• Imagine what prospective tenants expect and would like from the property that they are going to be living in.
• When decorating rooms that will be rented, use neutral colours for the walls, flooring and curtains. This will make the living space more appealing to a wider market.
• If provided, keep bedroom furniture to a minimum, as this will make the room appear to be more spacious.
• First impressions count even with house or flat shares, therefore make the garden ,front door area and the first room a viewing tenant may see as appealing and tidy as possible.
• Prior to a property viewing, get to the house or flat earlier so that you can give the communal living areas and room a quick tidy.
• When a tenant moves out, have the bedroom thoroughly cleaned. This includes flooring, curtains, bedding, etc. and make sure that pleasant smelling air fresheners are left in the room to rid any nasty odours.
• Don’t spend enormous amounts of money on furniture as accidents can easily happen. Try purchasing furniture packages which as the name suggests are the basics to furnish a property in one pack. Examples of where you can purchase these packs are, Furnishings Made Easy, Landlord Furniture and Room Service Group.
• You must ensure that all fabric furnishings comply to the correct legal requirements, as do any appliances that you provide the tenants with.
• If there are any cracks or marks on the walls from where the previous tenant has removed items such as posters, be sure to fill this damage and repaint the area.

Hopefully this list will be of use to you, and when viewing house and flat shares people are looking for somewhere that is clean and decluttered, so ask the existing house and flatmates to chip in too.

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This comes from a release issued by the Metropolitan Police’s fraud prevention division who have seen a significant rise in the number of students becoming victims as a result of responding to advertisements for rooms, flats and houses for rent, particularly in the London area.  The criminals carrying out these acts generally scam people by requesting a holding deposit just to view the property and they typically use free to advertise websites where it is harder for them to be tracked down, but there are also other methods which can be found in our online safety section.

The advice from the police is to:

• Only use letting agencies, websites and landlords that have been approved by the university.
• Research the property on the internet to make sure that the address and house or flat exists.
• Do not pay a landlord any money just to view the property.
• Ensure that the landlord has the right to rent the property.
• Do not send money via money transfers companies such as Western Union and Moneygram.
• Do not scan and send copies of driving licenses, passports, wage slips, etc. via the internet.
• View the property in person before parting with any money.
• Do not feel pressurised into making a decision.
• If it feels too good to be true, generally it is.

RoomBuddies.com does everything that it can to protect our users from scams, but you should still be vigilant when using the website and make sure that all contact made with landlords is done through our messaging system.

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For your convenience we have broken them down into separate sections:

Off Campus Living

• House and flat shares are certainly the most cost effective means of student accommodation.
• Try to find a property that includes utility bills, otherwise these can drive costs up.
• If you have to pay for utility bills, make sure they are paid on time as late payments will result in fines.
• Find accommodation that has appliance provided, most student houses should do, but check as you want to avoid buying white goods.
• Don’t spend a lot decorating your room, certainly make it feel homely but don’t go to great expense at doing so.
• Save money by using heating and lighting effectively and efficiently by turning off lights when they are not being used, try wrapping up in cold winter months as opposed to cranking up the thermostat.

Food and Drink

• Buy in bulk.  If you have accessibility to a car, you and a group of housemates may want to share the cost of a membership at wholesalers, such as Costco and go there and buy industrial sized bulks of non perishable products.
• Stock your fridge up.  This way when you get hungry late at night, you’ve no excuse to go to the nearest takeaway.
• See what offers supermarkets have in the local freebie newspapers.
• Forget about previous brand loyalty, sometimes own label brands are exactly the same as branded good.  Shop for groceries where they are cheapest.
• Porridge for breakfast.  It may look unappealing, but it is quick to make, affordable and will see you through to lunchtime.
• Ordering takeaways online?  Search Google for free promotional codes.
• Avoid going for a sit down meal at a restaurant with a large group.  Many restaurants charge a 15% service charge based on the number of you.
• Don’t unnecessarily tip when eating out.  If the service was bad, then don’t feel obliged to tip them.
• Don’t waste money buying bottled water.  Buy one bottle and reuse that by filling it up using tap water.
• If you need a coffee fix on the way to uni and stop off at Costa, Starbucks or any chain… Don’t.  Buy a small Thermos and make your own before you leave.  Doing this, over one semester  can save you at least £150
• Buy alcohol from the supermarket and drink that before going out.
• Go to the bars and pubs that have special offers.
• When going out, get money out earlier in the day and only take that out.  Leave your bank cards at home so you can’t spend more money when you’re out.

