Here are the principals I adhere to myself when renting a room, considered usual for most decent landlords. You cannot consider them in any way a ‘contract’ unless your landlord specifically states this. It’s simply booking a room for a given period of time (please don’t ask for a year, we cannot do it and it’s unlikely others will!). If you need an empadron check with your landlord before moving in.
Deposit
1 months rent is the usual security deposit. If no damages are found when you leave, the deposit is refunded 1 month after your official leaving date. Invoices confirming your expected leaving date are available when you move in. If you need your deposit refunded on the day of leaving you must arrange to have your room inspected 1 week before leaving and again on the day the deposit is returned. That is at the landlords discretion.
Official Leaving Date
An example is easiest:
You take the room for 6 months on the 1st Jan so your official leaving date is 3oth Jun. Your deposit would be returned 31st Aug, all being well. Remember that unless you discuss this, someone may well arrive to take your room 1st Jul
- You decide to stay longer – your new date is 1 month from the day you eventually give notice, unless other arrangement have been made
- If you decide to move in with your mate 2 weeks into the booking, your leaving date is still 30th Jun. Your deposit will go towards any rent not paid for that 6 month period, ie no refund.
- After the 6 months period, if you leave without notice then your leaving date is 1 month after you state that you want to leave. Your deposit now covers any unpaid rent for that period.
NOTE: If your deposit does not cover the rent due, then you are liable for the difference.
Deposit Deductions
- As above, non paid rent for the booked period
- Obviously any damages, including things like nails in walls to hang pictures, damaged/dirty bed linen.
- Pillows, duvets, towels and bed linen are not provided. In practice, tenants usually leave behind what’s there and there will be a set in your room. If you change these things and take them with you when you go, you must replace them with items of the same quality if you have not kept the originals.
- If you have unknowingly stained the mattress (people often lie on the bed while waiting for laundry without the proper mattress protection) you must get the mattress cleaned before inspection day otherwise the cost of cleaning it will be deducted. Sweat and sun tan oil are very difficult stains to remove. If it’s stained beyond cleaning the replacement costs will also be deducted from your deposit.
- If you have painted your room (with permission I hope) you must return it to its original color before inspection day.
- Smoking (It’s a biggie!) If you have smoked in your room your deposit will be forfeit. There are no exceptions. The room has to be repainted, all bedding replaced etc.. It may be nothing to you but to a non smoker it’s huge!
- Loss of keys. You are responsible for the cost of replacing locks if you lose your key. This includes the “spare” which is simply an emergency key held for reasons of safety or illness only. If you lose a key to the front door the replacement will be for everyone in the house plus a spare. Replacement costs include the builders charge.
Please remember that timescales on deposit refunds 99 time out of a 100 can be sorted to suit both parties if discussed well in advance. Problems arise when someone thinks, wrongly, that they are due a certain amount and that’s not the case.
So read before you arrive and you can avoid any pitfalls. Clean, tidy and as it was, with the booking term completed, there will be no worries.
Again, these are my personal methods of ensuring no misunderstandings and of course, your co-living situation may be different. That said, I hope it’s given you some pitfalls to avoid and ask any questions BEFORE you move in, not on the day you realise you need your deposit back!
