Housing

Housing Hub Living In Your Home

From agreeing how you'd like to live together, to setting up bills and maintaining your student house, explore this section for key information to support you while you're living in your home.

Living Together Top Tips

It's important that you and your housemates consider how you’d like to live together and what house rules you might want in place to help everyone get along.

Shared Items

Work out if you want to share the cost of food or if you will buy your own items.

Tea, coffee, milk and cleaning supplies are basic items that you may decide to share, but more expensive items you may like to keep separate. You’ll just need to make sure everyone understands what food is and isn’t for sharing.

Private Spaces

You’ll each have your own room and you should all communicate how you feel about people coming into that space.

Do your housemates need to knock first or would you prefer no one comes into your room? It’s important to communicate this from the beginning.

Security

Everyone has a responsibility to keep your new house safe. So, it's important to agree roles as a household. For example, you might like to agree that the last person in should check all doors are locked.

Agreeing these things early on will make things a lot easier going forward.

Visitors

How do you feel about guests coming into the house, or partners staying overnight?

It’s important to agree, but try to understand each other’s views on this. Maybe guests are allowed three nights a week? Setting these expectations will make things easier once you are living together.

Start As You Mean To Go On

When living with others it's important to consider how you will live together, any agreements you'd like to make with your flatmates when you move in and who will be responsible for what household tasks. To help out, take a look at the below Shared Living Agreement and Cleaning Rota templates, which you can print off and fill in to get started.

Wall Planner

Wall Planner

Printable Guild Wall Planner.

Download Small Planner
Download Large Planner
Flat Agreement

Flat Agreement

Printable Flat Agreement.

Download Flat Agreement

What To Set Up When You Move In

Inventory

At the start of your tenancy, make sure to complete an inventory of the furniture and the condition of all your house’s fixtures and fittings. If your landlord has not supplied one for you to fill in, produce your own! Make sure you sign and return a copy to your landlord within seven days so they know exactly what your house was like when you moved in.

Not sure how to begin? Start by noting:

  • Any missing or damaged items (if there are any scratches, marks or obvious stains and, if so, where).
  • If your cooker, fridge, freezer and other appliances are working correctly.
  • If your hot water and heating are working and whether your radiators, boiler or taps are leaking.

Remember to take dated photographs too as these will assist with getting your deposit back at the end of your tenancy.

Setting Up Bills

If your rent doesn’t include bills, then make sure you take meter readings for your electric and/or gas at the start of the tenancy and inform the utility supplier that you wish to open a new account.

It may be wise to take monthly meter readings and submit them to your utility provider to ensure you’re not overspending or being overcharged: estimates are often much higher than actual usage.

Broadband

There are several WIFI offers available specifically for students.

Make sure you compare prices, speeds and providers for the best deal.

Insurance

Although optional, we advise protecting your personal possessions, such as laptops and TVs, with an insurance plan. Trust us, if your laptop breaks or is stolen halfway through exam season, you’ll be thankful you did. You can explore several insurance offers specifically for students online.

Council Tax

Full-time students are exempt from Council Tax; however, it is your responsibility to confirm this with the Council. Simply complete their quick application form and make sure you provide your change of term-time address via the University’s online registration. Failure to do this could result in you receiving an unwanted Council Tax bill!

Council Tax is an annual charge on domestic dwellings (flat or house) made and collected by Local Authorities to contribute towards local public services such as fire, police, libraries, schools and rubbish collection.  

Only full-time registered students are exempt from paying Council Tax. Generally, you are classed as exempt whether you are a full-time student living in a property on your own, or with other full-time students. In these circumstances, your household would not pay any Council Tax.

Part-time students, or full-time students that share a property with part-time or non-students, will not normally receive a full exemption (but may be eligible for a reduction in Council Tax).

Applying for a Council Tax Exemption

If you live in a property that falls under Birmingham City Council, you will need to apply online for a student exemption. Only one member of the household is required to complete the application form.

The University of Birmingham have an agreement in place where they provide the council with a list detailing current registered students. This means that registered UOB students do not need to supply Birmingham City Council with a Student Certificate. It is important to check you have updated your details on your mybham portal.

Also, although only one member of the household is required to complete the application form, each member of the household has a duty to inform the University of their correct term-time address when completing your online registration or by checking your individual details on the mybham portal.