Computing

• If buying a computer for university, don’t feel the need to buy the latest machine with all the bells and whistles.
• Although laptops are “cool” for the same amount of money you can get an even faster desktop PC.
• Don’t feel obliged to buy additional warranties.  If buying new, it will come with one years anyway and some additional warranties are very selective in what they cover.
• Don’t be duped into buying Anti-Virus software at discount prices when buying the computer.  You can get free anti-virus software online and it is just as good.
• Ensure that you install some kind of anti virus software on the machine.
• Look for retailers or manufacturers that will sell both the hardware and software at discounted prices to students.
• If buying a printer for uni, check the price of cartridges as sometimes they can be very expensive.
• When ink cartridges need replacing, shop for them online or see if there are local companies such as Cartridge World that will refill the cartridges at a fraction of the cost.

Text Books

• Search for text books on your reading lists on eBay and other similar sites, or search notice boards around the campus.

Entertainment

• Do not think that in avoiding getting a TV license will save you money, if you get caught you’ll end up financially worse off.
• Rent DVDs as a group and share the cost.
• If you are serious about seeing the latest DVD releases each month, sign up to an online film rental subscribers such as LoveFilm.com
• Don’t go to the cinema at peak times; instead go the designate student days at a fraction of the cost.
• Volunteer at a local homeless shelter once a week, this will get you out of your house share and you get to help people in the local community.
• Avoid spending money on your days off or at weekends by being creative.  Go to the beach with your housemates, play a game of football in the park, etc.
• The internet is almost a limitless resource; there must be things to do on it to keep you entertained for a few hours a night.

Shopping

• When you shop, make full use of your NUS card and other shops offering student discounts.
• Buy in bulk.  If you have accessibility to a car, you and a group of housemates may want to share the cost of a membership at wholesalers, such as Costco and go there and buy industrial sized bulks of non perishable products.
• Ask for practical Christmas and Birthday presents.  It’s not exciting, but it will save you money during term time.
• Don’t feel the need to have the latest gizmos and gadgets, six months later there is a strong chance the prices will have dropped.

Transportation

• Don’t take a car to university, unless you must – if it is there you will be more inclined to use it as and you will have to pay for fuel, maintenance and so on.
• Rent a room close to the university campus.
• Walk, cycle or take public transport.

Communication

• If your phone contract is up for renewal, play companies off of each other to get the best possible deal.
• When looking for broadband and satellite television, do the same.
• Communicate via instant messengers and social networking sites.
• Consider using internet phone calling services such as Skype.

Make Some Money

• Some courses are so demanding that you may not have the time to get a part time job, but if you can try getting one where you can utilise staff discounts, such as in supermarkets.
• See which CDs and DVDs you own and don’t really need anymore, sell them on eBay to bring in some extra money.
• Sell your old textbooks online to generate some extra cash to buy new ones, but be careful as you may need to use them in later years.
• Consider volunteering for a medical study.
• Work as much as you can during the summer and Christmas holidays to generate as much cash as possible for term time.

Finally, sign up to the Money Saving Expert, where you can find hundreds of money saving ideas.

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Here’s our list of things that you can do:

Play a Board Game

Shake the dust off of those old board games that you have, or go out and buy one as they can be cheap and be used over and over again.

For the older people reading this you could be nostalgic and go back to your childhood and play Game of Life, Monopoly, Scrabble,  Operation or Hotel – most of these are still available in online shops, or if not, try eBay.  Alternatively you could try the new generation of board games such as, Ingenious, Mr and Mrs, Articulate or Tension.

