MOVING IN TIPS
TAKE METER READINGS
It's easy to forget this, but take a meter reading for your gas and electricity when you move in. You can then pass this on to the suppliers to ensure you aren't charged for the previous occupants' usage.
If you have the cost of the bills included in your rent payment, the landlord will either keep the utility bills in their name and pay them on your behalf or request that the bills are put in the tenants’ names and the paper bills be passed to the landlord for payment.
Either way, it’s important that you keep track of how much fuel you are using. We recommend you take meter readings on a monthly basis. You may want to supply this information to the energy supplier and landlord to ensure that the bills are not estimated. Energy providers usually over-estimate usage, so you could end up paying more than what you should.
KNOW WHERE THE STOPCOCK IS
Your mains water tap (stopcock) is the off-switch for all the water in your home. Hopefully you'll never need to use it but if you don't know where it is and a pipe bursts, you'll be powerless to stop it flooding your home.
If you don't know where yours is, check NOW. It could be under the kitchen sink, by the boiler, in the airing cupboard or elsewhere in the property. If you don't know where it is, ask your landlord to show you.
CHECK THE INVENTORY
When you move into the property make an inventory/condition report of all the furniture and the condition of all the fixtures and fittings. The landlord/agent may provide a pro forma for this. You should do this even if the landlord does not request an inventory.
We also recommend that you take dated photographs of any disrepair or damage, however minor you might consider it to be. We recommend that you sign the inventory and email or post this to the landlord/agent. This will mean that there is a written record of the landlord being informed of the condition of the property at the very beginning of the tenancy.
Towards the end of the tenancy you should arrange for the landlord to inspect the property or alternatively if this is not possible complete another inventory/condition report and send this to the landlord again.
CONTENTS INSURANCE
It's important to have contents insurance in place for when you move into your new property to ensure that your possessions are protected. Here's a handy guide from comparethemarket.com which explains what contents insurance is, what it covers and what to look for when purchasing a policy. Check whether or not you are already covered first by your landlord or your parents.
BOILER AND APPLIANCE MANUALS
Check to see if the landlord has provided manuals for the use of the boiler and other appliances as it’s important that you know how to use them correctly to prevent damage. If not, request them from the landlord or download them from the internet.
CHECK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT BINS
It's important to keep on top of household waste. Bins need to be put out at the right time and place and stored away between collection days to ensure they don't get lost or stolen. Check on the Birmingham City Council Website for further information
TV LICENCE
As a student, you must be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service, such as All4, Sky Go and YouTube, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer.
This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.
A TV Licence costs £159 a year
You can pay in one go, or spread the cost weekly, monthly or quarterly. You can buy and manage your licence online. And if you don’t need your licence for a full 12 months, you could apply for a refund.
If there’s a joint tenancy agreement for the whole house, you may only need one licence. However, you may need your own licence if your accommodation is self-contained – i.e. you have exclusive access to washing facilities or you have your own entrance to the property.
If you have an individual tenancy agreement for your room, you’ll need to be covered by a separate licence.
Usually you'll have to organise this yourself (or between yourselves if in a shared house). But speak to the landlord first, as they may already have a licence for the property.
Click Students and TV Licences for further info.
For money saving tips: Money Saving Expert - Do I need a TV licence?