Moving in?
Your deposit
How to do an inventory
Getting your property security checked
Repairs
Bin collection days
Getting rid of items left by previous tenants
Useful contacts
Being part of the community
SSHH campaign
Your Deposit
Within 14 days of receiving a deposit, your landlord/agent must:
Register it with a TDS Scheme (Tenancy Deposit Scheme)
Provide you with contact details of the TDS scheme
If your landlord doesn’t tell you which scheme your deposit is
being held in, contact the following organisations:
The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) 0870 707 1707
Tenancy Deposit Solutions Ltd (TDSL) 0871 703 0552
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) 0845 226 7837
If your landlord hasn’t protected your deposit, you may be
awarded financial compensation.
Get advice/information from RUSU Student Advice Team : 0118
378 4100, [email protected], or drop into the Hub.
Doing an Inventory
On the day you move in, you and the landlord/agent should complete an
inventory. This lists all the contents in the property and records their condition.
Note areas/items in poor condition or disrepair, and give details,
e.g.carpet stain, untidy front garden.
Include all furniture, inside and outside the house, and get signatures from
all tenants and the landlord once it has been completed.
Keep a copy of the inventory and take photos of existing damage (with a
date) to keep till the end of your tenancy.
Why?
The inventory and photos would be your evidence of the condition of the
property on the day you moved in, in the case of deposit disputes.
Sample inventories are available at www.rusu.co.uk/housing
Repairs
If your landlord/agent hasn’t completed repairs or replaced furniture as agreed when you signed
your contract, discuss it with them immediately.
If they do not sort it put within a fortnight, www.rusu.co.uk/housing or speak to a Student Advisor for an action plan to resolve the situation sooner rather than later (details as above.) Keep
copies of any written correspondence, these could be used as evidence later.
Checklist for moving in!

If you haven’t already got one, ask for a copy of your signed tenancy agreement/contract and receipts for any money paid to the landlord/agent.

Get keys for the property – front and back doors, windows and garage.

Complete and sign an inventory with your landlord/agent.

Take photos (with date) of property, particularly existing damage.

If any repairs need doing, inform your landlord/agent straight away.

Take and record readings from electricity/gas/water meters. Contact suppliers with new customer details and readings.

Arrange for bills to be placed in all the tenants’ names rather than just one
name. If this is not possible, arrange for every tenant to take responsibility
for a bill.

Buy a TV licence.

Arrange contents insurance for your belongings (excluding items already in
the house.)

Ask your landlord/agent:
How the heating/hot water works.
How window/door locks work.
Which day the rubbish is collected. Check you have sufficient bins.
For a copy of a valid CORGI gas safety certificate.
About fire precautions (situation of alarms/fire blanket).
Location of water stopcock and switches to turn of mains gas/electricity.
How each appliance works and relevant booklets.

Inform the University, Medical Centre and friends and family of your new
term time address.

Introduce yourselves to your neighbours (neighbours you have met are more
likely to keep an eye on the house during vacation, and less likely to complain about noise.)
Average Monthly Costs for a House
with Four Students
SERVICE
AVERAGE AMOUNT
PER MONTH
AVERAGE AMOUNT
PER PERSON PER MONTH
65.50
16.40
90
22.50
Water
39.25
9.80
Broadband (not including telephone)
16.98
4.24
Council Tax
0
0
TV licence
11.25
2.80
10
2.50
N/A
8
232.98
66.24
Gas
Electricity
Household Goods
(toilet paper, etc..)
Insurance (£3000
cover + laptop)
TOTAL
Figures taken from www.whatprice.co.uk
Paying household bills (see contact numbers on the back page)
Contact utility companies and provide meter readings and details of people responsible for
that bill
Ideally have all tenants’ names on the bill. If this isn’t possible, each tenant should take
responsibility for at least one bill each.
You should receive a welcome pack from the Gas / Electricity company. It will give details
on ways to pay bills. Most utility bills are sent out every 3 months.
Consider setting up a ‘household’ bank account to pay bills and organising monthly Direct
Debits to cover payments, or budget to pay bills on time.
Insure only your own possessions - not the Landlord’s.
Full-time students are exempt from Council Tax - contact the Council and tell them you are
a student.
For money or debt advice, visit the Money Doctor, part of the
RUSU Student Advice Team in the Hub, call 0118 378 4100
or email [email protected]
Bin and Recycling Collection Days:
Reading:
http://www.reading.gov.uk/communityandliving/wasteandrecycling/
Wokingham:
http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/waste/recyclingcollections/
You can also find out what can be recycled at these websites.
Disposing of Bulky Items left by previous tenants/landlord:
Ask your landlord to get them moved. If phoning doesn’t work, write to them to arrange a collection.
If this doesn’t work, seek advice from the RUSU Student Advisors.
For your information, or to arrange collection of your own bulky items:
Reading:
0800834035 to arrange a collection. The Council will remove up to 5 large household
items for £23.50 and between 6-10 items for £30.50. Phone before Friday to arrange a collection the
following Tuesday or Wednesday.
Wokingham:
Call SITA on 0800838878 who will give you a quote for removal
Safety Tips for your House

Sounds obvious, but always lock the back and front doors when the
house is unoccupied.

Lock the back and front door overnight (remove the key so that your
housemates can get in!) Know where your spare key is kept.


Use window locks.



If possible avoid leaving bikes in the front garden even if they are locked .



