aub.ac.uk Arts University Accommodation Day

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1 Arts University Accommodation Day

2 Accommodation Day We look forward to welcoming you to the Arts University Bournemouth Accommodation Day. These are unstructured days, which provide you with the opportunity to meet other students and arrange your private rented accommodation. Before you arrive We recommend that you view the accommodation registered with the Arts University at and bring with you details of any properties you are interested in. You may like to make contact with the landlord and make advance arrangements to view the property on the day. If you have not already made contact with other students through the Studentpad messageboard, or the AUB Accommodation Facebook page, we would suggest you do so from the details enclosed you may even be able to form your house share group before you arrive at the day. Landlords not present on the day can be contacted by telephone. Details from local letting agents will be available on the day, please be aware that letting agents and some landlords will charge fees for their services.

3 What The Course to expect Team on the day The If you Accommodation have specific questions Day will be about held anything the Arts in University s this pack please Gallery contact area, from the 9.30am course team. to 3.00pm. We are Car available parking will on the be available following on numbers: the Arts University campus on a first come first served basis. The Arts Café will be open for drinks and snacks. Upon arrival you will be provided with a 'goody bag ' which will include, amongst other things, a name badge for you to wear and a 'housemates bingo' card to use during the icebreaker. The icebreaker will take place at the start of the session so please arrive promptly. Please note that other than the icebreaker the day is unstructured there are no formal talks or activities, and we do not arrange house sharing groups. However, staff from Student Services will be present throughout the day to offer you advice and guidance, and members of the Arts University Students Union will also be attending the day. If you have not already made contact with other students looking for accommodation you will need to form a house sharing group; the easiest way to do this is just to start up a conversation! Once you are part of a group you will need to decide on the properties you would like to view. Although it sounds daunting, remember that everyone at the day is looking for a housemate, and AUB students are very friendly. Some landlords will be attending so that you can talk to them directly. It is a good idea to view as many properties as you can but remember other groups will be viewing the same houses as you. 4 5

4 What to expect on the day We will provide a list of properties downloaded from our website, however further details of each property and full contact details for the landlords are available from Details of any rooms being advertised by current students will also be available so keep a look out for students who are looking for 1, 2, 3 or more students to fill their houses. Useful information, such as bus timetables will be available on the day, and your goody bag will include a Bournemouth map. All landlords registered with us have been informed of the Accommodation Days and some will be present at the event, so do feel free to approach them and ask any questions you may have. We ask that landlords do not pressurise students, so it may be up to you to make the first move! Landlords not present on the day can be contacted by telephone. We will have property details from Letting Agents, who can be contacted by phone, and some Agents will attend the day. Please make sure you check what charges are involved if you decide to rent a property.

5 A Induction few things to consider when choosing your housemates and Your first few days at the University will include enrolment and induction events finding to introduce you to a the facilities house and services you will be using as a student, as well as the activities and resources on your course. You will receive copies of important Set your budget; documents, make including sure you can your afford course the handbook rent, bills, and food the and Undergraduate transport, with a Course little left Framework over for yourself! and HE Regulations. The Think following about how activities many people have been you arranged would like for to you share (You with; will a have larger additional household can be course more related fun and activities may mean this cheaper week and bills will but receive can also a mean schedule more of noise those and activities possible arguments. at the first meeting. Be prepared to be busy all week!): Think about how you might split the bills; one named person for each bill or a joint account where each student deposits money each week/month to cover the bills. If you are finding your property through a letting agent check what their fees are, look on line to see if these are in line with other agents and if you can find any reviews about the agents. Try to be punctual for any viewing appointments. If more than one group of students want to rent the property the landlord/agent may decide who to let to on first impressions. To secure a property you will need to sign the tenancy agreement and pay a deposit. Once you have done that you are committed for the duration of the tenancy. The majority of landlords and letting agents will ask for a UK based guarantor. There are various UK companies that offer a guarantor service such as *Housing Hand, * Please note that the AUB does not endorse any company over anyother. Make sure you complete an inventory dated photos are always a good idea. 6 7

6 House viewing It is a good idea to view as many properties as you can, so try to make sure you have transport on the day, and be prepared to get to know the local area. When you view any potential houses or flats try to take someone with you - for a second opinion or for your own personal safety. Even though you may be viewing as a group it is good to have someone to discuss it with later who may remember things that you didn't! Don't be afraid of asking "obvious" questions - you could be surprised at the answer, and it's best not to make assumptions. Ask if you can take a few photos as you look around the house, this will avoid confusion if you are looking at a number of properties. Take along the Househunting Checklist at the back of this booklet to remind you what to look for. If you want to secure a property on the day you will need to be able to pay a deposit.

