Rent guidelines
The cost of rented accommodation will depend upon chosen location, facilities and the number of tenants sharing.
| Brighton | Average costs |
|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | £160 per week |
| 4-bed house | £95 per person per week |
| Eastbourne | |
| 1-bed flat | £135 per week |
| 4-bed house | £80 per person per week |
| Hastings | |
| 1-bed flat | £130 per week |
| 4-bed house | £75 per person per week |
What else to budget for
Over and above rent, you should also budget for:
- administrative fees (can be up to £200 per person – and sometimes more)
- a deposit (can be the equivalent of 4 weeks rent), payable to your landlord/letting agent in advance
- heating, lighting and other utilities
- contents insurance for your belongings
- a TV licence
- food and travel costs.
For more advice on budgeting and living costs see Money Matters website.
Administrative fees
If you have found somewhere to live through Studentpad, or are moving into a unihome then there are no administration fees.
Agencies and private landlords who do not advertise through Studentpad, may charge an administration fee. This charge is to cover the costs involved in setting up the tenancy agreement, inventory, checking references and any other correspondence. This can only be charged once you have expressed an interest in a property.
In Brighton, letting agents generally charge between £100 and £200 per student. Some agents negotiate deals with the university, so look out for these.
Deposits
Holding deposits
You may be asked to pay a holding deposit by letting agents or private landlords. This is so that they stop marketing the property and ‘hold’ it for you. Be sure to ask if the holding deposit is offset against the balance of your damage deposit or deducted from the rent. It may also be non-returnable, so bear this in mind if you decide not to go ahead with the tenancy.
Damage or security deposits
You will normally also have to pay a damage or security deposit. This is usually the equivalent of a month’s rent and is held in the event of any damages the landlord wishes to claim against the tenant(s) at the end of the tenancy.
You will not need to pay a damage deposit for university-managed accommodation (unihomes).
Receipts
Make sure that you always get a clearly written, itemised receipt that is signed and dated for any payment you make. Never pay any cash unless you get a receipt.
Tenancy deposit schemes
Any deposits taken for an assured shorthold tenancy must be registered with a recognised deposit holder under the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme.
By law, information about which scheme your deposit has been placed in, how to apply for the release of the deposit and what to do in the event of a dispute over the deposit must be supplied to the tenant(s) within 14 days of payment.
There are three government recognised schemes and further information is available at gov.uk: Tenancies, deposits and rents
Referees
An agency or private landlord will probably ask you to provide references they can contact to check that you are a suitable tenant and pay your rent on time. The agency will be able to tell you who is an acceptable referee.
The university will provide references for students who have been in halls of residence or in unihomes.
Guarantors
It is common for student tenants to be asked to provide a guarantor. A guarantor is someone who agrees to meet the tenant’s full obligations if they cannot. This may include paying their rent and paying for damage to the property. Bear in mind that if you are signing a joint tenancy your guarantor could potentially end up having to pay your housemates share of the rent they default on their payments. Guarantors usually need to be home owners with steady long-term employment.
International students need to be aware that they may be asked to pay between four and 12 months’ rent in advance if they do not have a UK–based guarantor. It is worth trying to negotiate better terms if you can.
