Moving In & Viewings
Liverpool’s student letting season traditionally starts around mid-October, with houses being released for the following summer. The best houses on the most popular streets can go quickly, so it’s definitely worth starting your search early.
Register your interest with us and we’ll keep you in the loop as suitable houses become available – it’s the easiest way to get an early look at the good ones!
Just enquire through our website or one of the property portals and we’ll get in touch to arrange a day and time that works for you.
Try to get as many of your group to the viewing as possible. If you all love the house, having everyone there means you can have a quick chat and make a decision together. Sending one or two people on behalf of a big group can slow things down – and the best houses can go quickly!
Obviously check the important stuff – price, location, bedrooms, amenities and exactly what’s included – but have a look at the agent or landlord too. You’re going to be dealing with them for a long time, so reputation and experience matter!
If bills are included, ALWAYS ask what the utilities cap is and compare it with other agents. Some ‘bills included’ deals have surprisingly low caps that can catch students out. Ours is very generous and very few of our tenants have gone over it in recent years.
And if the current tenants are around, ask them what they think of the house and agent – you’ll usually get a pretty honest answer!
The best houses can go really quickly, especially on the most popular streets, so if you find one you all love it’s worth being ready to move.
That said, don’t panic and take the first house you see! The standard of student accommodation in Liverpool gets better every year, so make sure you love the house AND you’re happy with the group you’re signing with – you could be living together for a long time!
Great! Once your group tells us you want the house, we’ll collect everyone’s details and explain exactly what happens next.
The Renters’ Rights Act has changed the timing around when certain student tenancy agreements can be entered into, so the exact process depends on how far away your move-in date is. Don’t worry – we’ll guide everyone through it and make it really clear what you need to do and when.
Applying & Referencing
Nothing too complicated. You’ll need to complete your Right to Rent checks, which normally means photo ID and an identity verification check. We’ll also need evidence that you’re a student, such as your student ID or confirmation of enrolment, plus your guarantor’s details.
Our system will take you through it and our team is always there if you get stuck.
Yes. Every tenant named on the tenancy needs to complete their own application and the required checks.
This ensures each person’s Right to Rent information and guarantor details are properly recorded and helps us get the whole group ready for the tenancy.
No – we don’t charge a holding deposit.
We want to make securing the house you love as cheap and straightforward as possible, so we don’t ask you to hand over money just to apply. We’ll always explain clearly what payments are required before you commit to anything.
If something changes after you’ve entered into your tenancy, tell us as soon as possible – the earlier we know, the more chance we have of helping.
You may still be responsible for the tenancy and rent unless another arrangement is agreed. If a replacement tenant is the best solution, finding one is primarily your responsibility, so get advertising! With your written permission we’ll look alongside you and do everything we reasonably can to help find someone and get things sorted.
Guarantors must be UK-based and able to demonstrate that they could cover your rent if required. They should usually be a UK homeowner or stable long-term renter, with regular income or sufficient savings to cover your annual rent.
Ideally, your guarantor should be a parent, guardian, close relative or another financially established adult. We generally can’t accept other students, housemates, friends or peers, financially dependent partners, or anyone without sufficient income, savings or a stable UK history.
All guarantors are subject to approval and our usual checks.
Guarantors & Parents
Our usual requirement is for a UK-based guarantor. If your proposed guarantor lives overseas, speak to us as early as possible.
Depending on the property and landlord, there may be another option – so speak to us and we’ll see what can work. We’ll explain what can be accepted before you proceed.
Many student houses are let on a joint tenancy, which can involve joint and several liability. This can mean a guarantor’s liability is not necessarily limited to one tenant’s individual share of the rent.
Exactly what applies depends on the guarantee they sign, so we always recommend that guarantors read the tenancy agreement and guarantee carefully and ask us about anything they’re unsure of before signing.
Guarantors receive the tenancy agreement and any guarantor-specific documents they are asked to sign, so they can see exactly what they are agreeing to.
Day-to-day tenancy matters are normally dealt with directly with the tenants. We would generally contact a guarantor where something relevant to their guarantee arises, such as rent arrears, or where there is a serious concern at the property.
Having photo ID and evidence of income or savings ready will help speed things up.
We’d also encourage guarantors to actually read the agreement rather than just clicking through it! If a parent or guarantor has a question, they’re very welcome to call us directly – we’d much rather explain something beforehand than have confusion later.
Tenancy, Rent & Bills
Your tenancy agreement covers all the important bits – your rent, payment dates, deposit arrangements and the responsibilities of you and your landlord.
It also explains things like bills, maintenance, looking after the house and how the tenancy can be ended. Please do read it before signing! If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask us – there’s no such thing as a silly question when you’re signing a tenancy.
The deposit amount is shown on the property advert and tenancy documentation, as it can vary between properties.
Where a tenancy deposit is taken, we protect it with MyDeposits in line with the legal requirements. This safeguards the deposit during the tenancy and provides an independent process if there is a disagreement about deductions at the end.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, rent for these tenancies is payable monthly. Your exact amount and payment date will be clearly shown in your tenancy agreement, and payment is normally made by bank transfer or standing order into our client account.