Rent the Latest Computer Game

From the old to the modern, invite some friends around, go to Blockbuster and rent out the latest computer game – invite some mates around, get a take away, have some beers and have a fun evening driving, shooting or whatever activity takes your fancy (on the computer!)

Rent that Film You’ve Wanted to Watch

Undoubtedly, there is one film that you have been meaning to watch for months, if not years.  Take the time to source it and either buy or rent it and settle down on the sofa and watch it.

Write That Overdue Letter

Modern technology has impacted all of our lives, so with a quiet night in, take the time to write a letter to a friend or family member that you haven’t spoken to in a while.  Email’s are quick and convenient, but sometimes its just nice to send or receive a letter.

Cook Your Favourite Dinner

Take the time to prepare and make your favourite meal and then enjoy with a nice glass of wine or a beer, depending on your preference.

Read

This may take a bit more than one night of staying in, but pick up a book that will keep you interested and read it.

Dance!

Everyone likes to dance in the privacy of their living room!  Turn on the CD player / iPod and just let yourself go wild in your living room or bedroom!

Have a Long, Hot Soak

Buy some bubble bath, some scented candles and a glass of wine and when you get home run a bubble bath, light the candles and enjoy a glass of wine.  You can even include reading a book whilst you do, doubling up on our list of things to do.

Organise

There must be a pile of papers or bills that you have been putting off organising for a long time, but if you’re looking to stay in and save some money, what better time to do it than then?

Have a Lads or Girls Night In

The lads version was covered earlier with the renting of a computer game, some beers and takeaway.  This may appeal to some girls, but for others it won’t, so as an idea, why not invite some female friends over, rent a film, get a takeaway and just relax on the sofa.

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Many of us feel awkward about seeking for a specific type of person in fear of not being politically correct or offending someone, but by human nature there are people that we know we will get on with and others that you won’t, so just think of it as setting the rules from the outset and if you are not offensive in your advert, no one will take offence.

Finding a new housemate is a little similar to an interview, in that you want to find out about them so that you can make the decision to see if they will blend in, so when a possible housemate contacts you (or you contact them) invite them to come view the property, this will also give you the opportunity to sit down, have a drink and try to suss them out and find out what their interests are to see whether you will get on with them.

Some may not have a clue what to ask when “Interviewing” someone to see if they will fit in a household, but some good starters, just to get a conversation going could include finding out:

• Are they a clean and tidy person or a bit scatty and untidy?
• Do they have any hobbies or interests?
• Do they have any strange or annoying habits?
• Do they like to go out on mad weekend benders?
• Do they plan to throw nay wild parties?
• Do they use drugs?
• What are their expectations of cleanliness in a home?
• What music do they like?
• Where do they work and what hours do they do?
• Will they be brining their partner over to say and if so, how often?
• Will they be willing to join in the cleaning?

This is by no means a definitive list, just some starters for ten!

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• you average to get only four hours sleep a night.
• your rubbish bin is overflowing but your bank account isn’t.
• you are personally keeping the local pizza / fast food take away in business.
• you wake up ten minutes before class.
• you wear the same jeans 13 days in a row (without washing them!).
• your breakfast consists of a can or bottle of coke on the way to class.
• it takes a shovel to find your bedroom floor.
• you’ll happily pick 10p off of the floor if you find it.
• get more sleep in lectures and seminars than in your bed.
• you can sleep through your housemates blaring stereo.
• you live in a room that is smaller than most caravans.
• you have a fine collection of Tesco, Asda or Morrison’s own brand beer.
• said beer cans make up a wall in your window sill.
• have you seen two consecutive sunrises without sleeping.
• you do your laundry only when you’ve run out of underwear.
• doing your hair consists of putting on a baseball cap.
• Rustler’s form part of a stable diet.
• you eat at the university’s cafeteria, even if the food is awful, but only because it’s cheap.

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Enjoy…

Putting Talc in your Flatmates Hair Dryer

Butter the Floor

Newspaper Room Prank

1,000 Balloons

;

These are just a couple of our favourite housemate pranks from last year.  Let us know what you think or if you have any other great (and funny) ideas!

