During your Tenancy
What do I need to consider when sharing a house?
My landlord is trying to evict me?
Do I need to pay council tax?
Do I need to buy a TV licence?
What do I need to consider when sharing a house?
Sharing a house is a great way of cutting down on costs, can help with overcoming homesickness and make you feel more secure, however, sharing a house isn’t always easy.
Think carefully about who you want to live with. Remember, this is not like a 2 week holiday with your pals; you’ll be with them for the rest of the year.
Even if you have chosen your housemates carefully and have known them for a long time, living with someone can be stressful, and even the smallest of disputes can cause major problems; from not picking up that smelly sock, to drinking the last of the milk, it can all be blown out of proportion.
Remember everything you do can affect your fellow housemates. So the key is to show respect and consideration.
Once you are in your accommodation, it might be an idea to set out some boundaries. Common sense ground rules like;
- An agreed time and amounts for split bills to be adhered to
- Knocking before entering bedrooms/ bathrooms.
- Letting housemates know if you intend to have overnight guests.
- Not taking other peoples food or drinks.
- Wash your own dishes.
- Noise levels reduced after an agreed hour
- No clothes / mess left in communal areas
These may sound petty, but things like this are the biggest causes of disputes between housemates and can not only affect friendships, but can lead to formal complaints and breach of contract.
If you don’t set some ground rules and later find that it is impossible to share, it is not so easy to leave, as you are tied to a legally bound contract.
Unfortunately we cannot offer the perfect solution or the perfect arrangement to ensure a good, compatible mix. A bit of careful thought about who you are going to share with along with respect and consideration should hopefully ensure you get through your tenancy unscathed.
My landlord is trying to evict me?
If you are experiencing any form of harassment, or if you are not sure whether your landlords behaviour constitutes harassment, contact The Advice Service We will be able to advise you on steps you can take. As a tenant you have certain security of tenure. In short this means you usually cannot be forced to leave your home without a court order (except in the case of some unprotected tenancies see the Advice Service for details).
Any attempt to evict you without such an order is illegal eviction and is a criminal offence. Illegal eviction may include:
- Being physically thrown out of your home.
- Your landlord changing the locks while you are out.
- Your landlord denying you access to certain parts of your home.
- If you are threatened with violence or if you have been denied access to your home CALL THE POLICE. They can help you get in touch with a solicitor who can apply for an injunction to force your landlord to let you back into the property, or start civil proceedings so that you can claim compensation.
Do I need to pay council tax?
The Council Tax is a charge set by local authorities to help pay for certain public services, such as libraries, schools and police. It is based upon the value of the property in which you live. The level of the charge may be reduced depending upon the number of adults living in the property and their circumstances.
General rules
If all the adults in a property are full-time students, they will be disregarded for the assessment and so the property will be exempt and no Council Tax will be payable. Where the property is occupied by a mixture of full-time students and part-time or non students the property is not exempt.
On 1st April 2004, students became exempt from joint and several liability for Council Tax purposes. This appears to mean that a student who shares a dwelling with a non-student or a part-time student (in cases like those listed below), and provides a valid Council Tax Exemption Certificate to the Local Authority, should not be liable for a share of the Council Tax other than their own.
If you have any queries concerning council tax exemption, or wish to request a council tax exemption certificate from the University please click on the following link to the University's website for more information: http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/students/council-tax.htm
GAS SAFETY
By law, landlords must have gas appliances checked for safety every 12 months by CORGI-registered engineers.
They should also hold a Gas Safety Record as proof and give a copy to you when you move in to the property and after every inspection. If they don’t do this, ask them for it. If they can’t provide it then it’s a criminal offence. More importantly, it could put your safety at risk.
If there is a gas appliance in your bedroom then it should be a room-sealed type (you won’t be able to see the pilot light) which means potentially deadly carbon monoxide fumes could not escape in to your room.
Ask your landlord where the gas meter is located and how to turn it off if there’s a leak.
If you do smell gas, call National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
For more information on what to do in an emergency, or further advice about carbon monoxide & gas safety please visit the National Grid Website or the Gas Safe Register Website
Do I need to buy a TV licence?
Whether or not each student is required to buy an individual TV licence depends on the way in which the house is occupied and whether the landlord is the person who has installed the TV set. For students who live in a traditional hall of residence, all of those who have a TV in their study bedroom will need to have a licence unless there is only one TV set available in a communal area. If they don't they risk being fined £1,000.
If you live in what are known as 'cluster' flats (blocks of accommodation where the residents share communal facilities, including a lounge area) then unless the landlord has provided the set, the tenants will be responsible for buying the licence.
For students who share a house it will depend on what type of contract you have signed. Joint tenants will need one licence between them to cover all sets in the house but tenants with an individual contract will need a separate licence to cover any TV's owned. Where a TV set is used only for computers, electronic games or screening pre-recorded videos, a licence is not required. However, the set must be incapable of receiving broadcast services; it is not simply sufficient to remove the tuner.
It's advisable to buy a TV licence as soon as you move into the property to avoid being fined. More information on buying a TV licence as well as options on how to pay can be found at: www.tvlicensing.co.uk
