When it comes to finding the perfect student accommodation in Hull there are a couple of things you need to look out for. There’s nothing more exciting than moving into a brand-new home but it’s important not to get carried away in these moments of excitement and risk missing the warning signs that could mean your choice of student accommodation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Don’t get blindsided by shady landlord practices – here are our top five tips for finding the best student accommodation in Hull.
House or hole?
This might seem like an obvious one, but be aware of houses that are in a poor state of repair. If things are broken but the landlord promises they’d be fixed by the time you move in, make sure you get this in writing. The chances are, if the house has been left to reach a condition where the landlord looks like they’re no longer bothered about its upkeep, they probably aren’t!
Watch out for low rent rates
If your rent seems ridiculously low in comparison to other properties you’ve viewed and sounds too good to be true – it probably is. Low rent rates may indicate that the tenancy has been avoided by other tenants for a reason. More commonly, a well-known trick practiced by bad landlords is advertising low rent rates to tenants, securing their sign up, then hitting them with additional and unexpected fees afterwards. At the University Quarter we’ll never charge you for administration fees, and we don’t cap our all-inclusive bills package.
Ask yourself: ‘Would my parents moan about it being safe if I lived here’
Student safety is extremely important. You might think your parents nag about safety from time to time, but they certainly have your best interests at heart: it’s wise to listen to their advice! Nobody wants to come home from University to find that there has been a break-in at their house. Check out the local community and speak to residents living nearby to get a better feel for the area. If your house has a back entrance, check it’s secure and well gated. We take safety and security seriously at the UQ, which is why all of the UQ community is covered by CCTV with regular security patrols on site to ensure tenants are well looked after.
Understand the terms of your lease
Once you find the perfect house and you’re certain this is the one, make sure you read your contract and the conditions of your lease extremely carefully. Always check for:
- What repairs landlords are liable for
- Any additional fees in the contract that haven’t been mentioned
- Liability for rent payment in exceptional or unforeseen circumstances
The last one is a really important consideration because what happens if, through no fault of your own, you’re unable to carry on studying and need to leave the property?
We understand that things don’t always go to plan, which is why we operate the Safety Net for all UQ tenants studying at the University of Hull, meaning that if unforeseen circumstances mean you can no longer continue with your studies, we’re able to release you from your tenancy.
Bad vibes?
Is your landlord giving off a bad vibe? If they seem aggressive in their approach and aren’t able to answer specific questions about the property and your tenancy agreement or dodging questions, it should be a red flag to you. You should get on with your landlord. You should be able to trust your landlord – they’re taking care of you for the next year of your life, after all! Great landlords are easily contactable and should be able to easily address any concerns you might have with the property and quickly work with you to resolve any issues such as repairs. If your gut feeling is saying no, you might be better looking elsewhere. Always trust your gut instincts.
Thankfully, we don’t employ any shady practices at the Hull University Quarter. We love our tenants and we’ve fully refurbished all of our properties or created brand new ones to ensure you have a luxury house located less than five minutes away from campus. But, most importantly: we’re always here for our tenants – whether that’s at 6am in the morning or 11pm at night, you’ll always be able to reach a member of the UQ team.
If you’re looking for student accommodation in a sociable but safe and secure community, you can get in touch with the UQ team today to view our range of luxury apartments and student homes to suit your needs, regardless of how many of you there are. Just call 01482 447707 or visit the UQ pod on Salmon Grove.
