We champion our students to be responsible and compassionate neighbours, and are here to provide support if, at any time, you need support when living off-campus.

Renting - your landlord's responsibilities

It is important to remember that when you are renting privately you are not just paying for the room, you are paying for a service from your landlord. This service should provide:

• Timely management of repairs to the property, including infrastructure, plumbing, electrics and any included furniture, white goods or equipment.
• The safety of gas and electrical appliances.
• The fire safety of furniture and furnishings provided under the tenancy.
• Ensuring that the property is fit for habitation.

The Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018 is legislation from the UK government, and as such it is your landlord or service provider’s legal responsibility to keep the house up to a reasonable standard. If they do not comply, you could ask for a discount on rent or compensation.

 If you do have issues with your neighbours, landlord or residents in your home you can access support through the Community Liaison Manager at the university.

This could be, but is not limited to:

• Arguments or tension amongst housemates
• Unresponsive landlords or estate agents
• Disputes between landlords and tenants
• Abuse of your tenancy rights, such as invasive visits or breaches of your tenancy agreement, by a landlord, estate agent or service
• Issues with disrepair, damp and mould or damage in your property
• Experiencing harassment from neighbours, landlords, other students, or members of the local community
• Concerns when moving into your property
• Deposit disputes at the end of your tenancy

Get in touch with the Community Liaison:
Email: community.liaison@canterbury.ac.uk
Appointments: book an appointment here

Bills

Gas and electric

When organising your gas and electric you can use comparison sites to ensure you are getting the best deal. If you are living somewhere with an all-inclusive bills package with a fair usage cap, you are entitled to receive monthly bills by sending in your meter readings so you can keep an eye on what you are spending.

It is important to remember that your bills during the autumn and spring will be the highest, this is due to heating and lights in your home. Do not panic! Your usage in the summer will be significantly reduced, meaning that you will likely break even on your fair usage cap by the end of the year if you are responsible with your energy use.

Even if you don't directly pay energy bills yourself, you could still receive the £400 household energy grant. The government has confirmed that landlords will be legally required to pass the rebate onto tenants who pay their energy bill as part of their rent.

If you are concerned about money or struggling to make your bills payments, you can find out more about financial support at the University.

Bill splitting

When managing your household bills, you can download useful bill splitting apps, such as Splitwise, to make sure no one person is responsible for the expenditure each month.

Damp and mould

Managing damp and mould 

Damp and mould are mostly caused by cooking, showering, drying clothes and condensation, so you need to make sure your house is well ventilated and heated. Exposure to mould in your home is not only unpleasant to look at, but it can also lead to a variety of health concerns including respiratory issues, allergies, nose and throat irritation and more. Shelter UK provides the following advice on managing damp and mould in your home.

We understand that the cost of heating your home may be a concern due to the cost of living crisis, but without heating your damp and mould problems could get out of hand. For financial support with the cost of daily living you can apply for support through the Access to Learning Fund.

Your landlord's responsibilities for damp and mould

Your landlord could be responsible for damp and mould in your home when it is:

• Penetrating damp – caused by a leak in the roof, walls or faulty windows
• Rising damp – caused by issues with groundwater rising through the walls and foundation of the house.
• A substantial risk to your health and safety

If you notice issues with damp exacerbated by a leak or rising damp, or you are concerned for your health, you can request your landlord to investigate and fix any potential issues.

Being a good neighbour

We value our relationship with our local community and many of our students are kind, considerate and responsible neighbours. Showing consideration and care for your term-time home and local residents is an important part of living off-campus.

Our top tips for being a good neighbour

Get to know your neighbours.

Building community through neighbourly relationships is an important part of independent living. Say hello to your new neighbours when you move in, they will always appreciate the opportunity to meet you and open up a friendly dialogue. They may be taking in your parcels or might offer to keep an eye on the house when you are away, so do make sure you get off on the right foot.

If you feel safe doing so, it is recommended to exchange contact details with your neighbour, in case you need to communicate throughout the duration of your tenancy.

Contribute to local schemes and groups and care for your green spaces.

Be a community champion and advocate for where you live alongside your community. By joining local interest groups, charity newsletters or residence associations, you can find opportunities to give back and make a difference whilst living here.

Show kindness and consideration to all.

We celebrate the diversity of individuals and opportunities in our community and showing compassion for all in your community, and challenging your own biases, will enrich your experience of living locally. You could meet new friends, allies and mentors in the community by giving and getting respect.

Report environmental issues through the local council website.

By reporting incidents of fly tipping, antisocial behaviour and vandalism you can support your local council to provide support in the community where it is needed. By doing so you also show care for your locality and can make a difference for all residents.

To find out more about reporting environmental issues to your council, click the relevant district below:

• Canterbury
• Medway

Bins

Bins when not managed properly can lead to a build-up of rubbish in your home, and if left can lead to unpleasant smells and may attract rodents and other pests. Follow our guidance below to ensure you manage your bins properly whilst living off-campus:

• Find out which bins are collected on what day and make a note is and put your bins out the night before, to avoid missing early pick-ups in your area. To find out your bin day you can check your local council website here:
  • Canterbury
  • Medway
• Organise your rubbish and recycling to prevent bins not being collected due to contamination. To find out what item goes in which bin, have a look at the helpful council information pages from your local council:
  • Canterbury: Where to put your waste
  • Medway: What goes in my rubbish bins or bags?
• Keep the lid of your bin shut to prevent seagulls or foxes from tearing bin bags and dispersing your rubbish.
• If you do not have the correct bins ask your landlord to provide you with new bins.

Noise

It is important to remember that those you live alongside may have a different lifestyle to you, perhaps with young children, focussed on their studies or working unsociable hours and in need of rest, so be sure to show respect by keeping noise to a reasonable level.

We recommend celebrating or holding events in town, away from residential areas. However, if this isn’t possible, please follow the guidance below when organising an event at your home:

• Keep the noise to a reasonable level and try to make sure you're not making a noise that can be heard outside your property.
• Tell your neighbours in advance if you are planning an event. They may welcome an opportunity to discuss with you what noise levels are reasonable and what time they would like you to quieten down.
• Consider reasonable capacity for your property and do not invite too many guests.
• Move your sound system away from the walls and close your windows when playing music.
• Stay inside and ask guests to be respectful if going into the garden or when leaving the property.
• Watch out for gate-crashers - if your think your house party is getting out of control and you don't feel that you can stop it, call the police on 999 for assistance.
• If you do get a reasonable complaint about noise or the behaviour of your guests, apologise, turn the music down and stop the behaviour which motivated the complaint.

Most neighbours will be happy with an occasional event that doesn't get out of hand and quietens down at a reasonable time or on request. Too much noise, too late or too often will annoy neighbours and you may find yourself the subject of complaints to the University, City Council and/or Kent Police.