If you think you’re going to struggle with a payment, please don’t ignore it and hope it goes away! Speak to us as early as possible and we’ll talk through the situation with you.
Most of our properties are offered with bills included, subject to a fair-usage allowance for gas, electricity and water. The allowance is set in advance and is designed to comfortably cover normal student usage.
We track usage throughout the tenancy, so if your house is running unusually high we’ll let you know well in advance and give you the chance to bring it down. You’d only be asked to contribute towards the difference if the allowance is exceeded.
Our cap is very generous compared with many other agents and, in the last few years, very few of our tenants have gone over.
Top tip: ask us – and every other agent you view with – what their utilities cap actually is. It’s really important! A cheap-looking ‘bills included’ house with a tiny cap might not be as cheap as it first appears.
Households made up entirely of qualifying full-time students are generally exempt from council tax. You may need to provide evidence of your student status to the council, and we can help guide you through the process.
If someone in the household is not a qualifying full-time student, the council tax position can be different, so check with us and the local authority if you’re unsure.
Living in the Property
HMO stands for House in Multiple Occupation. Broadly, it describes a home shared by people from more than one household who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
Depending on its size, occupancy and location, an HMO may need a council licence and must meet relevant management and safety standards. We manage the compliance requirements for properties under our management.
We don’t expect you to become a handyman! As a tenant, your job is mainly to look after the house day to day, keep it reasonably clean, deal with simple things such as changing a lightbulb where appropriate, and tell us quickly if something goes wrong.
The landlord, or us on their behalf, deals with the repairs and safety responsibilities that sit with the landlord, including things like heating, electrics and gas installations. The sooner you report a problem, the sooner we can get onto it
For non-urgent repairs, the easiest way is through our maintenance portal. You can also phone or email the office if you’d rather speak to someone – whichever is easiest for you.
Give us as much information as you can and send photos where possible. It really does help us diagnose the problem and get the right person out faster.
For genuine emergencies, our phone line is manned 24/7, so there’s always someone available when you really need us.
An occasional overnight guest is normally fine – just remember you live with other people, so be considerate and have a chat with your housemates.
Pets are different, so please speak to us first. Don’t just turn up with a puppy and hope for the best! We’ll check the tenancy, property and landlord’s position and let you know what’s possible.
Absolutely make it feel like home, but check with us before painting walls or doing anything permanent.
Posters and temporary decorations are normally fine as long as they don’t damage the walls or paintwork. If you’re not sure, send us a quick message first – much easier than arguing about a damaged wall when you move out!
Our main job is to provide you with a nice, clean and safe home – we try not to become referees in housemate arguments if we can avoid it!
Most disagreements are best sorted by talking to each other first. If it carries on or starts affecting the tenancy or property, speak to us and we’ll help mediate or offer practical advice. If it becomes something more serious, we can also point you towards the right independent support.
Lettings Season & Timelines
The main student letting season in Liverpool has traditionally started around mid-October, with students looking for houses for the following academic year.
The Renters’ Rights Act has changed the timing of when certain student tenancy agreements can be entered into, so our release and signing process now reflects the new rules. You can still register your interest early and view properties as they become available.
Historically, student tenancies in Liverpool ran for around 12 months, commonly starting in the summer to align with the academic year. Property-specific start dates will be shown on our adverts and confirmed during the letting process.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, most private student tenancies are now rolling periodic tenancies rather than fixed terms, so there is no fixed contractual end date in the traditional sense.
If you’re planning to leave, particularly as part of a joint tenancy, speak to us before serving formal notice so we can explain the options and any effect on your housemates.
Some properties offer a summer retainer, where you pay a reduced amount – usually half rent for July – before fully moving in on an agreed date.
During this period, you may be able to store belongings and access the property, but cleaning, maintenance or improvement works may still be taking place ready for the full move-in date.
Not all properties offer a summer retainer, so please check with us if this is important to your group.
Please speak to us BEFORE handing in formal notice, especially if you’re renting as part of a group.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act you have the right to end a periodic tenancy by giving the required notice, but on a joint tenancy that can have consequences for everyone – including your housemates who might be perfectly happy and want to stay!
Quite often there’s a better solution. We may be able to help you find a replacement and arrange a swap without unnecessarily disrupting the rest of the house. We’d encourage you to advertise alongside us too – the more people looking, the quicker we can hopefully find someone and get you moved on.
First thing: speak to us before anyone hands in official notice!
With a joint tenancy, one person serving notice can have implications for the whole tenancy, which is obviously a big issue if the rest of the group want to stay.
In many cases, finding a suitable replacement is a much better answer. We can help with the process and, where possible, arrange the change without unnecessarily ending or disrupting the tenancy for everyone else.
Landlords & Investors
We manage predominantly student properties across Liverpool’s most popular university areas, including Smithdown Road, the Georgian Quarter and Kensington. We also manage properties aimed at young professionals, including apartments around Sefton Park and Liverpool City Centre.
Our portfolio ranges from studios and apartments to smaller shared houses and large student HMOs, catering for individuals and groups of all sizes.
