Private Sector Accommodation

How to Find Accommodation

Private Lettings Database - Bathstudentpad.co.uk

The Student Accommodation Office maintains a regularly up-dated database, www.bathstudentpad.co.uk, of self catered lodgings, bedsits, flats and houses which are available to rent in the private sector.

The Bathstudentpad.co.uk is currently listing accredited and non accredited accommodation currently available. Private sector accommodation for the academic year 2010/2011 will be added to the database from 12th February 2010 for accredited properties. Additional non-accredited properties will be added to the database from 24th February 2010. Prior to the release of the accommodation listings a Housing Forum will be held to give students all the information needed to house hunt.

Students are strongly recommended NOT to be pressurised by landlords or agents to commit to anything BEFORE the University database becomes available. Bath has plenty of private sector accommodation.

The Studentpad site also gives students access to Accommodation Message Boards. You can use the Message Boards to get in touch with other University of Bath students who are looking for accommodation or flat/house mates.

Database Disclaimer

Alternative Methods of Finding Accommodation

If you are interested in private sector letting, we recommend that you plan to come to Bath during the summer vacation to do your flat/house hunting.
A limited number of rooms in University residence are available during the Summer vacation (exact dates to be confirmed for 2010) for temporary short term bookings. .
Details of how to make these bookings will be shown our our website as soon as the information is available.

Housing Forum and House Hunting Weekend

Each year at the end of January the Student Accommodation Office in conjunction with the Students' Union AWARE Office present a Housing Forum presentation. The aim of the Forum is to offer advice to students who will be looking for private sector accommodation for the following academic year.

A special House Hunting Weekend for students not being housed in University residence is held in mid-August each year.
Representatives from the Student Accommodation Office and Students' Union AWARE Office are on hand throughout the weekend to check contracts and give advice. Students attending have the chance to meet others looking for accommodation, get to know Bath and view available accommodation. Please click the House Hunting Weekend link to find out more.

Types of Private Sector Accommodation

The following information will be useful to help you find your own accommodation in the private sector. Properties start being advertised for the new academic year on our database from February. The database is continually updated throughout the year. Obviously the later you leave it to search for suitable accommodation the less options will be available as it gets very busy in Bath during September.

The two main types of accommodation that appear on the Private Lettings Database are:

Shared Houses and Flats

Lodgings - Resident Landlords/ladies

Contracts

Assured short hold tenancy
The majority of non-resident landlords let under an assured short hold tenancy.
The minimum period of let is three months, but often landlords require longer fixed term periods, usually of ten to twelve months. If the contract does not have a one month opt-out clause then tenants are financially liable for rental for the full period.

When students move into a shared house they generally sign a joint tenancy. Under a joint tenancy you are all jointly and severally liable for the whole rent for the property and any damage or other problems. This means that if someone moves out they should continue to pay their share of the rent until their name is replaced on the tenancy. However, if they don't, the remaining tenants will have to make up the shortfall until a replacement is found.

Licence
If you are living with a resident landlord in part of their home you may have a licence rather than a tenancy. Licences are less secure than tenancies but can be more flexible, since you and the landlord need only give each other the full period between rent payments as sufficient notice for you to move out. So if you are looking for a contract of less than six months it may be worth considering accommodation with a resident landlord/lady.

Contract advice
It is always best to view any accommodation before signing a contract or paying any money. You should read through any written agreement very carefully and be sure that you understand all the terms before you sign. We recommend that before you sign any contract you get advice from either:

Family Accommodation

Furnished family accommodation at a reasonable cost is very difficult to find in Bath and families can expect to pay per month £500 - £700 for a small house or flat. In addition, tenants are responsible for gas, electricity and telephone bills, and often for water and sewerage rates.

It is strongly recommended that students with families do not bring spouses and/or children to Bath until they have been able to acquire suitable accommodation for them. We will always do our best to provide a new student with temporary single accommodation while they seek appropriate family accommodation. Please contact the Student Accommodation Office , in advance of your arrival, to make suitable arrangements.

Temporary Accommodation in Bath

If you cannot come to Bath before 20 September the following information on other sources of temporary accommodation may be useful: