Types of Accommodation

Private halls of residence

Halls of residence are open to anyone from any college/university.  Therefore, you will mix with a diverse range of people from different backgrounds who are studying at a variety of different educational establishments.  They offer a variety of room options including ensuite or shared bathrooms.  Contracts normally cover 1 full year (i.e. longer than your full college term).  The cost of accommodations of this type can be significantly more expensive than other forms of accommodation.

House/Flat share

This is a common type of private accommodation where students can rent with friends/classmates.  This accommodation will generally offer greater value for money than private halls of residence. However, your fellow tenants (and neighbours) may not be students. This may be deemed as a positive or negative feature.

Private flat

Private flats may be the favoured option for you if you have had bad experiences sharing accommodation with others.  This option, meaning you will generally spend evening/nights by yourself will give you full freedom within your accommodation allowing you to live/study to your own schedule.  However, you will have to cover all rent and utility costs by yourself.

Budget for Accommodation

Rent cost

Regardless of the type of accommodation you choose the rent will be the most expensive outgoing you will have.  Rent costs will vary depending on the type of accommodation, what facilities the accommodation has and whether other costs, for example, utility bills are included in the monthly payments.

Utility/Food bills

If your rent costs do not include utility bills then you will need to make these payments yourself.  Remember to include costs for toiletries when calculating your budget.

TV licence

You will need to be covered by licence to watch or record programmes as they are being shown on TV, if they have been recorded or live on an online TV service. You also need a licence to download or watch BBC programmes on demand including catch up TV or BBC iPlayer via any device (e.g. TV desktop computer, tablet mobile phone, games console, etc.).

The cost for this is £147 and can be paid up front, quarterly or monthly.  You can apply for the licence and find further details via www.tvl.co.uk.

Council Tax

Full time students are exempt from paying council tax.  Glasgow Kelvin College will contact you at the start of the academic year to detail the process for applying for the exemption.  Part time students are not exempt from paying council tax.  Anyone living in your household who is not a full time student will be expected to pay council tax and should contact their local authority for further details.

Questions for your Landlord

Q             How long has the property been on the market?

A             The longer it has been advertised, the more likely it is that you will be able to negotiate a deal.

Q             How much is the deposit?

A             Deposits are generally 1 month’s rent.  Remember, you will normally be asked for the 1^st month’s rent to be paid at this time.

Q             What is the length of the rent agreement?

A             Most contracts will last for 12 months, meaning during the summer holidays you are still liable for payments.  However, you may be able to agree half rent over summer or to end your contract at the same time that your course ends.

Q             What is the notice period you or your landlord must give prior to cancelling the contract?

A             Knowing your contractual rights will ensure you and the landlord are both protected.  You will not be made to exit the property until your notice period has been fulfilled. In addition, the landlord is also protected should you decide you want to cancel the contract.

Q             Furnished/Unfurnished?

A             When renting a property it may be furnished or unfurnished.  You should enquire about this as it could affect the rent cost.  If unfurnished, you may be able to negotiate the rent cost with the landlord.

The above list of questions is not exhaustive.  You should ask any questions you deem relevant prior to a signing a rent agreement.

HMO Licences

A House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) is a property which is shared by three or more tenants who aren't members of the same family. HMO landlords must have a license from the council. This ensures that the property is managed properly and meets certain safety standards. An HMO license is separate from the tenancy agreement you will have with your landlord, so some of your renting rights rely on this.  Check your tenancy type if you're not sure what kind of tenancy agreement you have.

To find out whether a property has an HMO license, ask your landlord or contact your local council. They have a list of all the licensed landlords in their area.

To meet the standards expected of an HMO property:

• The rooms must be a decent size, for example, every bedroom should be able to accommodate a bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.
• There must be enough kitchen and bathroom facilities for the number of people living in the property, with adequate hot and cold water supplies.
• Adequate fire safety measures must be installed, for example your landlord must provide smoke alarms and self-closing fire doors and make sure there is an emergency escape route.
• All gas and electrical appliances must be safe.
• Heating, lighting and ventilation must all be adequate.
• The property should be secure, with good locks on the doors and windows.
• There must be a phone line installed so that tenants can set up a contract with a phone company to supply the service.

If you don't think your landlord is managing the property properly and maintaining these standards, there are two steps you can take:

• Talk to your landlord - they may not realise that there is a problem until you discuss it with them.
• Tell your local council - they have powers to make your landlord bring the management and physical conditions of the HMO up to standard.

