ADVICE

Step 1  House Hunting

Finding a group of friends- ideally, you will need to get a group together. AJM Property Management offers houses for groups of three to six friends. It is important that you choose the right friends. Friendships can be tested when you share a house with someone! You will be jointly responsible for the rent, the bills, as well as the cleaning.

Choose your location- the next step is for you to work out where you want to live. Think about how close you want to be to your university, shops and other amenities. Accommodation close to Cardiff University is generally more expensive and rooms can be smaller, although this is a generalisation.

Priorities in a house- think about what you would like about the house you are looking for and discuss it with your friends. For example, it may be important to have two bathrooms. Do you all want large bedrooms? Is a dishwasher or tumble drier necessary?

Set your budget- rent can be anything from £230 to £300 per person per month. The price will reflect the facilities in the property, such as room size, number of bathrooms.

Step 2 Viewings

Once you have got a group together, it will be time for you to view some properties. It is always a good idea to view houses with a few different agencies or landlords before making a decision.

Please try to book viewings at least 24 hours in advance. It is a requirement that the current tenants are given 24 hour’s notice if the landlord or agent is visiting the property.

Agents usually charge a non-refundable fee. This is payable when you decide to take, and sign up for a property. You should ask any agency about their fees. AJM Property Management charges a fee of just £50 per tenant, which is only payable on signing up for one of our properties.

When you have seen a few properties you will get a much better idea of your requirements, including location, budget, room size and facilities.

Step 3 Know about bills

Potential tenants should be aware of how much bills will cost. Some landlords offer all-inclusive rents, or at least include some of the bills in the rent. AJM Property Management does not include bills. You should budget for around £200 per house per month to cover electricity, gas, water, TV licence and a basic internet package. Please be aware that water rates are charged from the start of the tenancy (usually 1st July) even if you are not living at the property.

Step 4 Signing Up

When you decide to take a property, you will need to pay a deposit and agency fees. All houses offered with AJM Property Management have a deposit payable of £350 per tenant, our agency fee is just £50 per tenant. We are able to take the property off the market, if part of this amount is paid, and agree a timescale for the balance to be paid.

It is important that you see the tenancy agreement before signing it. We will be able to provide you with a copy of this document before the final instalment of the deposit is paid.

We also invite all new tenants to a second viewing of the property they have chosen as their home. This allows you the chance to look at the house in detail. We will be able to draw up a list of any maintenance we need to do over the summer.

We will need some details from you, including full name; family address including post code and telephone number; email address; mobile telephone number; name of your university and the title of the course you are attending. We ask you to provide a photocopy of your driving licence or other form of identity and your student card.

Step 5 The Start of the Tenancy

Most of our tenancies start on 1st July, although most students are out of Cardiff over the summer. We will remind you by email that the tenancy is about to start and that rent is payable on 1st July. Our tenancies have half rent for July and August for rooms that are unoccupied.

If you want to store belongings in your new house over the summer, we will be happy to help. The best time for you to drop off your belongings is a few days before the end of June. We are likely have at least one room free and will negotiate with the current tenants to allow you to drop your things off. We will need about a week’s notice as this is a busy time of year for us!

Step 6 Moving in Frequently Asked Questions

Water ( for tenancies where the tenants pay the water bill ), AJM Property Management will contact Welsh Water and in form them that you are taking responsibility for the water bills from the start date of the tenancy. Welsh Water will then send the new tenants a bill for the period from the start of the tenancy until 31st March the following year. If the house has been vacated for a coupe of months, you will find several bills and final reminders from Welsh Water on you arrival. Do not be alarmed if you prefer to pay in instalments, you can call Welsh Water on the 0800 number on the bills, and tell them that you want to pay monthly. Please be aware if the tenancy starts on the 1st July, the tenants are liable for the rates from this date, even if they didn't live at the property over the summer

Television license- A TV License  will be required if any of the housemates have a television. You will only need on license for the whole household. The license can be bought online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk , the cost is about £155 for one year.

Electricity and Gas- We will take meter readings for the electricity and gas supplies when the first of the tenants moves into the property. The new tenants will not need to pay for electricity and gas while a house is empty over the summer. AJM Property Management will keep a copy of the meter readings in case of any subsequent disputes. It is up to the tenants to contact the electricity and gas suppliers to inform them that they have moved in. To find out who supplies your electricity, you can call the meter point administration line on 08456030618, for gas, call the M number enquiry line on 08706081524. Once you know the suppliers and their numbers, you can call them and give them your names, the date you moved in and the meter readings. They will be able to set up the new accounts for you. This process is done after you move into your new house and have the meter readings.

Internet (for tenancies where the tenants organise the internet)- there are a handful of companies that are able to supply broadband internet to your home. The most common supplier for the CF14, CF23 and CF24 areas is Virgin Media. We have a contact in Virgin Media- Gary Sullivan 07855445530 who will be able to help you to get the internet up and running. There is a high demand for new contracts in September when students come back to Cardiff, so it is a good idea to sort it out earlier and beat the rush.

How Do I Get the Keys?

We will meet you at the house to give you the keys . If you are the first of the tenants to move in, we will do the meter readings at the same time. We can either give all the keys to the first tenant, so they can meet their housemates to move them in, or we can meet the other housemates when they arrive in Cardiff. Please be aware that the summer is the busiest time of the year for us. We will need about 4 days’ notice by phone or email to be able to book in a meeting to let you in. If you do not give us this time, we will be unable to guarantee the cleanliness of your house! If possible, please avoid the first few days of July as this is our busiest week.

How Does the Half Rent Period Work?

Most of our contracts run for 12 months, with half rent for July and August. This policy is due to the fact that most properties will be vacant for these two months. If one of the housemates is living in their room during July and August, we will charge them full rent. However, if the tenants are using their room(s) for the occasional day, for example to sort out the internet, there is no extra charge. The tenants will be asked to take on the electricity and gas bills from this date.

Can I See the Gas Safety Certificate?

Gas appliances in all our properties are all inspected annually. Copies of the inspection certificates are left at the property. However, we are also happy to email a copy of the certificate to any tenants on demand.

What is the Postcode of the House I’m moving into?

You can find your new postcode on the internet, at www.royalmail.com .

How do I get a Parking Permit?

Most, but not all of our properties are on “Permit Parking Only” streets. You get a parking permit from Cardiff County Council. You will get able to find out how much the permit is, and how to apply on their website www.cardiff.gov.uk .  If you need a copy of the tenancy agreement from AJM Property Management, please let us know and we will email or post it to you.

Do I need Insurance?

The landlord has buildings insurance and AJM Property Management has public liability insurance. Your possessions may not be insured. Your parents’ insurance policy may cover you while you are at university, but if not, you will need to get insurance to cover your possessions.