We recently asked our RLAs their tips on private renting.

We thought it would be a good idea to catch up with our RLAs, many of whom currently live in a private rented house, to get their top tips on private renting.

• Choose your housemates wisely. Make sure you live with people with whom you get along with and have similar standards regarding cleanliness and noise tolerance. The last issue you want is arguing over the bin rota or dirty dishes! Consider choosing people who have the same budget as you, to avoid being pressured into something more expensive than you can afford.

• Think about where you want to live, e.g close to campus or shops, considering whether you are purely based at Highfield or if you are on other campuses too. Safety is also important, particularly if you are going to be living alone.

• Ensure you visit houses in person as photos can be misleading. Ask questions when viewing houses e.g are bills included, or if you see something not up to standard on your viewing, ask if it will be fixed and ask for that to be written if the answer is yes.

• Look out for black mould or damp at house viewings. If they are letting the current tenants live with it, chances are they will let you live with it too.

• Speak to current tenants to identify any issues and how proactive the landlord is. You could also check online for reviews of the landlord / lettings agency

• Don’t be put off by the current tenant’s mess! Their dirty laundry won’t be there when it’s your house. Equally don’t be fooled by cute fairy lights!

• Finding a house with a washing machine and tumble dryer will save you lots of money at laundromats in the future! Consider making it a house requirement.

• Make sure you’re all on the same page about how rent, utilities, and other shared expenses (e.g., cleaning supplies) will be divided. It is a good idea to calculate your weekly budget before signing a contract, including rent, bills, groceries and any other expenses you may have.

• Read your contract carefully and ask someone else you trust to check it. For international students, you may want to ask about guarantors as well.

• Most landlords ask for deposit up front, (usually one month's rent) so make sure you have that in hand.

• Pay attention to when your tenancy will start/end, some start in June/July whereas others don’t start till August, see what suits you.

We hope that this helps you if you haven’t already found a house.

By Akshita, Alyssa, Eden, Ella, Eloise, Eric, Isobel, Lauren, Maia, Nivedita and Tom