House Hunting 2010 - Don't rush, be clever and wait until Saturday 16 January 2010

Every city with students has a different time and method for finding student accommodation. It is estimated that in Leeds over 27,000 students will live in privately rented accommodation and most will be second and subsequent year students (returning students) like you.

In Leeds there is an administrative start date to house hunting and for next year’s houses (those available from 1st July 2010) this is Saturday 16th January 2010. You may be approached by landlords and agents long before this date, even before christmas but be clever and do not rush in to house hunting too early; give yourself time to decide on your group and your property. 

Unipol will be able to offer you the widest choice and the largest collection of bed spaces anywhere in Leeds and these will all be released on 16th January 2010.

Take your time and look at a good selection of properties. Use the tips contained herein to give your group the advantage and best chance of getting the best house for you. Using Unipol means that you get access to over 12,000 bed spaces advertised, displayed in a way that ensures transparency and no hidden bias.

Unipol is more than a letting agent, it is the focal point for advice and support for students looking for private rented accommodation. With the support of your student union and your university, rest assured that at Unipol you will be encouraged in to making the right decisions at the right time, not pushed in to making hasty ones that you will regret later.

The Website - www.unipol.org.uk/leeds

 Last year there were:

• over 27 million hits on the web site
• over 4.7 million page impressions made by students using the service.

The Unipol Code

• Owners voluntarily sign up to abide by a number of conditions that exceed current legal requirements, so you get more protection covering more areas. Although we hope that by renting from a Unipol Code owner you will have a trouble-free experience, there are no guarantees. Here's a simple guide on what to do if problems arise during the tenancy:
• Let the landlord/agent know what the problem is as soon as possible. If it's a repairing issue, do so in writing (an email would count) and keep a copy;
• Allow the landlord/agent a reasonable time to do something about the problem. The timings will depend on the nature of the problem, with serious risks to life and health taking priority;
• If the landlord/agent fails to respond to the correspondence, or is substantially slower than required, then make a formal complaint to Unipol using the appropriate form. Don't wait until the end of the tenancy to do so, otherwise it may be difficult for the complaints procedure to take these matters into account;

You can check whether a landlord is registered as a Code owner by clicking here.

The Supporter of the Unipol Code scheme for Managing Agents

Many students like you may wish to use a Managing Agent to look for their accommodation.  Unipol does have a number of these companies using our services to advertise their properties but several big ones do not.  This can cause confusion as often their offices look really good, you are happy with a property you've viewed but are unsure whether the property is accredited.  From this year Unipol has made things easier for you with the introduction of a new scheme specifically for Managing Agents to join.  We already have over 25 members and you can find out more by clicking here.

In addition you can find out more about renting from a Managing Agent and take advantage of some top tips by clicking here

Returning Students House Hunting Events 2010

Every year many students don’t fall naturally in to groups or are returning from gap years and are therefore left to house hunt on their own. Although this is now a lot easier, due to many more owners offering individual lets and the Unipol website displaying these in an easy to find way, it can still be daunting. Unipol will be using our expertise in staging house hunting events for New to Leeds students in providing specially designed events for you. We have a number of these events running throughout the year.

These events provide a space where students can meet each other and look for houses together. We assist you to make informed decisions, to choose a house and people that you are happy to live with.

If you would like to book on to one of these events please watch this space as information will be available shortly.

Student to Student Notice Board and Single Lets

If you cannot attend a house hunting event or would prefer to house hunt alone Unipol can help you. As there is a surplus in accommodation in Leeds many owners are happy to sign students for individual lets rather than requiring you to be in a group to sign for a joint contract. The owners advert will state “will let individually” if this is possible. In addition you will be able to use the student to student notice board on the Unipol website. This is a great way to meet others to form a group to look for houses together, to advertise that you are looking for a room in a shared house and to see what others who have rooms in houses they have signed for have to offer.

Returning Students

The administrative start date of 16th January 2010 is there to:

• * increase choice and transparency in the letting market;
• * ensure that there is a decent amount of comparable property for you to choose between;

Some house hunting tips:

* Do not let the start date panic you into renting something you do not want. There is a surplus of accommodation in Leeds and good quality accommodation is available throughout the year.

* Do not rent before the start date unless you are staying with your existing landlord.

* The start date allows you to plan your house hunting.

* Unipol and the Universities and Colleges provide you with information prior to the start date to help you make sound informed decisions.

Key Dates:

November 2009 Unipol will produce a special pre-house hunting tabloid packed full of helpful advice and information.  This will be circulated to students in halls but will also be available across public areas in the institutions and delivered door-to-door to over 8,000 properties in LS6.   

December 2009 Unipol will provide you with a House Hunting Guide with all the up to date information you will need. The Student Unions do house hunting talks or provide you with more information/advice.

January 2010 Unipol produces THE house hunting tabloid detailing lots of Unipol’s and The Unipol Code owners’ properties.

So you are going to wait so what can you do now?:

• work out who you want to live with;
• explore areas of Leeds to decide where you want to live;
• work out how much you can afford ( don’t forget gas electricity etc.);
• discuss what you want in the property;
• look into the legal aspects of renting – what are your landlords responsibilities and what are yours.

Housing Myths and Rumors

Every year some students fall foul of various housing myths and rumours such as:

• There is a housing shortage – This is simply not true. In Leeds there is a surplus of good quality accommodation. Students who leave there house hunting until the summer before they return to University still secure good houses.
• All the best places go first – Often students that sign up for houses too early are actually signing for properties left over from the previous year! Wait for the official house hunting start date when over 12,000 bed spaces are released on to the Unipol website for students to view.
• Everyone pays sign up fees – Many owners do not ask students to pay admin or sign up fees, if you don’t want to pay choose an owner who doesn’t charge them. Unipol will not expect you to pay for setting up a contract. Ask what you are paying for.