which covers most structural damage. However, tenants should take out insurance for personal belongings. 

Policies and premiums vary widely, so it is a good idea to shop around to find a deal which will suit your needs. Generally Home Contents Insurance must be taken out for a year. Many companies now offer instalment agreements which may suit students’ financial circumstances.

Most Banks and Building Societies now offer competitive insurance packages, and there are a number of insurance brokers who will shop around to find the best deal. Remember that insurance companies change policies regularly, so what was a good deal for your friend a month ago may not be a good deal for you. You should look at prices both as an individual and as a group if you share accommodation. Although a premium may be more expensive for a group, when you actually split the cost it could work out cheaper.

Some students may find that their parents' (Home Contents) insurance policy provides cover for students studying away from home. It is worth checking if this applies to you, and what type of loss you can claim for.

It is very important to check your policy and the small print carefully.

Things to look out for

• Is every person in your household covered? Make sure you tell the insurance company exactly who lives at the property.
• Is your property insured only if it is stolen from your home? Are you covered outside the home for property such as portable computers, stereos and bicycles? Check the small print.
• If items such as bicycles are stolen from a communal hallway would you be covered?
• Some insurance companies will pay a maximum amount for certain items. For example, they may only pay a maximum of £200 for stereo equipment even if it would cost you £500 to replace.
• Are you covered for accidental damage? If your water pipes burst or a car crashes into your living room would you be covered. Again check the small print.
• Are you covered if you are on holiday and the property is vacant?
• Are you covered out of term time?

Some insurance terms explained

• Home Contents Insurance
  This is basically insurance which covers most items in the home. For example, TV, stereo, clothing, jewellery etc. It is important to check each policy to make sure that all your belongings are covered.
• Personal Belongings Insurance
  This is cover for items which you take out of your home, this may include maximum payouts for items such as money.
• Specified Items
  Many insurance companies will ask for details of belongings, which will cost a great deal to replace, for example, items over £1000. Expensive items such as computers, jewellery or works of art, may have to be listed individually if they fall into the specified category.
• New for old policies
  Many insurance companies offer a new for old policy. This means that if your old TV worth about £20 is stolen, then they would pay the full amount needed to buy a new one of a similar make.
• Wear and Tear
  Some policies will include a wear and tear clause for items such as clothing. In other words, they will not pay the full cost you paid for an item, and will deduct an amount for wear and tear.
• Excess
  Many insurance companies will offer a discount on your premium, if you pay an agreed amount of your claim. An example of this would be a 10% discount if you pay the first £100 of your claim.
• Discounts
  Many insurance companies will offer discounts if you have a burglar alarm, or if you live in a Home Watch Area.

Bin-Day/Recycling

Call Liverpool Council on 0151 233 3001 to find out what day your bin be collected and where you need to leave it. You can also find out about local recycling facilities.

DURING THE TENANCY

Sharing a House

Sharing a house is a great way of cutting down on costs,  can help with overcoming homesickness and make you feel more secure, however, sharing a house isn’t always easy.

Think carefully about who you want to live with. Remember, this is not like a 2 week holiday with your pals; you’ll be with them for the rest of the year.