Flatting 101: A guide for first-time flatters

Every year, thousands of students make the leap from home or university accommodation into a flat.

It’s a big step with definite perks but also new hurdles and responsibilities. Here’s how to make sure you land on your feet:

Work out your budget

Check out some rental property listings on Trade Me and Tenancy Services’ market rent guide to get an idea of average rents in the area you want to live in.

As well as rent, remember to factor in initial costs like bond and rent in advance, which can be up to four weeks’ rent each.

READ MORE:
* Hey Wellington landlords, it’s illegal to rent bedrooms without windows
* The secret to a successful rental application
* What can you get kicked out your rental for?
* Know your rights as tenant or landlord

You’ll also need to think about furniture, appliances and homeware (you can eat a lot of things from the packet or pot but plates, cutlery and cups have their place, too).

Other ongoing expenses include contents insurance, power, food, internet and transport, and day-to-day costs like entertainment and shopping.

If your costs look like they’re going to be higher than your income, be prepared to trim discretionary spending.

Find your flat

Now for the (hopefully) fun part. Compile a shortlist of potential properties and get yourself to as many viewings as possible.

Remember that you’re not the only one scoping things out – the landlord or property manager is also looking for the best possible tenants. Present yourself well and treat the viewing like a job interview.

They’ll want to know you’re going to be a reliable, responsible tenant and the best way to convince them of this is with solid references. If you don’t have a previous landlord to recommend you, your last principal or the head of your hall of residence, a boss, tutor or lecturer are all suitable options – just make sure you arrange this with them in advance.

The viewing is also your opportunity to decide if the landlord or property manager is someone you want to deal with – they should be approachable, organised and efficient. Ask a lot of questions and if they set any alarm bells ringing, proceed with caution.

Thoroughly inspect the property

Once you’ve been offered a flat, you’ll want to check it over carefully. Make sure you agree with the landlord on anything that needs to be fixed before you move in.

The property manager should provide a Property Inspection Report along with the tenancy agreement (more on that in a minute). This is a record of the condition of the property before you move in and is usually completed by the tenant and landlord at the same time.

Arrange to have photos of the property taken before you move in.

Some property managers do this as standard but, if not, make sure you do it yourself.

Sign on the dotted line

The Residential Tenancies Act protects both tenants and landlords, and a tenancy agreement sets out everything they have agreed to about the tenancy.

Tenancy agreements have to be in writing and the landlord must give the tenant a copy before the tenancy starts.

Give yourself time to read it before signing and if you’re unsure about anything in it, get some advice.

Your university or polytech’s student support services are a good place to start, and you can also get free legal advice from Community Law, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau or the Tenants Protection Association.

Decide how bills will be paid

If you’re planning to live alone, this is straightforward. But for those going into a shared flat, it’s important to organise the flat finances early.

Most students choose one of two ways to handle regular bills. The first option is to make a different person responsible for each bill and collecting money from their flatmates every month. But because bills (especially power) can fluctuate throughout the year, this can make it hard to budget. It can also cause tension in the flat if anyone is slow to pay.

The other option is to set up a flat bank account, with everyone paying rent and a fixed amount for expenses into the account each week. Nominating one person to pay the bills out of the flat account saves everyone having to work out what they owe.

As a flat, work out how much everyone needs to contribute to cover regular expenses, plus a bit extra to act as a buffer for winter power bills or any shared food or cleaning products. If one person is responsible for paying the bills, ask them to print or email a copy of the bank statement, so you know everything is getting paid on time.

Set up your utilities

Unless you’re keen to try off-grid living, you’ll want to get the power connected pretty quickly. Once you’ve chosen a provider (check the Powerswitch website to get the best deal), give them a call and ask them to switch your power on.

It’s a similar story with phone and internet, although it can take a bit longer to get connected depending on the service you want, for example if your flat isn’t currently connected to fibre. You can compare plans and prices at mycompare.co.nz

Get insured

Insurance might seem like a waste of money if you don’t have a lot of stuff, but it’s worth having.

While it’s the landlord’s responsibility to insure the property, their policy won’t extend to your things.

Contents and liability insurance will cover your belongings and protect you from potentially hefty bills if you or your flatmates damage the house.

If you start a fire (it sounds unlikely, but way stranger things have happened in flats) you could be charged thousands of dollars for repairs.

Contents insurance covers you for personal liability in a situation like that, as well as giving you EQC (Earthquake Commission) cover if your things are damaged by a natural disaster.

Contents insurance for renters costs between $400 and $600 a year, depending on where you live, what you want to cover and how much you insure for – a standard policy will include $10,000 or $20,000 of cover.

Keep inspections in mind…

Landlords and property managers have the right to make regular property inspections, but they can’t just appear at your door and expect to come in.

Tenants must be given at least 48 hours’ notice of an inspection, which can be done between 8am and 7pm and not more often than once every four weeks.

…And keep your landlord in the loop

Contact your landlord if something goes wrong or breaks in your flat – they can’t fix it if they don’t know about it.

Don’t arrange your own repairs without checking with the landlord first, and keep a record of when you raised any issues or repairs.

What to do if things go wrong

Sometimes things go wrong, and it’s important to know what your options are and where to get help.

If there’s a problem with your landlord or the property you’re living in:

• Write down what’s happened
• Gather information like your tenancy agreement, photos or details relating to the issue
• Talk to the landlord about the problem
• If you’re uncomfortable approaching the landlord, or you’ve tried and the problem is ongoing, contact Tenancy Services.