Summer’s here!

Summer is here, even if the weather suggests otherwise…!

For many students tomorrow (11th June) will be the last day of term until mid September. Manchester Student Homes remains open throughout the summer between our usual opening hours of 9-5, Monday-Friday.

The end of June  means moving in and moving out time for many student tenants. Please contact MSH if you need advice on what needs to be done during this time, whether you’re a student or landlord.

Mid-summer onwards is a very busy time for us, with the release of exam results and late university applications. Around this time and through to the end of September we receive large numbers of enquiries from new students, many of them arriving in Manchester for the first time without a pre-formed group of potential housemates. Landlords may want to consider offering rooms on an individual basis at this time – there are some administrative differences  between joint and several and individual tenancies, so do get in touch with us if you would like advice.

We are running a list of short term summer vacancies. Students can request this list from our office. Landlords, please contact us for details if you are a registered MSH landlord and would like to appear on the list.

Tomorrow!

If you’re moving out of your privately rented accommodation at the end of June, you might like to attend tomorrow’s ‘Focus on….’ talk. The talk (1.30-1.50pm, 2nd June in the MSH office) will give you some tips on how you ensure that all your obligations are fulfilled when you move out.  Much of the advice students ask us for over the summer relates to non-return of deposits, however these problems could often been avoided if tenants take the time to ensure everything is done properly at the end of their tenancy. 

If you or one of your housemates cannot make the talk, please contact us as soon as possible for advice on what you need to do at the end of your tenancy. We also advise your landlord to write to you at this time of year with details of what you need to do.

Don’t bin it – bag it! Help a charity and win a prize!

Landlords – please could you make your tenants aware of the following.

Students – Moving out this summer? Environment on call (part of Manchester City Council) will be delivering green and clear bags which you can fill with unwanted items for collection (bags are also available from students’ unions and will shortly be available from the MSH office). Your unwanted items, such as sheets, clothes, tinned food, pots and pans, will be collected from the kerbside  between now and 3rd July and donated to charity.

Text to win! If you’ve used the green or clear bag scheme, text  zero waste with your name and full postal address to 86099 or email recycling@manchester.gov .uk to be entered into a competition to win a variety of prizes, including tickets to Pangea and a student Stagecoach bus pass for 2010/11. The competition closes on 4th July 2010.

To find out more, visit www.manchester.gov.uk/recycling or contact Environment on call on 0161 954 9000

In addition, there will be extra recycling collections between now and 3rd July.

Students – rooms near Oxford Road and city centre added online

Students – about 200 rooms in private halls close to the Oxford Road campuses and in the city centre have been added to our website today. In addition there are several short term rooms available in private halls over the summer. You can search for private halls here.

There are still a very large number of houses, flats and houseshares available for next academic year – search on our website.

Students – avoid deductions from your deposit!

If you’re moving out of your privately rented accommodation at the end of June, you might like to attend our next ‘Focus on….’ talk. The talk (1.30-1.50pm, 2nd June in the MSH office) will give you some tips on how you ensure that all your obligations are fulfilled when you move out.  Much of the advice students ask us for over the summer relates to non-return of deposits, however these problems could often been avoided if tenants take the time to ensure everything is done properly at the end of their tenancy. 

If you or one of your housemates cannot make the talk, please contact us as soon as possible for advice on what you need to do at the end of your tenancy. We also advise your landlord to write to you at this time of year with details of what you need to do.

Summer accommodation

Students – Manchester Student Homes are in the process of compiling a list of short term summer accommodation. You’ll be able to collect this from our office or by email. Please contact us for more details.

Landlords – please contact us for details of how your property can be featured on the summer list. Registered landlords should have received an email with details of this service.

‘The F words?’

The current issue of Residential Property Developer (official publication of the Residential Landlords’ Association)  asks ‘Fixtures, fittings and furnishings: how much should you pay, and when is it worth forking out extra?’

The article, ‘The F words?’ cites an anecdotal case in which the landlord of a New York apartment was sued by his tenant ’because the IKEA kitchen…was “ugly” and not good enough’. The more pragmatic message is that tenants may be more aware of the furniture, fittings and fixtures in rented properties than in previous times, and may base some or all of their decision to rent on how the property is dressed. There is also a suggestion that, where goods appear to be of a high quality, ‘tenants…are more appreciative of the place and thus more likely to take care of it’.

There is a balanced perspective however – landlords are not actively encouraged to overspend where the rent they are likely to achieve doesn’t justify it. Suggestions, estimated costs and alternatives are given, and the view seems to be that some dressing and attention to appearance is important, but that this should be balanced against the potential return. Some suggestions are cheaper and easier to effect than others, for example dressing beds and laying tables with flowers in empty properties before viewings.

Source: Residential Property Investor, May-June 2010, ‘The F words?’ by Nicola Venning (www.rla.org.uk)

Students – rooms near Oxford Road added online

Over 100 private halls rooms close to campuses on Oxford Road and RNCM have been added to our website. You can search for private halls rooms here

Students – FREE insurance for your keys

Endsleigh Insurance are ‘currently offering ALL students free insurance for their accommodation keys next year. [You] can register online at www.endsleigh.co.uk/key or face to face with an Endsleigh staff member.’

Keys are sometimes lost or stolen, and it can be expensive to replace them. See Endsleigh’s website for more information.

Plenty of homes available for next year!

Students!

There are still plenty of properties advertised on our website, including many in Fallowfield, Rusholme, Victoria Park, Withington and Salford, some 7, 8 and 9 bedroom properties and properties available to families. There are also apartments and rooms available in private halls. If you have specific requirements, such as single semester accommodation, please contact us for advice.