7 Tenancy Tuition Fees Agreements The tuition fees for 2012/13 are as follows The For purpose full-time of UK a and tenancy EU funded agreement students: is to 8, set out your rights and responsibilities as a For tenant, Channel and Island the rights funded and students: responsibilities 8, of your landlord. For International funded students: 10,950.00* The *Please most refer common to the AUCB type of website tenancy for agreement discounts that is an apply Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The agreement should set out exactly what is and is not included in the rent, and what You can each pay party your can fees expect by the of the following other. method If By you cash are in renting person a at house the University with other finance students office. most tenancy agreements will state that By cheque all tenants made are payable jointly to and severally liable for maintaining the conditions of the The agreement Arts University this Bournemouth, means that if one posted student to the defaults Finance on Section, the rent, all who signed the The agreement Arts University are responsible Bournemouth, for ensuring Wallisdown that BH12 the rent 5HH. is paid. Legally, By debit/credit a landlord card, is not either obliged in person to provide at the a finance written office tenancy or agreement, but at the very by telephoning least you should insist on a Statement of Terms which covers the dates of the tenancy and rent due. You are strongly advised to get details of any agreement in By electronic bank transfer using the following details: writing. If the landlord tells you that improvements to the property will be made before Sort Code you move in, ask for written confirmation of this before signing a tenancy agreement. Account Number Account name The Arts University at Bournemouth If Swift you Code sign LOYDGB21045 a fixed term tenancy agreement you will be liable for the rent until the end IBAN of Code the GB28LOYD agreement. If you decide that you want to move out before then, your landlord may release you if you can find a replacement to take your place. You Lloyds TSB Bank PLC should check with the landlord to see if this is possible. PO Box 5, 45/47 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, BH1 1ED Trust your instincts any tenancy agreement must be fair and reasonable, so Please ensure full payment information is listed on the credit question anything that doesn t seem right. However, do remember that most (preferably your student number and name). landlords registered with the Arts University are used to letting their properties to students and it is in their interest to do so in a fair and responsible manner. Should you have any queries, please contact Kristina Kuprijanova on or kkuprijanova@aucb.ac.uk If you are a UK funded student, don t forget to apply for your tuition fee loan, student loan and grant as soon as possible by logging on to studentfinance. If your application for a tuition fee loan is approved, your fees will be paid automatically and you do not need to arrange payment. 8 9 If you are an EU or Overseas student you can pay your fees in your own currency, commission free through StudentPay which is an on-line system using Western Union Business Solutions. Western Union will transfer the funds directly to AUCB on your behalf. The link to StudentPay can be found on our website at

8 Rent and Deposit Deposits It is usual for landlords to request a deposit (usually equal to one month s rent) at the time that you sign the tenancy agreement. The landlord may also ask for references or a guarantor (someone who will guarantee payment of the rent if you default usually a parent). The landlord is also required to carry out a 'Right to Rent' check. The deposit you pay is held by the landlord for the duration of your tenancy and may be used to cover the cost of any damages or outstanding debts. All deposits for Assured Shorthold Tenancies must be protected by a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme. There are two types of scheme custodial schemes and insurance-based schemes. Your landlord must inform you which scheme they will be using if they don t, ask your landlord how your deposit will be protected. Paying the rent If you pay your rent weekly your landlord must provide you with a rent book. You may be asked to pay your rent monthly by direct debit this provides you and your landlord with a record of the rent you have paid. If you pay your rent, or deposit, by cash or cheque you should always ask for a receipt. Keep copies of any letters or tenancy agreements they are legally binding and you may need them at some point in the future. Remember, you will be living in the property for the foreseeable future make sure you are happy with it before you move in.

9 Moving Preparing for your course Keep a note of the contact details for your new housemates - you may want to get in Preparing touch prior to to study moving in. You should also ensure you have contact details for your landlord/letting Learning at university agent. will probably be very different to how you learnt at school or college. To help you adjust to university study, the Arts University at Check Bournemouth what date has and created time you a brief can on-line collect introduction the keys and entitled move in. The Art of Studying. For lots of helpful hints to develop the skills you need as a student, Make go to an inventory all the furniture and equipment and ask your landlord to agree it. If possible take photographs, and make a note of any existing wear and tear. Recommended reading Make sure you have a copy of your tenancy agreement and if any repairs need doing inform the landlord in writing. Keep copies of all correspondence. Consider if you want to take out possessions insurance - most landlords will only insure the building. Take electricity & gas meter readings immediately and inform service providers.you will need to set up utility accounts and decide who will be named on the bills. You might choose to share them, and you may also decide to set up a joint house bank account. Check whether you need a TV licence - one licence will cover all the sets in a shared household, but individual tenancies will need individual licences, as will TVs in locked bedrooms. If you have a television or intend to stream live TV you must have a TV licence. Also from this autumn if you download or watch BBC programmes on demand - including catch-up TV - on BBC iplayer you will need a TV licence. This applies to all devices

10 House hunting checklist You may want to consider some of these points when viewing properties. LOCATION: Is the property conveniently situated for getting to AUB? Are there shops, a launderette, etc. nearby? Is it on a bus route to the University, town centre, etc.? Is there car parking available if you need it? What about visitors parking? OUTSIDE: Does the property look in good repair? Do all the windows open? Is there room to store a bicycle? Is the garden/shed clear of rubbish? GAS & ELECTRICITY: Does the landlord hold a current gas safety certificate? Does the cooker work? What type of heating is there? Do any gas/electric fires work? How is the heating, electricity, gas paid for? Do all light switches work? Are there enough sockets? When was the wiring last checked? PLUMBING: Try all the taps. Does the toilet flush properly? Is there a good supply of hot water? If there is no natural ventilation in the bathroom there should be a (working) ventilation fan. INTERIOR: Is there any sign of damp/mould or a musty smell? Windows should open directly to external air. Are carpets clean and properly fitted on stairs?

11 House Additional hunting course checklist details FURNITURE/FURNISHINGS: Is it all in good condition? Is there enough for all the tenants? Check if any furniture belongs to the present tenants. SECURITY/SAFETY: Check the security of all outside door locks and windows. Who else has keys to the property? Is there an outside light? Is access to the back of the property secured by a lockable gate? Is there a fire blanket and/or smoke alarm? Can you get out of the house in the event of a fire? OTHER THINGS TO CHECK: How much is the rent? Does this include electricity, hot water, etc.? Will you require a guarantor? Who pays the water rates? How much is the deposit? Which Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme is used? How long is the tenancy agreement for? Have you read & understood the conditions? What does it say about notice? Are all repairs/improvements promised by the landlord written in to the contract? What services is the landlord providing? Check gardening, window cleaning, lighting of common parts & refuse disposal