Private Home
Private home accommodation
Live with a local resident landlord
Private home accommodation means living in somebody's home but on a more independent basis - under a self-catering arrangement where you would be given access to the kitchen to prepare your own meals.
There is no such thing as a typical resident landlord. Some are young professionals or recent graduates, others are middle aged couples and some are retired.
Although most students鈥� first preference would probably be to share with other students, it is worth considering the advantages of this arrangement, as well as its disadvantages.
Advantages include
- Good availability.
- The rent is generally cheaper (although this is not always the case) and bills are often included in the rent.
- Owner occupied properties are generally kept in better repair than rented properties.
- You do not have to commit yourself to a contract. Generally if you pay weekly or monthly you would need to give that amount of notice. This means if it's not working, you can end the arrangement fairly painlessly.
- All homes are visited every two years by a representative from the Accommodation Office.
Disadvantages include
- It鈥檚 not your home and if you fall out with your landlord/landlady, you will usually have no option but to find somewhere else to live.
- You may have less freedom to bring friends or guests home.
- You are living by someone else鈥檚 house rules.
Additional tips
Always insist on having a rent book that both parties sign each time money changes hands, so that payment of rent is recorded.
If you pay weekly you should give your host a week鈥檚 notice if you wish to leave. If you pay monthly, when terminating your contract, you should give your host a month鈥檚 notice.
We therefore recommend that you pay weekly until you are settled and happy. Under no circumstances should you pay a whole semester鈥檚 rent in advance unless you are certain you want to stay. Refunds are often hard to obtain.
Occasionally you may be asked to pay a deposit when renting a room and many hosts will require a retainer fee or full rental fee if you are away on holiday but still wish to retain the room.
