Life in your New Home
Your responsibilities
Moving into a new flat can be so exciting! It is also important that you are aware of your responsibilities to make sure that everyone is living their best lives!
It is your responsibility to:
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Alert your landlord/letting agency of any issues in the flat
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Test the fire alarm (and tell your landlord immediately if it doesn't work)
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Make sure that furniture, curtains and carpets are maintained to the condition they were provided in.
Your letting agent/landlord’s responsibilities
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Informing you of any changes being made
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Provide reasonable notice before inspections
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Regularly test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
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Provide an EPC; Energy Performance Certificate with a rating of E or above.
Your new family
Living in a flat can be a bit like living with your family - you may not get along all the time and that’s completely fine. It is important that you make the effort to be a good flatmate. This means not having a house party when you know they’ve got an exam the next day, appreciating personal space and understanding that sometimes they just don’t want you to use their milk.
Let your flatmates know what they do that you don’t appreciate, however don’t let it cause a wedge in your friendships! No-one wants a passive-aggressive flatmate. Everyone has different living habits. More information and advice can be found here.
Being a responsible neighbour
Even though you don’t live with them, it's important to consider the people you live around. If you’re going to have a loud party, try letting your neighbours know ahead of time. If you live above someone try to refrain from jumping or moving furniture across the floor. Be mindful about the noise you make, especially late at night. You might be living amongst young professionals and families who really need their rest. You don’t need to be best friends with your neighbour (though it would be great) but you need to understand that they live there as well!
To stay or not to stay?
Usually, you’ll live in one flat for at least one academic year (though nothing’s stopping you from leaving before). But maybe the flat’s not right for you or you’d rather live with other people.
This is a very important conversation to have with your flatmates. It can be very easy to assume that everyone agrees with you or has the same thoughts as you when they’re not, in order to avoid heartbreak and disappointment, a good discussion should be had!
You’d need to discuss if you’d like to live with each other again, if you’d like to remain at the flat you’re currently in and if you’d mind paying the rent increase (should there be one).
Alternatively, it might have been the perfect flat with the perfect flatmates. If you want to keep staying in the same flat, you shouldn’t have to tell your landlord that you’re staying (due to the new tenancy laws) but it’s courteous to tell them if they ask.