Rumours are circulating that lockdown measures may be relaxed on Monday (11th May), if not then it appears change is afoot sooner rather than later. This could be an opportunity for many to start sorting out your student accommodation. Rent and other associated costs have caused stress for many as maintenance loans don’t cover the cost of rent and there is limited opportunity to find casual work. We have put together a few steps which you will find helpful in protecting your deposit and reducing stress.
Move out
If you’re no longer living at university and haven’t had the opportunity to move out yet make sure you do so at the earliest opportunity. There is a chance there could be several rolling lockdowns if cases of COVID-19 spike again and you don’t want to be caught out if it occurs during the last few weeks of your contract. Aside from moving out, you may be able to negotiate decreased rent or end your contract early if the property is empty.
Clean
Don’t forget that if you move out early you still need to clean your house. As this is an unusual situation there is a worry that some students will forget that there are still contractual obligations to fulfil. You still need to perform all your commitments if you intend to recover your deposit in full, especially as every penny counts in times like this with the uncertainty about summer work. Many will have already been clamping down on expenses. Remember if you are moving out early and you are responsible for the maintenance of the garden then there could be some extra details to work out. If you are unable to terminate your contract early, then talk to your landlord to see if they could take over maintenance once your house is empty. Make sure you bring it up to the necessary standard before you leave and try and iron out the details before you complete your move-out. For more cleaning help check out our Chronological Cleaning Checklist post.
Inventory
Check-out inventories are often forgotten about in normal times, but they are important. Make sure you organise for your landlord to complete one with you before you leave. This will save a lot of disagreements with your landlord after you have vacated the property and save losing your deposit. Inventories should cover the condition of the property and all items within it, not just furniture and other items the landlord owns. Take a look at our sample checklist, which can be found at the end of this post.
Hardship Funds
If you are struggling to cover rent and general life, many universities have set up hardship funds that can help you. Generally, these are small grants that can help cover some of your costs. You should find more information on how to apply on your university website and general eligibility and requirements on the government site here.
The Office for Students
The Office for Students has completed a study addressing some of the issues facing students with regards to accommodation. They include examples of how different universities are addressing these issues. I recommend checking out the site and seeing how your university compares, it may worth referring your student’s union rep to have a look at their article.
Extra Support
This section is relevant to student housing in particular, but we want to provide you with as much information as we can to help your student experience.
Mental Health
If you’re struggling with mental health at the moment check out Student Minds. They provide support for your mental health and have created a COVID-19 specific page that should help answer many of your questions.
BBC Bitesize- COVID-19 Facts
Many of you may remember using BBC Bitesize when you were younger, and you may find it surprising that they offer some of the easiest digestible information on Coronavirus. If you’re like us and have spent the past few months overwhelmed by the amount of constant information bombarded by the media, BBC Bitesize offers clear, easy to understand info.
General Information and FAQs
UCAS has set up an FAQs page for students that you should have a look at. They have some useful information that may help answer some questions. We particularly recommend anyone considering a postgraduate degree to have a look. You can find it here.
We hope you find this post helpful, more general information can be found at the Office for Students. When it comes to accommodation help, we want to be your first port of call. Remember that you can always get in touch directly with us or use our forum. We are here to assist you! Stay safe and healthy.
Share Your Thoughts. Join The Conversation Below!