Students Living with Seekers: Student Tenancy Advice
Students Living with Seekers: Student Tenancy Advice
If you’re about to move into your student accommodation in Newcastle, we know it can be as daunting as it is exciting. At Seekers, we are committed to helping you adjust from home life to university.
With this in mind, we’ve put together some tips and frequently asked questions to give you all the information you need about student living in Newcastle.
Student Tenancy FAQs
Do I Need a TV Licence?
Whether you watch live television or use online streaming services, you’ll need a TV licence. When you have a tenancy agreement for the whole property - which is the case for most student housing in Newcastle - you’ll require one licence for the household.
If you leave the property early over the summer months, you can get a refund. To learn more about how Seekers can support you throughout your time at university, take a look at our blog about How Seekers Supports You Throughout Your Tenancy to put your mind at ease.
Do Students Pay for Council Tax?
If everyone in your property is a full-time student, you won’t be required to pay council tax.
In order to qualify as a full-time student, your chosen course must last at least one year and require a minimum of 21 hours of study per week. If you’re renting a Seekers property, we take the stress of council tax away from you by handling this on your behalf.
It’s worth noting that if one non-student lives in your property, only a quarter of the exemption applies. If more than one non-student lives on the premises, no exemptions are applicable.
Parking
Many of our student properties in Newcastle benefit from free private off-street, and garage car parking. If this isn’t available at your property, you can get a permit from the city council that will allow you to park in the street with ease.
How Do I Report a Maintenance Problem?
We understand that things go wrong sometimes, and are here to support you through any issues you encounter during your tenancy with Seekers.
Should your property have any maintenance issues, you can log into your student portal to report a maintenance issue with Property File.
At Seekers, we have our own in-house maintenance team who can resolve maintenance issues quickly and efficiently.
What If I Lose My Keys?
We have all misplaced our keys at some point in our lives, so don’t fret. If you happen to lose your keys, Seekers can replace them during the office hours of 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. It’s worth noting that you will incur a charge for this replacement.
We recommend leaving your Seekers keyring attached to your keys. This way if someone finds them, they can get in touch with us.
Are All Inclusive Bill Packages Available?
To make your rental journey with us as convenient and hassle-free as possible, we offer cost-effective bill packages to save you the hours it would take to research providers for each of your separate utilities and organise these yourselves.
As part of your bills package with us, we’ll liaise with utility providers on your behalf, getting you the best price for water, electric and gas, as well as getting your internet set up and ready for your move-in date.
Student Living and Cleaning Tips
When living with others in a group setting, it’s important to be mindful and clean up after yourself. Everyone has their own idea of what ‘clean’ looks like, so a good way to tackle this is to discuss chores as a group and divide them up with a cleaning rota.
Setting up a kitty for household products such as toilet roll, kitchen roll and washing up liquid can also help resolve any issues over who’s turn it is to buy certain items. For more advice, read Our Top Tips for Cleaning Your Student House Share blog.
Can I Have Guests Over?
We understand that tenants will have visitors from time to time. While we have no issue with this, it’s important to inform those that you live with first as a common courtesy. This will prevent any awkward run-ins and encourage open communication.
How to Cope With Noisy Neighbours
While you can pick the perfect property and your housemates, your neighbours are out of your hands. If you find yourself stuck with noisy neighbours, there are several steps you can take to address the issue:
1) Discuss the noise with your neighbours in the first instance. They may not be aware of the noise themselves, and bringing it to their attention could be enough to make it stop.
2) If speaking to them doesn’t stop the disruption, keep a diary and log the types of noise, alongside dates and times.
3) You can then email us or call us on 0191 243 1000 to report the issue, and we will advise you on the best course of action.
4) The final stage would be to contact the Newcastle City Council’s Noise Nuisance Team. You can email or call them on 0191 278 7878.
On the call you’ll be asked to provide your diary notes to the council. The council officer will consider factors such as the type of noise, how loud it is, how often and what time it occurs. Noise monitoring of the problem will then be carried out at your home, and you’ll be informed on what further action will be taken. If the noise relates to anti-social behaviour, contact Northumbria police on 101.
How to Keep Your Student Property Secure
Some of our properties have up to eight tenants, which means a high number of valuables like laptops, mobile phones, televisions and other possessions.
There are several steps you can take to prevent burglaries:
Keep the front and back doors locked at all times, even if you’re at home.
Set a timer for your lights to make it look like you are home even if you aren’t.
Don’t leave valuables on display.
Make sure you have contents insurance.
In the event of a crime, report it to the police on 999 or 101 for non-emergencies. We ask that you contact your property supervisor in the case of any break ins to your student property and log any repairs that may need to be carried out through Property File.
Dropping Out
We understand that there are cases where a student may wish to move out of their Newcastle property during their tenancy with Seekers.
If this happens, finding a replacement tenant ultimately falls on the individual leaving. If there isn’t someone to take the room, we advise students to advertise their room using university sites, Facebook, Gumtree and Sparerooms. We will support you with this by re-advertising the room too. In the event that you wish to leave your tenancy early, please contact the Seekers team, who will provide you with guidance on the steps you are legally required to take.
Please note that all tenancy agreements are legally binding contracts. If you have any questions about this, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
With Seekers, you’re in good hands. Want to find out more? Read what our tenants say about us.
