Manchester Met Accommodation (halls) are usually for first year undergraduates.

There are lots of accommodation agencies in Manchester, Manchester Student Homes (MSH) is the only agency that is university approved. They advertise student houses and private halls of residence on their website.

Don’t rush into signing anything or paying any money – you’re signing a legal document and it’s very difficult to break the contract without the landlord’s agreement. 

Never sign for a property without seeing it yourself, if possible. If you’re in a group, try to attend viewings together to ensure that you’re all happy before you sign. A good landlord/letting agent will be flexible for group viewings. 

Think about where you want to leave and with whom. 

If you live away from the University campus, you’ll also need to factor in travel costs when working out your budget.

Read about joint tenancies to find out more about what your contract states regarding your rights and responsibilities.

Wherever possible, speak to the current tenants about the property. Asking them a few key questions will help you decide whether it’s the right place for you:

• Is the landlord professional and quick at responding to any issues?
• Is the property easy/cost effective to heat?
• How much do they pay for bills or are bills included?
• Do they have any security concerns?
• Are there any outstanding issues with the property?
• Why are they leaving/would they rent the property again?

NUS have a useful Housing Checklist for you to use at each viewing. 

A good landlord or agency won’t put you under pressure to sign a contract without letting you or someone else check over it first. Remember, a contract is a legal document so it's important to be sure of what you are signing up to. Before you sign anything, contact the Advice Centre and an adviser will talk you through it.

A joint contract is where you and your housemates sign the same contract for the property you will live in. This means you won’t only be responsible for your portion of the rent – all of you will be jointly responsible for the total rent for the property.

So, it’s important that you know and trust the people who you're going to move in with.

It’s common to be asked to pay a deposit and first month’s rent upfront when you sign up for a property. You may also be asked to pay a holding deposit of up to one month’s rent to secure a property while the landlord or agents carries out checks and draws up the tenancy.

If you then sign a tenancy the holding deposit should either be returned or put it towards a tenancy deposit or the first rent payment. Beyond these fees, most other upfront fees are now banned.

A guarantor is someone who signs a contract to say that they'll pay your rent if you don’t. Most private landlords will ask you to provide one before they let you rent the property. 

If you can’t provide a guarantor, you can speak to the landlord about your situation to see if they can use any discretion. 

Manchester Student Homes (MSH) advertises some properties that don’t need one (look for properties that meet the ‘International Friendly Standard’) or there are some private companies who will act as guarantor, but this is usually very expensive.

• How and when to pay the rent
• Where the gas, electric and water meters are
• Who the current utility suppliers are
• How to work the heating system and where the thermostat is
• How to work all appliances in the property
• What the security alarm code is and how to use it. (It can void any contents insurance if the property has an alarm which is not used)
• Does anything in the property require special cleaning methods such as wooden floors or carpets?
• Ask for the keys for any windows and patios
• What process you should follow to report disrepair
• What day the bins are emptied on. Search for this information on the Manchester City council website
• Who to contact about repairs
• Find out how to complete an inventory (see next section)

An inventory is a list of all the fixtures, fittings and furniture at the property. You should complete one when you move in and note down the condition of everything in the property. Take some date stamped photos or video footage too.

That way, when you move out of the property at the end of your contract there will be a record of the condition of the property when you moved in. This should help avoid disagreements with your landlord and deposit deductions when you move out.

Some halls include contents insurance as part of the rent cost but in private rented properties this is unlikely. Check your tenancy agreement. 

If insurance isn’t included, it’s advisable to get contents insurance to protect your personal items in case of accidental damage or theft.

Change your address with the university - this can be done on your MyMMU page. 

Update your GP or register with a local GP.

Register to vote online.

Most full-time students will not need to pay Council Tax. However, you still need to complete an online form for your council to let them the property is exempt from paying. Check here for Manchester City Council’s student-household form. 

If any issues arise, contact the Advice centre immediately as you can face court fines. 

Part-time students often will have to pay Council Tax, but you may be able to get some help with the cost. Contact the Advice Centre for more information or check out Manchester City Council’s page on part-time students. 

If you're a full-time student, request a copy of your Council Tax Exemption certificate on your Student Hub.

Yes, if you have a television in your property, use BBC iPlayer or watch live TV on your computer, tablet or phone you’ll be required to pay for a TV Licence. You can purchase a TV Licence online.

Whether you require one TV Licence for the whole property or one for each tenant will depend on your tenancy agreement. If you share with other people and have a joint tenancy for the whole property, you should only need one TV Licence, but if each tenant has an individual agreement for a specific room, then each tenant will require their own licence.

Who is my Gas and Electricity supplier?

