House hunting

[Doclector]

I'm looking for uni housing for next year, and I need help.

Basically, I'm stuck looking alone because everyone else already has housing. The uni's accomodation office is useless. They'll only help if I get a contract from someone, so they can look at it, they won't tell me where to start, what any of this banker jargon means or how to know if someone's trying to con me.

That's the thing, because I haven't been house hunting before and I have NO help whatsoever, the estate agents can lie to me and I wouldn't know. I don't understand how everyone expects me to be comfortable with putting my trust in someone who uses terms I don't understand. What if they take my bank details and use them to take my money? What if they use loopholes to make me pay rent for a room I technically have no right to stay in? What if they hide some huge charges away somewhere and reveal them only when it's too late? The law is not on my side, it's on their side, this is modern day UK, the law is only on the side of the guy with the biggest wallet, and that certainly ain't me.

So, how do I fix all this, how do I protect myself against being conned? What should I look for?

 

[Doclector]

By the way, I have a possible room from coursemates, but they haven't shown me the contract. I've never seen the actual landlord and have no idea how to get in touch with him. They seem reluctant to show me the damn contract.

 

[Xan174]

Your student Union may be able to help. I know mine runs housing talks with advice about where to start, danger signs to look out for, you're legal rights etc. They also run social 'find some housemates' events. I've had a look on the website and there is some information here. [http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/information-and-advice/accommodation/private-accomodation/]

The accommodation Office at my Uni holds a database of known landlords, and has an internal way of advertising them, so not many students here go through estate agents.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

http://www.inbrief.co.uk/property-law/landlord-and-tenant-rights.htm
Try here maybe. Your best course of action is to educate yourself as well as reasonably possible rather than rest your fate upon the knowledge of someone else even if that person happens to be from your student union and ostensibly looking out for your best interests. I have an acquaintance on another forum from the UK and she recently made a similar thread regarding the landlord tenant agreement she was getting into. The owner was apparently a lawyer and when he looked at the contract made up by the agency he actually tore it up and said they had put all sorts of illegal things in there. I am not sure how common that is but definitely watch your back.

 

[Galletea]

When I had trouble finding people to houseshare in my final year, I went with private halls. They are a little more expensive than the uni halls but you get the same sort of deal, usually with a one off extra charge for the internet. If they operate where you are then it's worth checking it out. Here's the company I used.

http://www.unite-students.com/student-halls-of-residence/