Photo: Hannah Reiss
Groups of students traipsing through Fallowfield in the afternoon drizzle, knocking on doors, disappearing inside a house for a few minutes only to repeat the whole process a bit down the road – this can only mean one thing: It’s house hunting season.
Last Monday, Manchester Student Homes (MSH) published their annual housing list, and frantic freshers have already started a desperate scramble to find a place for next year, along with wary second years, jaded from bad experience. Now, there is one thing that is absolutely crucial to know about the student housing market in Manchester, and probably the worst kept secret around: there are far more student houses than students. There is no reason to panic in February, or indeed May. New houses are added to the agency lists throughout the year, and many remain empty after summer, and not just because they are bad (though those exist, too).
Terrifying as looking for a house for the first time can seem there is no reason to be scared as long as you know what you are doing. There are several letting agents operating in Manchester, including MSH, which is the only agency accredited by the University, and Homes4U. When looking for houses, actually do look at several houses, the abundance of them means you won’t be out of a home if you are a bit slow, so don’t rent the first house in sight in a panic.
Don’t expect to find the perfect house at the first try either; there are some squalid abodes out there featuring everything from mould to unwanted housemates of the rodent kind. “When I walked into the house,” said one student, “there was this funny smell, a mix of damp and cigarette smoke. When we got to the upstairs bedrooms I saw the mould on the ceilings, my future housemates didn’t even notice it. We looked at a few houses in the same area – owned by different landlords – but most appeared to have the same problems, especially with mice because the bins were in between the houses and a complete mess.”
Sometimes it can be worth branching out into areas off the beaten track, though UMSU Welfare Officer Vicky Thompson, who deals with housing complaints as part of her role, cautions that location can be a problem. “Some people don’t think about transport when they look for a house, then try to make it in for a 9am from East Didsbury and there are no buses and it takes them an hour, then that’s just not going to happen, no matter how nice it sounds to say you live there.”
Likewise, dangerous areas might not be worth the pound a week you save if it means you are scared to go out alone in the dark, which in winter can be as early as 4pm.
Speaking to current tenants instead of just the landlord or agency can be particularly helpful, as they will be able to answer questions on the area, how high the bills usually are and if there have been any problems with the landlord or the house itself. While many will move out because they are graduating, some might have altogether different reasons.
Some contracts, especially of houses found individually rather than through an agency can be questionable and should be read with great care. Some include clauses that forbid house parties, or just small things like putting up posters on walls. However, contracts are negotiable and landlords may be willing to make some amendments before signing.
Photo: Hannah Reiss
Of course, problems can arise during the tenancy itself, from things breaking to mould spreading. “A lot of stuff breaks and isn’t replaced,” commented Thompson, on what problems most students approach her with. “Broken showers, flooded basements, broken heating, that was a big problem in winter.” This is exacerbated when the landlord is unavailable. “They’re not answering their phone and you don’t have an address for them, so you just don’t know how to get in touch.”
Students renting through MSH can go through the agency to report any problems, who will then in turn contact the landlord. “Some landlords go completely rogue and try to evict tenants by force, or verbally abuse tenants,” added Thompson. MSH also offers advice on issues to students not renting from them, including looking through contracts to ensure students’ safety.
Other problems, like rubbish piles or rat infestations, which are considered an environmental health problem, can be tackled through the Council for free.
UMSU also offers help with renting problems. “Come into the Advice Centre and talk to Kevin or Rebekah directly,” said Thompson. The Advice Centre can help with legal rights, writing letters and advise on how to start proceedings to take landlords to small claims court. Knowing your rights can of course be crucial in solving problems.
“My landlord kept coming over to our house,” said 20-year-old Sarah. “He’d keep fixing tiny things that weren’t really a problem but take forever to do it, and have tea breaks all the time. It got so far that we couldn’t even be alone in the house and just didn’t have any privacy.”
However, problems aren’t just caused by dodgy landlords or houses. “One of the biggest mistakes people make is in choosing the people they live with,” said Thompson. “Choose carefully, as you’ll have to live with them often four times as long as you have known them.”
Getting along with someone in halls is no guarantee that you will get along with them when you move into a house together, and especially important if houses are rented under joint tenancy, which means everybody is equally liable for damage to the property.
If for whatever reason you end up without housemates to move in with, MSH run a forum in which people can advertise and look for housemates or rooms. “I meant to move in with some mates after first year,” said Nursing student Mike, 22. “One left uni though, and then the other wanted to move in with his girlfriend, and everybody else had a place already, so I guess I started to panic a bit. I thought it would be a nice change to live in city centre, so I went to a private hall, which looked good enough, and signed a contract.
“When I got there after the summer it was a complete mess, mould in the shower, they put me in a different room than the one I signed the contract for and when I complained about silver fish the manager just came up to my room with me, stomped down on one and told me that’s what I should do.”
“If the warning bells are ringing, don’t sign,” warned Thompson. “You can find somewhere to live in September, and you can find people to live with in September.”
