Housing toolkit
Your quick guide to housing in durham
Each area in Durham, whether in the city or surrounding places, has its own qualities. None of them are objectively positive or negative, as it all depends on what you’re looking for. If you have a slightly smaller budget and want to live closer to supermarkets and further away from student-heavy areas, Gilesgate may be for you. Alternatively, if you have a slightly larger budget, want to live closer to the train station and bus stops, and thrive off being around students all the time, the Viaduct may be a good option. It’s always a good idea to look around and see what the areas and houses are like for yourselves.
LOCATION
In the city
Nearby areas
In addition to areas within the city, we’re seeing more students look to surrounding areas for housing. Here’s a list of them below. If travelling into the city is something you’re looking for (e.g., via bus or car), and are looking for less student-heavy areas with comparatively cheaper rent costs, these areas may be options for you.
Framwellgate Moor
Shincliffe
Ushaw Moor
Crossgate
Langley Moor
Bowburn
It can be tempting to sign a house with the people on your flat in College. Though convenient, it is absolutely OK to ask those questions and check who will be compatible housemates for you. The last thing anyone wants is for friendships to break over avoidable household disputes. If you don’t end up living with your best mates, that is fine. Friendships transcend geographical boundaries, so chances are you’ll be seeing each other throughout the year, even if you aren’t in the same house.
HOUSEMATES
OUR TOP TIPS FOR A HAPPY HOUSE
- Pre-agreed rules
- Everyone has different lifestyles and expectations, so it is worth talking through practical things – how frequently the bathrooms will be cleaned, what food will be shared etc. – as soon as you move in. This way you have an agreed expectation that you can then hold people to if you feel uncomfortable.
- Communication
- It’s always best to try to talk through disputes before they get too heated. There’s no point burning with passive-aggressive resentment when a simple conversation can help. There’s a good chance your housemate simply hasn’t realised how their behaviour is affecting you.
- Respect
- Even if your behaviour seems perfectly reasonable to you, remember that everyone has different habits and routines. Respect your housemate’s opinions if they say they are affected by your behaviour, and see if you can make any reasonable changes to help.
- Seek consenus
- You may all be individual adults, but you have to function as one unit when it comes to decisions that affect the whole household. Make sure to reach an agreement that takes into account everyone’s opinions on such issues.
- Take care of each other
- Life at University can be hard. Make sure to take a couple of minutes to check up on your housemates when they seem out of sorts. Creating a supportive environment can be one of the best things about living with friends.
Take the housemate quiz
Shopping around is also something we would recommend. It gives you a sense of what facilities/appliances are available in the properties. Don’t be afraid to ask for additional appliances (for instance if there is no tumble dryer but you really want one) and to check what furniture comes with the property. If any agreements are made, always make sure you get them in writing.
Estate agents and private landlords
Consider who you want to rent from. Both Estate Agents and Private Landlords have thier pros and cons.
ESTATE AGENTS
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| More heavily regulated and more established processes (i.e. for reserving a property and signing paperwork) | If your agent manages the property, all communications have to go through them (e.g. repairs), which can make things more confusing |
| Many Estate Agents within Durham City, so can afford to shop around | You may interact with a mix of genuine people who will work in your interest, and some who may be more annoying and dishonest |
PRIVATE LANDLORDS
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Direct contact with the landlord (you get to meet them and establish a direct relationship) | More exposure to inexperienced or ‘rogue’ landlords |
| They can inform you of other student properties available from them | Not as visible as Estate Agents in the city centre, so slightly more difficult to initially reach out to |
Bills
Decide whether or not you want to sign a house that has bills included or not.
As an alternative, there are companies that exist which will organise bills on your behalf. This will save you the hassle of organising the bills yourself, but may come at an extra cost in comparison. Discuss this with your housemates, and search ‘student bills’ in your search engine to see what companies are available.