If you're unsure who the supplier is at the property your landlord should be able to tell you. If not, you can ring the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524.

Yes - if you’re liable for the gas and electric charges in your property, you don’t need your landlord’s permission to change the meter or your supplier. However, your landlord can make you change both back to how things were at the start of the tenancy when you move out.

Yes, unless it’s included in your rent. The only water supplier for the Northwest of the UK is United Utilities so you'll need to contact them to set up an account and arrange payment. You can do this online or by phoning 0345 026 7661.

This will depend on your tenancy agreement, but most don’t let you leave early. You usually sign an agreement to pay rent for a set period. Even if you move out early, the landlord will still expect you to pay your rent for the length of the agreement and may take you to court if you stop paying. 

Usually, a landlord will only agree to release you from the contract early if you find someone else to move in and start paying your portion of the rent. You can advertise your room for free on the MSH website. If you’ve signed a joint tenancy and live with friends, then they would all need to agree that someone else can move into the property to replace you. Come and chat to an adviser about it.

See above FAQ. Sadly, even if you and your housemates can’t be in the same room at the same time, the landlord doesn’t have to let you end your contract early. You can explain the situation to the landlord to see if they can help.

The Advice Centre can offer mediation if you and your housemates want to try and make the best of things whilst you’re all living under the same roof. If this is impossible, please contact us for more advice. 

Contact the Advice Centre and you can talk through your situation with an Adviser.

We can check that you’re receiving the correct amount of student loan, we can advise you on managing any debts that you have, we can help you to set up a repayment plan with your landlord and we can also check whether you could be entitled to any extra financial support.

You may be able to apply to the MMU Day to Day Support fund for some financial help. Be aware that you can be evicted if you don’t pay your rent, so come and see us as soon as you’re having financial difficulties.

Yes we can. Legally it isn't that easy to evict someone, and your landlord will usually need a court order before they can make you leave.

If your landlord changes the locks whilst you are out this would usually be breaking the law. Email us any paperwork that you have (your contract, letters from your landlord, court papers, rent statements etc.). We can advise you on your rights and how you may be able to prevent eviction.

This can be a tricky one – sometimes it’s the responsibility of your landlord and sometimes it’s your responsibility as the occupier. Shelter breaks this down for you

If the cause of the pests is a dirty house or rubbish that has been left lying around, then it will probably be down to you to sort out. Manchester City Council has a Pest Control team for properties in the Manchester area. However, they’ll charge to come out and treat the problem.

Contact us if you need more guidance.

Again, this isn’t straight forward. Sometimes the damp is caused by problems with the property such as leaks or disrepair, and this is the landlord’s responsibility. But your behaviour could also cause problems; drying clothes inside, not opening windows to let fresh air in, and not using extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms can all cause condensation. 

Shelter breaks it down further for you.

If the damp and mould is your landlord’s responsibility, then they should sort it out and Manchester City Council’s private housing team may be able to help if they won’t. Unfortunately, even if you can prove that the landlord is responsible for the damp you will usually still have to pay your rent. Contact the Advice Centre to see the options available to you.

Report the problem to your landlord and follow this up with a letter or email explaining the problem. Keep a copy of this as it will be evidence that you have contacted the landlord about the issue if you must take further action later. Read more about landlord/tenant responsibilities for repairs.

Contact us for further information.

Your landlord should only access your home for reasonable purposes, such as, to make repairs or to show prospective tenants around the property. They should give you 24 hours written notice before they visit unless urgent or emergency repairs are required. If your landlord keeps turning up unannounced or comes into your house without notice or permission, this may be harassment. 

Shelter breaks this down to ensure you know your rights and includes a template letter you can use to let your landlord know your rights.

If they won’t stop this behaviour, contact us for more information or phone the police if you feel unsafe.

Your tenancy agreement should explain how much notice you need to give your landlord of your intention to leave at the end of your tenancy. It’s important that you give your landlord the correct notice to leave the property, or you could remain liable for rent after you have left.

If there’s nothing in your tenancy agreement about this then and you have a fixed term agreement, you can end the tenancy by moving out and returning the keys by the last day of the fixed term. However, it’s still advised to give your landlord notice of your intention to leave prior to this.

If you’re still unsure, send us your contract and we can advise. 

Your deposit should have been protected in a Tenancy Deposit Scheme and your landlord should've provided you with information when you moved in about which scheme was used and how to resolve disputes. 

If you and your landlord disagree about whether there should be any deductions to your deposit, you can raise a free dispute with your deposit scheme. The scheme will look at the evidence and decide how much money should be returned. You can search the government website for the three schemes to find out which one holds your deposit. Contact us if you need any help.