Last year in 2020, a group of friends and I began our search to find a property that we could rent; somewhere safe, somewhere close to transport, somewhere where we could call our second home. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
A lot of agents seem to be masters at hiding the flaws, using polished photographs and innovative, enticing descriptions to rent out a property. I understand this is part of their jobs, however, during the pandemic, the majority of students were unable to travel in and out of London regularly and so could not view the flats in person. I, myself, am from London so fortunately, I saw the condition of the properties before making a decision to rent. There were many furnished, well-kept properties on the market but what I wish I’d known was to be quick about showing my interest as the ones I’d like would seem to be snapped right up.
My friends and I did find a flat we liked…in the end…however there were a number of issues we faced. The conditions provided in our tenancy agreement were not updated in line with the new housing legislation introduced recently, the flat was not thoroughly cleaned and when we checked the inventory, there were items missing and some safety hazards. Therefore, after some deliberation, none of us felt comfortable or safe if we were to move in. Luckily enough, most of our classes were online and being part of a clinical course, I was required to come into campus only once or twice a week.
Tips from my experience:
- Always read the contract – check if it’s up to date and if there are any outdated terms
- Put the start and end date in the tenancy agreement
- Make sure there is a break clause
- Although an inventory can be provided or requested, always do your own at the start to check for any prior damages
- Contact King’s Advice and Guidance Team for Housing advice
- You can also contact the University of London Housing Services
- Know your housing rights!!!
Manvi Shah
Positive Peer
Dentistry BDS (UG)
Need to speak to a Money Adviser? Call the Student Advice Line.
For more information on private sector housing, take a look at the following video workshops: Beginning your search, Viewing a Property, Signing a Contract 2020, Moving In!
The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts.