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Cars

Cleaning

It is your responsibility to keep your room and the common areas of the house clean. Many students lose money from charges as a result of not cleaning regularly.

In communal kitchens you should:

• do your own washing up
• clean the sinks and kitchen surfaces
• clean grill pans after every use
• not leave food lying around
• not let the rubbish or recycling bins overflow
• defrost fridges and freezers at least once per term.

In shared bathrooms:

• clean the bath and shower after using them
• always make sure the shower curtain is tucked inside the bath.

Communal living

Your neighbours are likely to have a different lifestyle to you. They may be elderly, for example, or families with young children. It's important to be considerate to your neighbours, as well as the people you live with.

You should limit any excessive noise, particularly after 11pm. If you are thinking about arranging a party, it's best to be courteous and consult your neighbours before making any plans. Complaints about noise are taken very seriously and will be investigated.

Be considerate of other residents in your house to avoid unnecessary friction between housemates.

Condensation

Cooking, taking baths and drying clothes indoors can create a lot of moisture. If this moisture can’t escape it will build up and condense on the walls, windows and other surfaces in cold weather.

Condensation that does not dry out causes mould, mildew and rot. To avoid this it is very important you heat and ventilate the property.

To help prevent condensation:

• Use extractor fans whenever necessary
• If you are drying washing inside, make sure a window is open
• Use a washing line to hang washing if there is one provided.

• After showering or bathing, open the window for half an hour
• Leave bedroom doors open – this allows air to move freely around the house
• Leave a gap between the walls and furniture to allow air to circulate
• Open a window or switch on the fan if you are cooking or washing up.

During the cold winter months, heating your house is essential to prevent a build-up of condensation.

If black mould forms, this is an indication of a problem with condensation and you should follow the above advice closely. If you allow the problem to get worse then it is highly likely that you’ll be charged for the cost of redecoration.

Council tax

Doctors

Electoral register

Electrical appliances

There is no legal requirement for a landlord to have an electrical safety certificate, but make sure to ask when considering or moving in to a property. The certificate will give you peace of mind that the electrical appliances in the property have been checked and are safe.

In most properties you will be supplied with the basic appliances. It is your responsibility to look after them, so make sure you know where the manuals are in case of a problem. Ask your landlord if you cannot find them.

Make sure that any of your own appliances are in good working order and do not pose any fire hazard.

Don’t plug in too many appliances at once. It's best to use four-way oblong extension leads with neon indication and an in-line fuse rated at five amps. Avoid using cubic adaptors and coiled extension leads.

Emergencies

Fire safety

Check that there are smoke detectors in the property and test them regularly. The best kind is wired into the mains electricity, but battery-operated is preferable to none.

If there are fire blankets and fire extinguishers in the property, check that they are in date and haven’t been used.

A carbon monoxide detector is essential to alert you to the possible presence of carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas and is virtually undetectable without technology.

Make sure that all the furniture in the property is fire resistant – check the labels on sofas, mattresses and other fabric or foam items.

For your own safety:

• Don’t cover or interfere with heat/smoke detectors
• Don’t use candles, joss sticks, tea lights, electric bar fires, fan heaters, oil lamps or fireworks in the house
• Don’t use chip pans
• Only use gas grills with the oven door open. If you close the door while the grill is in use, you will cause a build-up of carbon monoxide
• Take care when cooking with a wok or frying pan and when using the grill
• Keep all equipment clean so that it does not create unnecessary smoke and activate the fire alarms
• Don’t overload electrical circuits
• Be aware of fire escape routes and avoid blocking hallways with bicycles or other items.

Gas

Laundry

Washing machine

Make sure you empty all pockets before putting items of clothing in the washing machine and take care not to overload the machine. It’s also important to clean the filter regularly; see the instruction booklet on how to do this.

Tumble dryer

The filter will need to be cleaned off fluff regularly. Check the manual for instructions on how to do this. When drying washing inside, make sure you open a window and use the washing line if there is one.

Pets

Posters

Repairs and maintenance

At some point you may have issues with disrepair in your accommodation. It’s important to understand your responsibilities as well as those of your landlord. These will be outlined in your tenancy agreement.

You will be responsible for:

• not mistreating the property in any way 
• minor repairs such as changing light bulbs, unblocking the sink and cleaning the property
• maintaining the garden (check with your landlord)
• reporting repairs promptly to the landlord or their agent.

If you have an assured shorthold tenancy your landlord will normally be responsible for:

• the structure and exterior of the building, including the roof and guttering
• installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity
• fixed heaters and water heating equipment

Make any repair request in writing and keep a copy of the letter or email for your own records. Call them if it is an emergency and follow any phone calls with a letter or email.

If your landlord fails to respond to reasonable requests for repairs then you should contact your local council's private sector housing department for support:

Rubbish and recycling

It is important to put rubbish out on the right day. Leaving it on the street runs the risk of it attracting animals and birds that can rip open bags and spread the contents over the street. This is a health risk and will make you very unpopular with the neighbours.

You could face an on-the-spot fine if you put your rubbish out on the wrong day, do not properly contain it or do not recycle your waste.

You can find out your rubbish and recycling collection days on your local authority website:

Safety and security

Student houses are sometimes targeted by burglars so be vigilant. If you are burgled report it to both the police and your landlord straightaway. Ask the police for a crime reference number and keep this for future reference. If you have contents insurance you will need this reference to make a claim.

Use common sense and try to keep keys and valuables out of sight as much as possible.

Make sure all the windows and doors are locked before you leave the property. Some windows can be left locked when they are slightly open, allowing for ventilation while still providing security.

Make a note of serial numbers and model numbers of electronic goods. Visit Sussex Police for more

Smoking

Subletting

Transport

TV licence

Utilities

You are responsible for paying for utilities such as gas, electricity and water. You must set up an account with each supplier. Standing telephone line rental and broadband charges are included in the rent.

It’s a good idea to know where the master switches are located for the gas and electricity and the stop cock for the water. You might need them if there is a leak or electrical fault. Details will usually be in your inventory.