Make sure all exit doors are kept clear and check smoke detectors are working.
Fit net curtains or blinds to stop anyone looking into your property, and don’t have curtains
drawn permanently.
During the holidays take all your valuables home with you.
When you buy new items, such as laptops and TV’s, don’t advertise them by leaving the cardboard packaging outside by the bin.
Get home contents insurance and keep it up to date.
If your house still has an sign advertising it once you’ve moved in, ask the landlord/agent to remove it, (property signs alert burglars to it being a student property.)
For a free security check by the police call 0118 966 9120
Being Part of the Community
Would you like to know who your neighbours are? Sick of hearing students described as
lazy, noisy drunks?
A few ways to get involved in your local community, gain skills, and meet local residents:
Blooming Students
Could you and your housemates be ‘Blooming Students’? Brighten and tidy up your front
garden and compete with other student houses to win cash prizes.
Last year RUSU and the University gave out plant pots, bulbs and compost to get students
started on making front gardens look tidy and attractive. Loads of houses got involved, with
two of them receiving awards of £100 each from a local Estate Agent as Blooming Students
winners for having the best looking and most innovative student front gardens.
To sign up, email [email protected] with your names and address. Judging will take
place in the spring so there's plenty of time to plan a garden makeover! Ask your landlord
or agent to help by donating or lending tools or borrow a gardening kit from RUSU.
The winning gardens 2009/10
Community Reps
Are you interested in helping to improve the relationship between students and local residents? Passionate about living in a happy and safe community? If so, you should be a Community Rep! RUSU Community Reps attend local community meetings, get involved in campaigns and initiatives in the community and work with local groups and residents. Training
and ongoing support provided. Email [email protected] or call Adam Bailey, Volunteers Co-ordinator on 0118 378 4119 to get involved.
Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAG)
Why not join your local NAG? Meetings are held each month to tackle issues of concern to
everyone living in the neighbourhood, such as anti-social behaviour, parking and traffic
problems, and the local environment. Contact Ann Westgarth, UoR Community Relations
Manager to find out more. Email [email protected] or phone 0118 378 4479.
As you know, when you rent accommodation off-campus, you’ll be living
amongst permanent residents of the area, including families, people working, and residents who
may have had negative (and positive!) experiences of living next to students. A few tips on getting on with your neighbours…
Get to know your neighbours and be considerate of them - they may be elderly, have
young children or have to get up early each day. They can help keep an eye on your house
when you’re away, tell you where local shops are, and offer advice and support.
Keep noise down to a reasonable level, especially late at night when you’re going out or
coming in. If you plan to have a party, think about whether your house is a suitable venue,
discuss this with the neighbours beforehand, make every effort to keep noise down to reasonable levels and finish at an agreed time.
Avoid offensive behaviour - including shouting or drinking in the streets, urinating in gardens (including your own) and tasteless notes or posters in front windows. Remember that
being drunk is no excuse under the University's disciplinary codes or in local courts. East
Reading is a designated Alcohol Restriction Zone where drinking in the street is not allowed.
Respect neighbours’ property - particularly fences, walls, street furniture and parked cars
- any damage to these counts as criminal damage.
Consider others when parking - elderly or disabled neighbours, or those with babies or toddlers need to park outside their houses.
Help protect the quality of your neighbourhood - keep your garden and surrounding areas
tidy and free of rubbish. Run-down areas attract criminal activity and students are usually
the main victims.
If your neighbours are disruptive, ask them politely to stop, or seek advice from RUSU or
the Council, or if your neighbours are students, Ann Westgarth, UoR, 0118 378 4479.
Got any more tips for getting on with neighbours? Email them to [email protected]
The reputation of Reading students and the University is in your hands. Students often get a
bad press, even though most respect their neighbours.
University and RUSU disciplinary codes apply to students off-campus; in serious or persistent
cases of anti-social behaviour, the University will discipline, fine, suspend or expel students.
See Regulations for Conduct at http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/student/stdserv-home.aspx
If you observe or suffer from disruptive or criminal behaviour, contact the police, even if it is
after the event - it helps eradicate problems. Thames Valley Police 0845 8 505 505
Useful Contact Numbers
RUSU Student Advice Team
The Hub
Reading University Students’ Union
0118 378 4100
[email protected]
www.rusu.co.uk/housing
University of Reading
Ann Westgarth (Community Relations Manager)
Complaints from/about local residents
0118 378 4479
[email protected]
University of Reading Helpdesk
Carrington Building
0118 378 5555
Log onto RISIS web portal and go to helpdesk
Shelter Housing Advice Helpline
0808 800 4444
www.shelter.org.uk
National Union of Students (NUS)
www.nusonline.co.uk/info/housing/
Reading Borough Council
Housing Advice Team, Civic Centre.
0118 939 0089
www.reading.gov.uk/housing
Reading Council Environmental Health
0800 626 540
Reading Council HMO Licensing
0118 9390967
Wokingham Borough Council
0118 974 6029/6601
www.wokingham.gov.uk/housing
Wokingham Council Environmental Protection
0118 9746382/6765/6395
Wokingham Council HMO Licensing
0118 9746382/6765/6395
Corgi (Gas)
0870 401 2200
Gas emergency
0800 111 999
Electricity emergency
08457 708090
Thames Water emergency
0800 714 614
Thames Valley Police (non-emergency)
0845 850 5505
Household bills – Some useful numbers
Council Tax Office (Reading)
0118 939 0656
Council Tax Office (Wokingham)
0118 974 6022/6597
Southern Electric
0845 744 4555
British Gas - Electricity
- Gas
TV Licensing
0845 607 0616
0845 609 1122
0844 800 6790
Thames Valley Water
0845 9200 888