College financial assistance

There is no specific college fund which is dedicated to rent costs. However, the college has a discretionary fund which assist students financially whilst they are at college. The college funding team completes a financial assessment on each discretionary applicant based on monthly income and expenditure. This will determine if you are eligible for any discretionary payments.

Further information on the fund will be given to students prior to the fund opening. Alternatively, you can speak with the Student Funding  or Advice, Guidance and Learner Support.

Housing Benefit

Most full time students are not eligible to receive housing benefit. However, there are some exceptions to this rule and if you meet any of the following criteria you may be entitled to receive housing benefit:

• Part time student
• Loan parent (at least 1 child under 5 years old)
• Pensioner (reached the age for state pension credit)
• Disabled students
• Student couples with dependent children
• Students under the age of 22 (who are undertaking a course of full time, non-advanced education and were accepted to attend, enrolled on or began the course when they were under 22)
• Partners of students, who are not themselves students
• Students who are solely responsible for children boarded out with them by a local authority or voluntary organisation.

You should speak with your local housing office or a member of the Advice, Guidance and Learner Support team for more information.

Where to apply

Glasgow residents should apply to Housing Benefit Contact centre, 45 John Street, Glasgow G1 1JE.

If you live in another council area you should contact your local authority housing office.

Further information on housing benefit and information on how to claim including the details of your local contact centre can be found at https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit.

Personal Safety

Generally speaking, most people are safe when out and about. Glasgow is a friendly city, however like anywhere you should always keep your personal safety paramount. Take time to read the hints and tips to help you.

In the Street

Be careful when getting around the city. Avoid walking around on your mobile or with earphones plugged in as this can distract you. Ensure you keep your valuables safe (keys, money, phone etc.). Keep them out of view of others and ensure they are kept safe when you are out and about. Don’t walk around with lots of cash that isn’t needed. If you need to take out a lot of cash with you please make sure that you are safe doing so and that you not draw attention to yourself. If you are using an ATM, remember the following: 

• If you don’t feel comfortable don’t use the machine
• Memorise your PIN and don’t let anyone else see it
• Don’t lift more cash than is necessary
• Once you have your cash, put it in a secure place i.e. purse/wallet straight away
• Consider arranging direct debits or standing orders for rent, household bills etc. to avoid lifting lots cash at once.
• Don’t panic or get flustered if a queue forms behind you at the ATM, take your time and only leave when you have everything you need.

Your Home

Your home should feel the safest place to be and should feel like your own space.

• Ensure you lock your windows and doors when leaving
• Avoid letting people come and go as they please – especially if you are not in
• Keep valuables safe
• Be vigilant about who you allow in and out of your home. Don’t feel pressured to let people come in if you are not sure
• Keep any garden gates/fences locked
• Try not to keep bins, ladders or tables under windows
• Keep doors locked when you are in the house
• Don’t label any keys with your address or leave spare keys hidden outside

At Night / Socialising

If you are going out, try to let someone close to you know where you are going, who you will be with and when you are likely to return home. Make sure you let someone know if you are staying out or will be home later than you anticipated.

• Avoid going anywhere you don’t know alone
• Don’t leave your drinks unattended. If you leave it unattended buy another
• Keep your personal belongings safe
• Look after each other on nights out
• Try to avoid people leaving on their own – especially with people they, or you, don’t know
• Keep your mobile charged before you go out, and encourage your friends to do this also

Keeping Safe on Your Way Home

When you’re on a night out and it comes to ending the night, ensue you are just as concerned about your safety as you were before leaving.

• Ensure that you know or save the local taxi number so you are calling a familiar company each time
• Let someone know you are on your way home
• Take enough money out to ensure you get home safely
• Avoid going home yourself at night. Where possible walk with someone else or take a bus/taxi home with friends
• Don’t walk through quiet, dull areas. Keep to busier, well lit areas.
• Avoid short-cuts through parks etc.
• Ensure your taxi is licensed. If you are unsure do not get it the taxi
• Keep safe whilst in the taxi. If you feel unsafe once in the taxi and you are not able to get out, call for help immediately. Try to remember to take a note of the taxi license number – this should be displayed by the driver
• Have your keys ready to get into you home prior to getting out the taxi.

There are other methods that can be used to keep safe. Some people chose to take personal alarms out with them on a night out.

You can always contact your Student Association and/or Advice & Guidance team within Glasgow Kelvin College to talk over anything you feel uncomfortable with or if you want to ask further advice on.

Student Association:                       smclaughlin@glasgowkelvin.ac.uk

Advice & Guidance:                         guidance@glasgowkelvin.ac.uk