Supporting Young Adults:
Finding Accommodation
See also: Parenting Young Adults and the Empty Nest
One of the biggest aspects of your young adult children leaving home is that they will need to find somewhere to live. That is likely to mean renting a property or a room in a property. For young people going to college or university, that may be in a hall of residence or dorm. For others, it will probably mean a private landlord.
One element of the support that you may need to provide when your child leaves home is therefore helping them to navigate the process of finding and securing accommodation. This page explains more about how you might need to help.
Getting Started…
Before you or your young adult child start looking for properties to rent, there are a few things that you should do. These include:
Know the law about renting
It is really important that you and your young adult know the law in relation to renting and tenancies in your jurisdiction. For example:
What information do landlords have to provide before the start of the tenancy? In England and Wales, this includes the tenancy agreement, a gas safety certificate, Energy Performance Certificate and confirmation that there has been a full electrical inspection within the last five years.
What fees can agents or landlords charge to set up a tenancy? In the UK, it is illegal to charge a fee for a viewing, or for setting up a tenancy. Landlords and agents can charge a fee to reserve a property, but it must be refundable, and no more than one month’s rent. Before you pay anything, check that the charge is legal.
Does your young adult have the right to rent? Some people do not have the right to rent property in certain countries, so it is worth checking your situation beforehand. The landlord may also want to see proof that you are allowed to rent, or that your child will be able to afford the rent. This might include a letter from their employer. You may be asked for practical support in the form of acting as guarantors for rent.
What is the law in relation to landlords and agents? Do they have to be registered, or are there voluntary schemes in place for reputable landlords and agents? Check this out, and ensure that your young adult is renting from a reputable person.
It is also worth knowing the law in relation to rental properties and what they should contain. In the UK at least, there are various requirements set out in law about the safety of rental properties. For example, properties must be ‘fit for human habitation’, which means they must be safe to live in, and not have any hazards that could cause serious harm. They must also have carbon monoxide detectors where there are fixed combustion appliances, and smoke detectors on every floor used as living accommodation.
Where to find more…
The best place to look for information about the law on renting is government websites. For example, in the UK, information is available about renting in England from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent/how-to-rent-the-checklist-for-renting-in-england.
Work out the rental budget
One of the biggest and most important questions is the budget for rent.
The UK government website advises that most people cannot afford more than 35% of monthly take-home pay as rent. However, it is also important to consider the cost of bills and whether they are included in the rent, and the general cost of living in the area. This will help you to make a general assessment of affordability. Our budgeting skills page can help you and your young adult work through the numbers together.
Remember that a tenancy agreement will commit your young adult to paying rent for at least 6 months. You need to be confident that they will be able to afford it without starving—or, more likely, asking you for additional money.
You also need to consider the deposit and how they will pay that.
Deposits are usually a month’s rent, although they can be up to five or six weeks’ worth. You are required to pay them in advance against any damage to the property during the tenancy. Provided you keep the property in good condition, which includes reporting any problems that could cause damage such as leaks, then your deposit will be refundable at the end of a tenancy. In the UK, landlords are legally obliged to protect deposits for return.
Once you have decided what you can afford, stick to your budget.
If you can’t find anything nice within your budget, it can be tempting to stretch a bit further. Resist the temptation. It is better to try to a different area, rather than overstretch yourself financially. However, you clearly need to be realistic about your budget too, and not go too cheap.
Decide where to look
The next issue is to settle on a likely location. That doesn’t just mean what city or town—which, after all, is likely to be determined by where you are working or studying. You also need to consider likely areas within that city or town. Factors to consider include:
Cost. Different areas will have different average rental costs, depending on the size of houses, the relative ‘niceness’ of the area, and the demand for rentals. You may like the look of one area, but your budget may not permit you to live there.
Commute. Consider how you will get where you need to be (work or college). If you are going to walk or cycle, you will need to look within a reasonable distance. You probably won’t want to walk more than about 15 minutes. If you are going to use public transport, consider the distance to the bus stop or train station, and the frequency of buses or trains.
