Norwich Student Lettings specialise in letting to students and realise that our house may be the first one you have ever let. We have formed a catalogue of informative posts and videos to help you along your tenancy journey.
Key: Article Video
How do I get the most out of my house viewing?
Do I need a guarantor?
What does it mean to be “jointly and severally liable”?
How do I fill out an application form for a student house?
What do I need to know before my contract signing?
How is my deposit held and protected?
What information do I need before I check in to a house?
What is a “mid-tenancy inspection”?
What information do I need before I checkout of a house?
How do I make sure I get all my deposit back?
When are my bins collected and what do I put in each bin?
How do I protect against mould or deal with any mould growth?
How do I clean mouldy silicone?
What should I do with my student house when heading home for Christmas?
How do I clean my bathroom?
How do I clean my kitchen?
There’s ants in my house! What do I do?
How do I unblock my shower/bath drain?
How do I turn off the gas?
You will be shown how to do this at check in. There should be a lever by your gas meter, turn this lever 90 degrees either way from the pipe to turn off the flow of gas to the house. If there is a gas leak, please turn off the supply and call us immediately.
How do I turn off the water?
You will be shown how to do this at check in. There will be a stop-tap in your house, usually under the sink. Turning this fully clockwise should turn off the water supply for the whole house. If you have a serious water leak, please turn off the supply and call us immediately.
How do I turn off the electricity?
In your house there will be a fuse-board with each switch labelled as to what it feeds power too. This can either be turned off individually or the whole house can be shut off with the master switch. If you have problems with any electrical items provided by the landlord please raise them on Arthur straight away.
How do I check my smoke alarms?
Press and hold the test button on the face of the smoke alarm. Waiting until it, and the other alarms in the house, start going off. Smoke alarms should be checked at least once a month. Please inform us if any are not working.
What do I do with mail for old tenants?
Cross through the address on the envelope, write “return to sender” on the front and post it in a letterbox.
Am I allowed a pet?
In most instances, no. You can ask the landlord whether he will make an exception for you though. (Self-contained animals are more likely to be deemed acceptable.)
Access: From time-to-time the agent, landlord or a contractor may need to come into your house for various reasons. You will always be given at least 24 hour’s notice, unless there is an emergency, or you have requested the visit.
All Inclusive: If your rent is all inclusive it includes at least gas, water and electricity. It will also sometimes include broadband and a TV licence. Check your tenancy agreement for full details.
Arthur Online: Our online management system. You’ll be sent an invite after signing a contract with us.
Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST): The type of tenancy you will enter at one of our houses. The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement will contain the terms of your tenancy and detail the start and end date. You can find a draft copy of our agreement here.
Council Tax: A tax applied by the council to all homeowners and renters. As a student you may be exempt. Read more here.
Deposit: An amount of money paid before a tenancy starts to cover any damages or rent arrears at the end of a tenancy; no more than the amount of 5 weeks rent.
Deposit Protection Certificate: A certificate to prove your deposit has been protected with a government recognised deposit protection scheme.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): A certificate issued by an electrician to show the condition of any fixed wiring in a house. As per the university’s guidelines we do ours every 5 years. You can find a copy of yours on the Arthur Online system, or request a copy from the office.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): A certificate presenting how energy efficient a particular property is. You can find a copy of yours on the Arthur Online system, or request a copy from the office.
Fair Use Policy: On tenancies where bills are included there will be a fair use policy in place to stop you from using excessive amounts of gas, electricity and water. You can find ours here.
Fully Furnished: This means that the property comes with all white-goods and basic furniture included so you can move straight in.
Gas Safety Certificate: Rented houses will have a gas safety check every year; a certificate will be provided to show that the house is deemed safe. You can find a copy of yours on the Arthur Online system, or request a copy from the office.
Guarantor: Someone who signs to say they will cover your rent if you fail to pay, they are usually a homeowner based in the UK. Find out more here.
Holding Deposit: A down payment of no more than one week’s rent used to secure a property and take it off the market. This can then be added to your full deposit once your tenancy agreement has been signed.
Inventory: A document to detail the condition of a property at the beginning of a tenancy. We do all of our inventories through photos and give you 14 days from check in to add your own.
Jointly and Severally Liable: When signing a group contract, you will each be technically responsible for the whole rent on the house. In practice you will choose to divide the cost between each of you, but in the case that one tenant does not pay their rent the others can be asked to cover it. Read more here.
Right-to-Rent Check: Before you move into a house you have to prove you have the right to reside in the UK. We will have to see your passport and any visas in person.
Section 21: A notice sent out to tenants to confirm that the tenancy will come to an end on the date set out in the tenancy agreement.
Standing Order: A letter to your bank informing them to send out a recurring payment. These are usually filled out during contract signing.
Subletting: An agreement allowing a tenant to let someone else stay in their room and pay them rent. This is usually discouraged and must first be approved by the landlord.
Tenant-Like Manner: Living in and using a property in such a way as if you owned it. i.e. reporting any maintenance issues in a timely manner and not causing any intentional damage.