Despite Lancaster again being Britain’s safest student city in which to live, and with all the various statutory HMO regulations in place, you still need to check prospective houses are safe and suitable for you. Here is a house-hunting checklist to help you decide if a house or flat is right for you and more importantly, safe and secure.

What’s the rent charge and what services are included:

LUSU includes a number of services within our standard weekly rents. It’s important therefore to check by asking your landlord/lady what services the rent includes.

For example, our LUSU Lets shared household rents include:

* Gas
* Electric
* Water
* Telephone package
* Wireless broadband
* Contents insurance
* 24/7 365 days a year boiler, electrics, drainage and plumbing cover . . .
Contractual Arrangements

The cost of your accommodation will also vary depending on the length of lease. On campus the standard UG lease is just 40 weeks with a £190 deposit, while some private landlords charge for 50 weeks. Others ask for a retainer up front and parental guarantors.

With LUSU Housing there is:

• NO deposit
• NO retainer
• A standard 44 week lease
• NO requirement for your parents to act as a guarantor

In conjunction with the services provided, there hidden costs can really add up so ensure you know what you are committing yourselves to.

Before signing any lease make sure you have had an opportunity to read the contract and ask questions. Don’t feel hassled into signing for something you are unsure of.

What should you check:

External Features

A visual inspection of the exterior of the property is always useful. Look for the following:

* Slipped or broken tiles
* Rotten timber (especially the window frames and doors)
* Broken guttering
* Crumbling or cracked walls
* Adequate storage space for rubbish
* Whether the property has a yard or garden – if so, ask who will be responsible for its maintenance

Internal features

There are a number of questions that you need to ask either yourself or the landlord/agent when visiting a property. These include:

* How many bedrooms are there in the property?
* How many communal rooms?
* Are there enough facilities being provided for the number of people who will be sharing the house?
* Is the furniture in a good state of repair?
* How is the property heated (eg. gas central heating is usually the most energy efficient system) ?
* Does the fridge, cooker etc. work properly?
* Is the house free of damp and/or mould?

Safety and security features

In addition to checking for yourself that the contents that are provided are sufficient and in working order, it’s vital that you ask questions to the landlord/agent about the safety and security of the property. You should back up your questions by looking carefully for certain features yourself, and if in doubt, seek some independent advice. The following questions are essential:

* Does the landlord possess a current gas safety certificate for all the gas appliances in the property ?
* Can the landlord prove that a Gas Safe registered engineer carried out the inspection?
* Have you checked to see that all gas appliances within the property have been included, and passed as being safe, on the gas safety certificate?
* Did the inspection take place within the last twelve months?
* Is there any fire detection equipment (eg smoke alarms) and does it work?
* If there was a fire, would you be able to escape using the main exits?
* Does the property have a current Periodic Electrial Certificate ?
* Are all plug sockets free from cracks or other damage?
* Does the soft furnishings have a label saying they are fire resistant ?
* Are there appriopriate locks on the windows ?

Location of the property

As well as looking at the property itself, NUS recommends that you also consider where the property is situated and ask yourselves the following questions:

* How easy is it for you to catch a bus to university ?
* Do you have any local shops, pubs or any other amenties nearby that you would like to use ?
* Would you feel safe walking in the area at night?

If you have any concerns about a property and/or the landlord’s management of the tenancy, it is in your interests not to sign a contract until they are resolved. You may wish contact Lancaster City Council’s Strategic Housing department, Tel: 01524 582000 if you view a property that looks to be unsafe or meet a landlord that appears to acting in an inappropriate manner.

This action may prevent someone else from signing a lease for an unsafe property/landlord and can help raise standards across the city.