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Sleeping in the Wrong Room

One drunken student living in halls of residence got the lift to the wrong floor (in fairness, most university halls do look very similar floor to floor) but they  went to what they though was their room only to be woken up in the morning by several individuals asking who they hell they were!

Apologising to the Dogs

After one too many drinks, a housemate decided to get into the dog cage with their beloved canines to be later found by a more sober roommate, apologising to the dogs for their being drunk.

Stair Surfing

A team of drunken housemates found that the best way to entertain themselves was by removing the legs of an ironing board and to use it to slide down the stairs, only for the fun to end prematurely when they went straight into the front and pretty much ruined it.

Wetting the Bed

One very intoxicated flatmate, was sharing their single bed with their girlfriend only to be woken a few hours later by their girlfriend punching them to wake them up.  The poor culprit had passed out and wet themselves, their girlfriend and the bed… nice!

Brought Home Traffic Cones, Road Signs

Not to sure if this is exempt to housemates, but there have been many incidents of people walking home from the nightclub and picked up some souvenirs en route, namely traffic cones and roads signs, only for other housemates to wake up in the morning to find their house decorated like a road works site.

Large Water Bombs

One considerate roommate in halls decided to fill bin liners with water and throw them out of their window on other drunks walking past, nothing like a cold shower to sober you up!

Called an Ex

Needs no explaining, we’ve all been there!

Anything Round’s a Toilet

Rubbish bins, laundry baskets… they’ve been mistaken for urinals by many a housemate.

Snorting… Absinthe

A group of flatmates decided to have a party, nothing unusual here until they got out the Absinthe and decided to start snorting it.

Drunk Cinema Antics

A group of housemates thought that it would be nice to go out together to the cinema, however one over indulged with the alcohol in a nearby bar before they went into the cinema.  Whilst they were in there, this unfortunate housemate fell asleep, only to wake up (well, still in a daze) during the film and walked down a few rows and began pushing the wall as if it were a door, much to the amusement of those in the cinema.

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Cleaning Costs

In your tenancy agreement it may ask that the curtains and carpet are cleaned to a specific standard prior to you moving out, this doesn’t mean that you have to pay over the odds to have them cleaned as it takes into account general wear and tear, but if there are in a mess the landlord has the right to get them cleaned themselves and the bill can be deducted from the deposit.

Damages to Content or Property

Any damage to the property or its contents will have to be paid for or replaced by you.  If you break an old TV you don’t have to replace it with a brand new flat screen – just with a product with similar features and cost.  Once again, you can account for general wear and tear on items if it applies to such as sofas and beds.

When you move in you are best to go through the property with the landlord and create an inventory and the condition the items are in, this way you can review that when you move out to make sure everything is there and in the same condition.

Unpaid Rent

If you decide to skip the last month’s rent the landlord is within their rights to take it from the deposit, if the amount does not cover the rent then you could be taken to court and pay the outstanding fees plus any other costs this process incurs.

From 6 April 2007, all deposits (for rent up to £25,000 per annum) taken by landlords and letting agents for Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England and Wales, must be protected by a Tenancy Deposit Scheme.

What is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme?

Tenancy Deposit Protection is designed to ensure:

• you get all or part of your deposit back, when you are entitled to it.
• any disputes between you and your landlord or agent will be easier to resolve.
• landlords and letting agents who do not protect tenancy deposits will have to pay their tenant back three times the deposit.

How Does it Work?

At the beginning of a new tenancy agreement, pay your deposit to your landlord or agent as usual.

Within 14 days, the landlord or agent is required to give you details about how your deposit is protected including:

• the contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme.
• how to apply for the release of the deposit.
• information explaining the purpose of the deposit.
• what to do if there is a dispute about the deposit.

If you don’t get this information, ask your landlord or agent the simple question – ‘how is my deposit protected?’

You have a responsibility to return the property in the same condition that it was let to you, allowing for fair wear and tear.

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