If you have any questions regarding Council Tax exemption, speak to Guild Advice, or contact Birmingham City Council directly on 0121 303 1113.

If you live outside of Birmingham please contact your local council. 

What information do I need to provide the council when applying for Council Tax exemption?

When completing your application, you will need to provide the following details:

  • The full address of your property
  • The full name of each student living in the property
  • The student ID numbers of all the students at the property
  • Course start and end dates for each student living in the property
  • Confirmation of full-time or part-time study 

Are International Students Living with their spouses & family exempt from paying Council Tax? 

Regardless of whether you are a Home or International student, if you fulfil the criteria of being a ‘full-time’ student, then you will be exempt from paying Council Tax.  

If the only other non-student in the property is your spouse (i.e. husband or wife) and/or an adult dependent, then the property will be exempt from Council Tax where the non-student is not a British Citizen, and the terms of their leave to enter or remain in the UK prevents them from either taking paid employment or from claiming benefits (public funds).

Are students in the Thesis Awaited Status exempt from paying Council Tax?  

For PhD students who have completed their research/taught phase of their course and have entered the “writing-up” or “thesis awaited” stage, there is a mixed picture across the country regarding liability. 

Those students who fall within the remit of Birmingham City Council and who have entered their writing-up stage, may be exempt from paying Council Tax for the duration of their writing-up stage. Please contact Birmingham City Council for further information.  

Are students on a Leave of Absence or Temporary Withdrawal exempt from paying Council Tax?  

Students who are granted a leave of absence but remain enrolled on their course will still be regarded as full-time students during this period of intercalation by the Local Authority for the purposes of Council Tax. However, there is liability to pay Council Tax when you have finished one course and are waiting to start another – e.g. going from a MA to a PhD.  

If I live with a non-student or part-time student, am I exempt from paying Council Tax? 

Yes - where the property becomes liable for Council Tax because of the presence of a non-student, then full-time students living within that property will not be liable to pay for Council Tax.

Who is classed as being a Full-Time student? 

To count as a full-time student, your course must last at least 1 year and involve at least 21 hours study per week.

How do I get a copy of my student status certificate? 

You can get a copy of your student status certificate for the purposes of Council Tax from the Student Hub-Aston Web. Alternatively, you can request it online.

Safety

Ensure you have all the keys necessary and check all the doors and windows in your new home, including any outbuildings. If there’s an alarm, ensure you have the correct code and know how to use it. You can also get some free household safety equipment from the Community Wardens at the Guild of Students.

TV Licence

You must have a TV Licence if you watch live or recorded programmes on any channel or TV service (e.g. BBC iPlayer) on any device (yes, that includes your phone). However, there are some exceptions. Find out if you need a TV Licence and how to apply. Remember: if there’s already a TV in the house, don’t assume that a licence is included.

Deposits

Have you received notification from your landlord that your deposit is protected? Now’s the time to ask them for proof. For assured shorthold tenancies (which is what your agreement should be), the landlord is required to use a tenancy deposit protection provider (TDP). If you don’t receive a response, check directly with the provider. TDPs keep your money safe throughout your tenancy and ensure your money is returned to you at the end of it (if applicable), so it’s important to make sure everything’s official.

Electoral Roll

Are you a UK student? Don’t lose your right to vote in local and national elections - register your term-time address online. As a student, you can be registered to vote in two places - at home and at your term-time address!

Looking After Your Home

It's important that you and your housemates consider how you’d like to live together and what house rules you might want in place to help everyone get along.

Landlord Responsibility

If you are living in rented accommodation, your landlord must ensure that your home is fit to be lived in.

This should be from the day your tenancy starts right throughout your full tenancy, during which the property must remain safe and in a good condition, and issues such as damp, mould and disrepair must be addressed.

Damp and Mould

Damp and mould is caused by too much moisture in your home. There can be more than one reason for this, for example, a leak in the roof or condensation. Sometimes you may have to work with your landlord to make things better.

You should report any damp and mould issues to your landlord straight away.

When are landlords responsible for repairs?

Landlords usually hold responsibility for completing most repairs in your rented home. This includes private landlords, councils and housing associations.

How do I report repairs?

Each landlord will have their own way of how they would like repairs reported by a tenant. This may be via a letter, email, message, telephone etc. We would recommend reporting any repairs to the landlord or letting agency in writing.