BILLS IN: PROS
- You don’t have to worry about your bills – your landlord/agent deals with utility providers
- You won’t have to chase each other for payment
- You don’t have to remember to close down your accounts after your tenancy agreement ends
BILLS IN: CONS
- Bills will be charged for every month whether you are in Durham or not
- You may end up paying more for your bills as you won’t get to ‘shop around’
- There will likely be a ‘Fair usage policy’ in your tenancy agreement which limits how much you can use before having to pay
BILLS OUT: PROS
- You can ‘shop around’ to find the most affordable option for you
- You won’t end up paying for utilities that you do not use when you’re not in the property
BILLS OUT: CONS
- It can be time consuming to organise on top of your academic commitments
- You are personally responsible for paying your bills and can be pursued by utility companies for outstanding payments
- If you don’t close the account, it can be difficult to avoid payments after your tenancy agreement ends
In the least scary sounding way possible, contracts are a legally binding document. Everyone who signs the contract, both individually and as a group, can be held accountable for any issues that occur during your tenancy. Make sure you are 100% happy with the contract before you sign. Remember your contract must include, Length (term) of contract, Rental amount, Deposit and Deposit Protection Scheme details, Bills – which are included and not included, Repairs and maintenance responsibilities, Eviction clause and Information about guarantors.
Contract checking
Before you sign, use our Contract Checking tool to make sure your contract includes everything it should.
WATCH OUR WEBINAR
Key information
Fees
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 states that, as of 1st June 2019, your estate agent or landlord will not be permitted to charge you any fees for any tenancy agreement (contract) that is entered into after this date. This means that estate agents and landlords legally cannot charge ‘admin fees’ as they did before.
There are, however, a list of ‘permitted payments’ that are allowed, which are the following:
If any other fees are charged, you should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline so that they can notify the local Trading Standards about potentially illegal trading practices.
- the rent
- a refundable tenancy deposit (capped at five weeks’ rent)
- a refundable holding deposit (capped at one week’s rent)
- payments to change the tenancy, capped at £50 or ‘reasonable costs incurred’ if a higher amount
- payments associated with early termination of the tenancy agreement at the tenant’s request
- payments associated with utilities, communication services, your TV license and council tax
- a ‘default’ fee for paying your rent late
- the cost of replacing a lost key or security device, where it’s required under the tenancy agreement
If any other fees are charged, you should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline so that they can notify the local Trading Standards about potentially illegal trading practices.
Deposits
An average deposit amount in Durham is about a month’s rent. The three main deposit protection schemes are:
- Deposit Protection Service (DPS)
- My Deposits
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme
Landlords and estate agents must legally register your deposit with a protection scheme: you must be informed of this, and it must be stated in your contract. Knowing that your deposit is protected means that your landlord cannot charge you unfairly, as you will be able to provide your evidence against these unfair charges to the deposit protection agency who will review both sides and make an objective decision.
Rights
In addition to the responsibilities you have as a tenant, you also have tenant rights. It is well within reason for you to stand your ground when these rights are not upheld.
For instance, if a landlords wishes to enter the property without giving 24 hours, they legally cannot do this. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 states that landlords must give 24 hours’ notice before they access the property with a reasonable justification.
For more information on tenants’ rights, check out the How To Rent Guide, Shelter, and Acorn.
Guarantors
The vast majority of estate agents and landlords will require a UK-based guarantor. This is someone with an address in the UK who will sign an agreement to guarantee to pay your rent, should you be unable to do so.
In many cases this will be a parent, but it can be any adult you trust to pay your rent if you can’t. Some agents will perform credit checks on your guarantor to ensure they have the means to pay – this isn’t something that all agents do however, so it is worth checking with the agent before giving over your guarantor's details.
Not all students have a UK-based guarantor. If this applies to you, here are some options for you to consider:
- Pay a lump sum of rent up front
- Find a landlord/agent who is willing to accept an international guarantor or no guarantor
- Durham University has teamed up with Housing Hand www.housinghand.com
