House Hunting 2009

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 2009) this is 10 January 2009. This is the first date that Unipol shows its registered owners’ properties to you. However due to the large surplus of good quality accommodation it is not necessary that you rush out on this day to secure your house.

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 9,000 bed spaces advertised from 10 January 2009, 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 58 million hits on the web site
• over 13 million page impressions made by students using the service.

The Code of Standards

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 Code of Standards 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 has registered to be a Code of Standards owner for 2009/10 shortly by clicking here.

Returning Students House Hunting Events 2009

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. Details will be announced on the website nearer the time.

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.

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 10th January 2009 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:

From November 2008 onwards you will be given information on how to find suitable accommodation for the following year.

In December 2008 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.

In January 2009 Unipol produces a tabloid detailing a selection of Unipol’s and Code of Standards owners’ properties.

Use this time to:

• 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 9,000 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.