Availability. Are there suitable rental properties or rooms available in that area, particularly within your budget?
Safety. You need to consider what the area is like. Will you feel safe walking home at night? Will you be able to sleep or is there a lot of night-time noise? Spend time walking around the local area to get a feel for what it is like at various times of day and night before you make a final decision.
Facilities. Consider whether the area has the facilities that you want within easy reach. This is particularly important when you first leave home, especially if you don’t have a car, because you will need to walk or cycle everywhere. You don’t want to be walking miles with bags of shopping, and you certainly don’t want a ten-mile hike just to buy a pint of milk.
Friends. Where do other people in your situation live? For universities, ask where first-year students tend to live. For degree apprentices or starting a job, ask where the majority of people live when they first start. You want some kind of social life—and that means being relatively near other people like you.
Work out your wants and needs from a property
The next step is to help your young adult work out what exactly they need from a rental property, and then what they would like to have.
For example, they might need a secure space to store a bike, furniture, and a lockable room. They might also require kitchen space so they can cook and store food. It is also reasonable to point out that they will need somewhere that will be safe and secure, where they will not be afraid to go out at night, and that is comfortable to live. They don’t want to be living in a damp, mouldy basement, because that is not healthy. These things are essential, and you should not compromise on them.
They might want a double room, a shower and a bath (not one or the other), outside space and a nice view. All those would be nice to have. However, if one or more of those items are not available in an otherwise reasonable property, compromise is possible.
Looking at properties
Preliminaries over, the next step is to find some suitable properties to go and inspect.
It may well be worth going to look with your young adult, because two sets of eyes are better than one. You also probably have more experience of looking at properties for potential problems, and sizing up landlords.
Try to look at several properties in different locations, to give you a better feel for the rental market in the area.
Top tip! Be on time for viewings
Remind your young adult that they are being assessed from their first contact with a potential landlord. The landlord will take into account how they spoke, looked and behaved, as part of the decision about whether to rent to them or not. It is always a good idea to be on time or early for viewings—or at the very least to let your contact know that you are running late.
With each property, check for the legal aspects such as the size of the deposit, and whether it is protected. Ask landlords about gas safety certificates and similar, because they should be available to view. Check the length of the tenancy, and what you will be allowed to do. For example, can you put up pictures or paint the walls? Can you keep pets? What are the arrangements for rubbish and recycling?
Check that the property looks safe and secure. Look at locks, window locks, and fittings like the boiler or water heater. Do they look reasonably new and functional? Are there any obvious hazards that could be an issue, for example, if someone is drunk?
It is also worth asking about what happens in the event of a disaster such as fire or flooding. Make sure that your tenancy agreement says that you are not liable for rent, and ask whether your landlord is responsible for paying for a hotel for a few days if the property is not habitable. Check the flood risk using government data if possible. You might also want to think through financial contingency planning so that your young adult has a plan if something goes wrong.
Check that you are happy with the fixtures and fittings. What will be available, and what might you need to supply or buy? Are you allowed to add furniture? Once your young adult has moved in, it is unlikely that the landlord will add more furniture, so make sure that they (and you) are happy with what is available or what they can add.
Finally, especially if you are viewing through an agent, make sure you know the landlord, and how to get hold of them. In England and Wales, you are legally required to be given a name and address where you can write to the landlord and serve them a notice (for example, that you are leaving at the end of a fixed-term tenancy). You also need to know that the landlord is allowed to let the property. If they are sub-letting, make sure that the owner of the property is aware of that, and it is permitted. If possible, speak to the owner yourself. Landlords who own property should show you that the mortgage company is aware and has agreed to the property being let.
In Conclusion...
There is much to consider when looking for somewhere to live.
Parents are likely to play a key role in helping their young adult children to understand what they need to know, and also what to look for in a rental property. This page provides information about what you might need to advise them about.