Once reported, it is important that landlords complete repairs within a reasonable period. How long it takes for repairs to be completed will usually depend upon how serious the problem is. Some housing contracts will state the timeframe in which you can expect repairs to be undertaken.

Issues like heating problems, a broken boiler or a leak, you would expect to be repaired or dealt with fairly quickly as these would be classed as urgent repairs.

Other repairs, for example a broken kitchen cupboard or damaged tiles, could take longer as these could be seen as less urgent.

What if my landlord does not carry out the repairs?

If your landlord fails to carry out repairs, you can take action against them.

First you should contact the landlord and ask for the repairs to be conducted as soon as possible. 

If the landlord fails to conduct the repairs, you can contact Birmingham City Council to help mediate between you and your landlord. 

Private Rented Services
PO Box 16589
Birmingham
B2 2JB

Telephone: 0121 303 5070

Email: prs@birmingham.gov.uk 

Can I take legal action against my landlord if they fail to carry out repairs?

If your landlord fails to carry out repairs, you should check the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement as you could take legal action against them.

You can take your landlord to court if they will not do repairs after you have asked them.

You are more likely to win your case if you give the court as much evidence as possible. The judge will look at the evidence you and your landlord provide before deciding.

The court could order your landlord to:

  • Carry out the repairs
  • Pay you compensation, for example if your health has been affected because they failed to conduct the repairs
  • Pay some or all of your legal costs

You can contact your nearest Citizens Advice for further advice on taking your landlord to court.

Or you can contact Shelter Housing for further Housing Advice. 

When are tenants responsible for repairs?

There are some occasions where tenants are responsible for repairs. It is said that tenants must keep their home, gardens or outside areas in a reasonable clean and tidy condition. Some tenants may also be responsible for carrying out safety checks on personal electrical items, changing lightbulbs within the property, changing smoke alarm batteries and testing smoke alarms regularly.

Tenants are responsible for fixing anything that they own (including appliances and furniture), damage that has been caused by them or someone they know (including family, friends and guests), and any other minor repairs as set out in their individual tenancy agreement.

Can a landlord charge a tenant to pay for repairs?

Yes - where a tenant (or their guest/visitor) is responsible for causing damage to the property or any item within the property then the landlord can ask for the tenant to pay the costs for the repairs.

Damp and mould your landlord must fix

Your landlord must fix problems that cause damp and mould such as a structural problem or faulty installation. Alongside this, your landlord must also fix damp and mould if it makes your home unfit to live in. 

What causes mould?

Condensation is the most common cause of mould. Condensation occurs when moisture in the air meets a cold surface, like a window or an external wall.

Your landlord should not tell you:

  • to paint over mould that keeps coming back
  • that the problems are just condensation without checking
  • to stop doing everyday things such as cooking or showering

What steps can I take to prevent or reduce condensation?

  • Open windows regularly
  • Cover pans when you cook
  • Dry clothes outdoors or in a dryer
  • Close internal doors when you cook or shower
  • Use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom
  • Leave a gap between furniture and external walls
  • Wipe condensation from windowsills each morning 

What can I do to report damp and mould in my property?

If your landlord does not tackle the issue of damp and mould and it is excessive, you can contact Birmingham City Council - Environmental Health for further help and support.

If the damp and mould is affecting your health, you should seek medical advice. 

Pests

Issues related to pests are often down to the landlord to resolve. But there are a few things you can do to prevent the issue:

  • Clean your house regularly
  • Dispose any household waste/rubbish
  • Cover garbage cans 

Always remember…

  • Report all issues to the landlord immediately following the process outlined in your tenancy agreement, whether this is via an online reporting tool or email. Be sure to follow up on any in-person or telephone conversations with an email, so that you have a clear record if a problem arises.
  • If your housemates have caused damage to the property, always report it to your landlord.

The Cost of Living Crisis has impacted students a great deal, so if you are experiencing any financial struggles, there are measures in place to support you, including our Community Pantry offering one-off food parcels to students who need them most.

Marks Out Of Tenancy

As current tenants you can help your fellow students during their renting journey by leaving reviews of the property, landlord and local area you’re living in. All you have to do is visit Marks out of Tenancy online and leave your feedback, to help inform their decision-making.

View Marks out of Tenancy

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