Settling in

Check for safety concerns

Learn where everything is

The water stop-tap and the gas shut-off valve are things you do not want to by searching high and low for during a leak. Make sure you find them and remeber where they are. Let us know if you can't locate them.

Make sure you know your fire escape route (fastest way out and away from the building), including whether your room has an escape window that needs to be kept clear.

Organise your bills

Managing joint household bills & split payments

Managing utility bills as a household can sometimes get tricky when accounts are held in just one person's name, or when trying to manually track who owes what for energy, water, and broadband each month.

To help avoid confusion or late payments, many student households use specialized bill-splitting tools and apps:

1. Free expense-tracking apps (e.g., Splitwise, Tricount)

How it works: One tenant sets up the utility accounts directly with the energy, water, and broadband providers. When a bill arrives, they log the total amount into the app, which automatically calculates each housemate's share.

Pros: Free, transparent, and flexible—great for tracking general shared household expenses (toilet paper, cleaning supplies) alongside utility bills.

Cons: The named account holder remains legally responsible to the utility company for the full payment and still needs to collect money from housemates.

2. Dedicated student bill-splitting services (e.g., Split The Bills, Fused, OneUtilityBill)

How it works: These third-party companies bundle your gas, electricity, water, broadband (and sometimes TV licence) into a single monthly package. Each housemate pays the company directly via individual direct debit for their share.

Pros: Complete peace of mind—no single tenant is left holding the bill if a housemate delays payment.

Cons: These services charge a management fee per person, making them more expensive overall than setting up directly with suppliers.

Whichever method you choose, sit down with your housemates during your first week to agree on how bills will be collected and paid so everyone is on the same page from Day 1.

TV Licensing

The stance of TV Licensing is that students should hold a license, and are not covered by a license held elsewhere.

Here is a link to their website, where you can assess whether you need a license and buy one if necessary. Note that you can claim a partial refund if you are not at the property for a full year.

Organise your living arrangements

It may be a good idea to establish some household ground rules. You can never quite know what someone is like to live with until you do. So it is best to be upfront about these things rather than make assumptions. 

Check out our household harmony section for some more on this.

Who is caring for the garden?

Our policy with the head landlords is that we don't expect our students to be horticulturalists, pruning bushes etc. Some supply a lawnmower for you to occasionally cut the grass, but most will attend to the garden themselves.

If you have been supplied a lawnmower, ensure that you are confident in using it - let us know if not.

Essential information about your property

Please take some time to check the information posted in your property when you first arrive. Add any essential numbers to your phone, such as numbers for repairs or emergencies. Bookmark this site for future reference.

Post for former tenants

If you get post for former tenants, it is usually best to write 'return to sender' on the envelope, and cross out the address to stop it ending up back at your house.

Why go to the effort of doing this? Firstly, it tells companies to stop sending post to your house. Secondly, if the former tenants have debts, the companies chasing them need to know that they are not there- otherwise you may end up with debt collectors at your door.

Register with a GP/ dentist

Make sure you register with a doctor and a dentist.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/how-to-register-with-a-gp-surgery/

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist