Supporting Young Adults with
Living in Rented Accommodation
See also: Top Tips for Saving Money
When your young adult children leave home, they will need to find somewhere to live. For young people going to college or university, that may be in a hall of residence or dorm. However, for others, it is likely to be mean finding a room in a shared property, or possibly a whole flat or house, to rent from a private landlord.
Helping your child to find a suitable place to live is covered in our page on Supporting Young Adults: Finding Accommodation. This page explains how you can help them to understand the ‘ins and outs’ of tenancy agreements, and provide advice on how to deal with landlords. It covers the whole process from moving in to moving out. It also explains more about rights and responsibilities, just in case something goes wrong.
Signing Up: Tenancy Agreements and Inventories
Once you have decided on a property, you will need to sign a tenancy agreement and pay a deposit.
Before you sign anything, you should always read your tenancy agreement carefully, and make sure that you are happy with all the terms. These agreements are fairly standard, but it may be possible to vary some of the terms if you are not comfortable with them. It is certainly worth asking.
Check whether you or the landlord will be responsible for bills such as water, gas and electricity. If it is the landlord, are their limits on your use, such as a maximum temperature for the heating?
You should be given an inventory of everything in the house.
Go round the house, and check that it is accurate. If there is anything missing, mark it on your copy of the inventory. Once you have finished that process, sign the amended version, keep a copy and send the original signed version back to your landlord or agent. It is also a good idea to take photos of everything when you move in, to avoid any disputes about the state of the property. It is particularly important to document any existing damage such as marks on the carpet, or cracks in the walls.
Before you move in, the landlord should provide you with copies of various pieces of paperwork. In the UK, these include:
In England, a copy of the government’s guide ‘How to rent: the checklist for renting in England’;
A gas safety certificate;
Paperwork to show how your deposit is being protected, and to explain how you can get your money back at the end of the tenancy;
The energy performance certificate for the property;
A report on the property’s electrical installations; and
Evidence that the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Tenants are expected to check them periodically.
Don’t forget the utilities…
It is worth reminding your young adult about ensuring that the utilities are connected, and putting the bills in the correct name. They should also take a meter reading when they move in, just in case there is any dispute about the timing of the move.
Once You Move In: The Landlord’s Responsibilities
Once you have moved in, the landlord still has responsibilities.
For example, they have to ensure that the house remains safe to live in, and deal with any problems that arise with the furniture and fittings provided, or the water, gas and electricity supply. They also have to arrange for annual gas safety checks and five-yearly electrical checks to be carried out.
The landlord should give you at least 24 hours’ notice of their intention to visit the property for repairs or to carry out any inspections. However, if you are on good terms with your landlord, you may be prepared to waive this if it is convenient for you both—especially if you have a problem that you want addressed rapidly.
The Tenant’s Responsibilities
So far, this page has mainly talked about the landlord’s responsibilities.
However, it is worth remembering—and reminding your young adult child—that tenants also have responsibilities.
These include:
Paying the rent on time. This is essential, because all tenants’ rights stem from this. If you are having trouble paying the rent, it is always worth talking to your landlord. It is certainly better to do so than simply not pay.
Paying other bills on time. If you are liable for bills like utilities and council tax, it is your responsibility to pay them on time.
Take care of the property. Always report any issues to the landlord, especially if they are likely to cause damage to the property. Own up to any damage you have done, and be prepared to pay for it. Always ask before doing any repairs or DIY, including painting.
Get your own contents insurance. The landlord will probably have some insurance, but it will only cover the furniture and items on the inventory, not the property of any tenants.
Be considerate to the neighbours. Loud parties, rudeness and other anti-social behaviour could easily get you evicted, especially if your landlord lives locally and is known to your neighbours.
Don’t sublet without permission. If you want to take in a lodger or sublet your room while you are away, make sure you have your landlord’s permission in writing. This also applies to your partner moving in on a more-or-less permanent basis. It is a good idea to make sure that your flatmates have also agreed to this before you ask.
Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms regularly. You should do this at least once a month, and report any problems to your landlord.
Dealing with Your Landlord: Being a Good Tenant
Generally speaking, if you do the things on this list, and are courteous and polite to your landlord, you are likely to be viewed as a model tenant.
However, there are always going to be things to iron out at the start of a tenancy, especially if the property has not been rented out before.
The key to raising issues is to be polite but clear about what needs to happen.
Your landlord should always be your first port of call for any problems—and that includes any difficulties that you might have with paying your rent.
If you really can’t resolve issues with your landlord, you may be able to get help from organisations like your local council, or charities such as Shelter in the UK, which specialise in housing issues.
The End of the Tenancy
Tenancies generally have a fixed term period. In the UK, that is usually 6 to 12 months. At the end of that period, you can either move out, agree a new fixed term tenancy, or allow the old tenancy to roll over.
There are implications to all of these.
Moving out can be your decision or your landlord’s decision. Your landlord needs to give you notice that you are expected to move out, even if the tenancy agreement is coming to an end. The amount of notice depends on what is written in the tenancy agreement, but it is usually one or two months. You also need to tell the landlord if you want to move out—and again, the notice period is set out in the tenancy agreement.
Don’t assume, check
Your young adult may assume that they can simply move out at the end of the tenancy agreement. Make sure that they know that they have to give notice—and they might actually be required to give notice on top of the duration of the tenancy agreement (that is, that they might not be able to give notice until the tenancy agreement has ended, meaning that they won’t be able to move out for a further period after that date).
If you agree a new fixed term agreement, the landlord may want to put up the rent. This is not wholly unreasonable, especially if their mortgage rate has gone up. You can always try to negotiate, but it is worth considering whether you are paying market rent and if your rent increase is in line with inflation.
If you let the tenancy roll over, then the notice period will usually be your rental period (that is, if you pay rent each month, you or the landlord will have to give a month’s rent). The rent will stay the same. This option gives both you and the landlord more flexibility to end the tenancy at relatively short notice.
Moving Out
Moving out requires a similar level of paperwork and procedures as moving in.
Some of the things that you need to do beyond giving your landlord notice include:
Make sure that your rent is paid up to the last date. Don’t be tempted to withhold the last month’s rent against the deposit, unless you have agreed that in advance with your landlord.
Inform the utility companies if you are the bill payer. You will also need to take meter readings on your last day in the property, and report those to the providers.
Clean the property before you leave. It should be in the same state as when you arrived. Get rid of any rubbish, and remove all your belongings.
If possible, go through the inventory with the landlord before you leave, and be there for their inspection of the property. This will ensure that any missing items or damage can be discussed and resolved rapidly.
Return all the keys. This includes any extra sets that you may have got cut, with or without the landlord’s agreement. You don’t want to be charged for changing the locks.
Top tip! Have a few cleaning essentials handy during landlord inspections
Even if you have already moved out when the landlord inspects, it is a good idea to have some cleaning essentials handy. A cloth, some spray cleaner and a duster will mean that if there is anything that the landlord deems dirty, you can quickly clean it on the spot. This will avoid them needing to call in a cleaner—and charging you.
In Conclusion...
Renting a property is a legal contract between tenant and landlord.
It is therefore bound by the law in most countries. This provides safeguards for both parties to the agreement, and sets out the responsibilities required of both.
However, renting is also an arrangement between two people. It is therefore worth building a good relationship with your landlord or letting agent, because that generally makes everything related to renting much easier.