From locating all-inclusive accommodation to guarantors, finding the right student housing is not always easy. As you embark on your life away from home, the experience can be traumatic for both you and your parents. However, getting a grip on the logistical challenges involved can make the adjusting process a bit easier.
Student Housing
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Here are some tips that will come in handy when dealing with several aspects of student housing:
Finding Private accommodations
Many students usually prefer private accommodation because it is cheaper than staying in the residence halls, while this option offers more privacy. However, it would still be a good idea to browse through your university accommodation website to see your options. Doing so ensures that you have support whenever you feel like complaining against the landlord.
Dealing with landlords
When looking for student housing apartments for rent, you have to be prepared to deal with landlords. Keep in mind that individual private landlords are easier to reach than agencies. Moreover, an agency will charge a registration fee, but most private landlords will not.
When looking for a place to rent, you should speak to the current tenants to find out how they have been treated by the property owner. Does the landlord respond to complaints in a timely manner? Knowing the answer to this question is essential.
Inventories
You need to insist on an inventory before moving in to verify the status of the accommodations. Doing so will benefit you because most property owners claim that tenants have caused damage which was pre-existing. Take photos of anything that looks dirty or dodgy and show them to your landlord.
Ask the landlord to sign off any facilities that are not working with a promise to fix them in two weeks’ time.
Contracts
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Ensure that your parents are the guarantors of your contract, as this will give them the right to negotiate on your behalf. You also need to negotiate the rent before you agree to sign the contract. Your potential landlord might be willing to give you a discount if you pay a year’s rent upfront.
It is imperative that you take the meter readings on move-in day to avoid paying another person’s utility bill.
Tenancy agreements
You should know that once you sign a joint tenancy agreement, you could be liable for default payments if your housemate drops out of the agreement. For this reason, you need to get details from everyone to make it easier to track them down if you need to.
Travel
Most universities ask their students to clear out their belongings before they go on holiday. This makes traveling to and from school a burden because you have to carry everything. To avoid this headache, you should arrange with students who live in your area: you can use the same car to save on transport money.
Storage
You should consider buying storage bags and boxes to make your space less cluttered. If you have a fridge, you should buy as many groceries as possible at the beginning of the semester and store them. Doing so will save money in the end because you will not feel tempted to buy expensive fast foods For digital needs apply for your pan card here.
Check the Insurance
Are your items covered? You need to look at your insurance to see whether your belongings are covered. If your laptop is stolen from your residence, will you have to buy a new one with your own money? Knowing this information will prove useful in the long term.
If you are considering housing such as UC Davis student housing, you need to consider all the above tips. You never know, you might end up saving plenty of money.