We also have a sister company, FIT Property in Sheffield, offering student and professional accommodation across the city.
If you’re considering letting a property with us, our experienced team can advise on the areas, property types and tenant markets that tend to perform best.
We offer two main ways to work with us: a tenant-find service for landlords who want to manage the property themselves, and a full management service covering areas such as rent collection, compliance, maintenance and day-to-day tenant management.
Fees depend on the service and property, so get in touch for an up-to-date quote. Our tenant-find service operates on a no let, no fee basis.
It depends on the property, where it is and how many people live there. You may need a Selective or HMO Licence, as well as things such as a Gas Safety Certificate, EICR and EPC, plus the correct smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
HMOs can have extra requirements around fire risk assessments, fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, PAT testing and other fire-safety measures. There are also landlord responsibilities around legionella, furnishings and general property safety.
There’s quite a lot to keep on top of and renewal dates are all different – which is exactly why our Full Management landlords don’t have to remember them all! We monitor the compliance and renewal dates and arrange what’s needed to help keep the property up to date.
Maintenance requests are handled through our in-house team and trusted network of contractors, helping us get repairs assessed and dealt with quickly.
We also carry out regular property inspections to pick up issues early and help keep the property in good shape. Landlords using our full management service receive updates so they can stay informed about the condition of their property.
Renters’ Rights Act
Quite a lot! The Renters’ Rights Act has changed the traditional student tenancy model. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21 ‘no-fault’ notices have gone, with most private student tenancies now operating on a rolling periodic basis.
The good news for the student market is that there is a specific possession ground, Ground 4A, for qualifying student HMOs. This can allow a landlord to recover the house for a new group of full-time students for the following academic year, provided all of the legal requirements have been followed.
For most students renting from a private landlord, assured tenancies are now periodic rather than fixed-term.
Tenants can generally end the tenancy by giving the required notice. If you rent as part of a group, always speak to us before serving formal notice, as notice on a joint tenancy can affect your housemates as well.
In many cases, if just one person wants to leave, we may be able to help arrange a replacement without unnecessarily disrupting the existing group.
This is one of the big changes for student lettings.
For a landlord to use the new student possession ground, Ground 4A, the tenancy must not have been agreed more than 6 months before you’re entitled to move in. That means the old days of signing a tenancy really early in the academic year have had to change.
You can still view houses and register your interest earlier – we’ll just make sure the actual booking and signing process is handled at the right time.
For qualifying student HMOs, Ground 4A can allow a landlord to recover the property so it can be let to a new group of full-time students for the following academic year.
Strict conditions apply, including requirements around the property, the tenants, information given at the start of the tenancy and the notice served. We manage this process carefully for properties where Ground 4A applies.
You can generally end your periodic tenancy by giving at least 2 months’ notice.
BUT – and this is important – if you live in a shared house on a joint tenancy, speak to us before formally serving notice. It can affect the whole tenancy and your housemates too.
If you’re the only person who wants to leave, finding a replacement may be a much better solution and we’ll happily help you with that.
The Renters’ Rights Act introduced much stricter rules around rent in advance. For relevant new tenancies, landlords and agents generally cannot require more than one month’s rent in advance.
This is a significant change for student lettings, where termly or larger upfront payments were historically common. We’ll explain the payment schedule that applies to your tenancy before you sign.
Rent can generally only be increased once per year using the formal statutory process, with tenants receiving the required notice.
Tenants also have the right to challenge a proposed increase through the tribunal if they believe it is above the market rent.
The Renters’ Rights Act does not remove the need for guarantors, so guarantors remain an important part of student renting.
Because assured tenancies are now periodic rather than fixed-term, guarantors should make sure they understand the tenancy and guarantee they are signing. We clearly explain our requirements as part of the application process.
GOV.UK has detailed guidance on the Renters’ Rights Act covering things like periodic tenancies, notice, rent and student accommodation.
There’s a lot of information out there and some of it can be pretty heavy reading, so if you just want to know what something actually means for your house, give us a call or email and we’ll explain it in plain English.
General / About Us
Rooms4u is an independent Liverpool letting agent specialising predominantly in student accommodation. We manage properties across popular student areas including Smithdown Road, Sefton Park, the Georgian Quarter and Kensington, housing thousands of students.
Being independent means you deal with a real local team rather than a national call centre, whether you’re a tenant, parent or landlord.
You can reach us by phone, email or just pop into the office at 467A Smithdown Road, Liverpool, L15 5AE – right next door to the Brookhouse Pub!
Our main number is 0151 735 1440 and the phone line is manned 24/7, including for genuine out-of-hours emergencies.
For general enquiries, email [email protected] and we’ll make sure it gets to the right person.
And during office hours, you’re always welcome to come in and speak to us face to face.
We’re members of The Property Redress Scheme and Safeagent, and operate under the Trading Standards Approved Code – so there are proper independent standards and protections behind the service we provide.
We also have Client Money Protection through Safeagent, which helps protect money we hold on behalf of landlords and tenants, and tenancy deposits are registered and protected with MyDeposits in line with the legal requirements.
In short, we take looking after our landlords’ and tenants’ money – and doing things properly – very seriously.
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