UK Easy Rental Advice			Rent a Room Rent a Studio Rent a Flat Rent an Apartment Rent a House
	DEFINITIONS & EASY EXPLANATIONS
HOME ADVICE Help & Advice for FOREIGN STUDENTS FOREIGN WORKERS DEFINITIONS EXPLANATIONS LINKS SUBMIT START Choose Type of Accommodation SEARCH VIEW ARRANGE MOVE IN MOVE IN LIVING IN RENTED ACCOMMODATION Problems & Solutions MOVE OUT SITE MAP CONTACT US	Administrative Charge A charge made by a letting agent to cover the cost of administrative jobs such as creating a tenancy agreement and drawing up an inventory. Apartment A property, or unit of accommodation, consisting of several rooms and usually located on one floor only of a building. Another word with exactly the same meaning is flat. Break Clause A break clause gives the Landlord or Tenant an option to give notice (usually 2 months) during the fixed term of the tenancy. Although notice under a break clause can be given at anytime during the fixed term the tenant’s statutory right to remain at the property for a minimum of 6 months means that they are normally put in to give both the Landlord and Tenant some flexibility after the initial 6 months period. BT If you intend to use BT to provide your telephone service there must be a BT landline connection in the studio, flat or house that you intend to rent. You can access the landline by connecting an appropriate cable to the BT point, a square socket, usually positioned on the wall or skirting board of one of the rooms in the studio, flat or house. You may wish to use other services provided by BT, such as broadband internet. Once again this means making a connection with an appropriate cable to the BT point. Useful Links Central Heating A system for heating a whole flat, house or building, by means of pipes, radiators etc. connected to a central source of heat. Useful Links Condensation & Mould Condensation occurs when warm air meets a cold surface. The water in the air either settles as water droplets on the surface, as it does on windows for example, or, if the surface is absorbent, it soaks into the surface. In the latter case condensation is not noticed unless, or until, a growth of fungus called mould appears as a dull green, grey or black mark on the surface. Useful Links Converted Building A building that was originally built as a house, guest house or hotel, that has been converted into a collection of bedsits, studios and/or flats. A flat located in a converted building is known as a converted flat. Flats located in a building that was originally a house will often be very different from each other in design and layout. Council Tax A tax that you pay to your local authority in order to pay for local services such as schools, libraries, and rubbish collection. The amount of council tax that you pay depends on the value of the house or flat where you live. Useful Links Credit Check A credit check is a procedure to check the creditworthiness of a person or the likelihood that person will pay his or her debts. Useful Links Crockery Dishes, plates, cups & saucers, etc. Usually found in the kitchen. Cutlery Knives, forks and spoons for table use. Usually found in the kitchen. Deposit A sum of money paid as a guarantee against loss or damage. Learn More I Useful Links Double Glazing A double glazed window is constructed of two panes, separated by a vacuum, providing added heat and sound insulation. Entryphone A two way internal telephone system found in a building, such as a block of flats, allowing communication between someone inside the flat and someone else standing at the communal front door to the building. For the security and peace of mind of the person in the flat, a remote door release button is usually included as part of the entryphone fixture inside the flat. This feature gives the person in the flat complete control over the locking and releasing of the communal front door. Flat A property, or unit of accommodation, consisting of several rooms and usually located on one floor only of a building. Another word with exactly the same meaning is apartment. Floors - How Are They Identified? In the U.K. floors in a building are identified as follows. The floor at ground level is called the ground floor. Above the ground floor is the first floor. Above the first floor is the second floor, and so on. Therefore in a block of flats containing eight floors, the bottom floor is called the ground floor, and the top floor will be called the seventh floor. A floor located below ground level is called a basement. A floor located in the roof of a building is often called an attic. Forwarding Address A forwarding address is an address that you give to someone when you go and live somewhere else so that they can send your mail on to you. This is most effectively achieved by setting up a "mail redirection". Useful Links Fuses - Circuit Breakers In older properties a fuse will blow in the event of an electrical fault. After the fault has been rectified, the fuse should be replaced. In newer, or rewired properties, a circuit breaker will blow in the event of an electrical fault. After the fault has been rectified, the circuit breaker should be reset. Guarantor A person who gives a guarantee. For example, where a prospective renter is unable to obtain the required references, the landlord or agent may suggest that the prospective renter's parents guarantee the payment of rent. In this situation the parents are acting as guarantors. Haggle The negotiate, bargain over, or argue about a price. Inventory An itemised list of all the furniture, fixtures and fittings contained in a property. Learn More Kitchenette A small kitchen, or a section of a room serving as a kitchen. Landing The level part of a staircase between flights of steps, or, the level area at the very top of a staircase. Landlord / Landlady A landlord, or landlady, is a person who owns a property which he or she rents out as accommodation to another person, or group of people, such as a family or a group of friends sharing. Letting Agent A letting agent is a facilitator, usually a company or organisation with an office or offices on the high street, through which an agreement is made between a landlord and tenant for the rental of a residential property. In the UK the agreement between Landlord and Tenant is normally formalised by the signing of a Tenancy Agreement. Lodger A person who rents accommodation in someone else's home, often temporarily. Lounge A sitting room in a flat or house. A room in which to relax, watch TV, and maybe also a place to eat meals. Usually furnished with a settee or sofa and armchairs. Night Storage Heating Night storage heaters are powered by electricity. The storage heater has elements inside it, similar to an electric kettle element. The elements heat up blocks during the time when electricity is cheaper (off-peak). This stored heat is released the following day into the room where the heater is located. Useful Links Notice Requiring Possession A "Notice Requiring Possession" is a legal document that must be served by the landlord to the tenant, at least two months before the end of the term, should the landlord wish to take possession of the property after the term has expired. Useful Links Notice To Leave A notice, given by a landlord to a tenant or lodger, requesting them to move out of the accommodation by a certain date. This term can also refer to the notice given in the reverse direction, ie: from tenant or lodger to landlord. Learn More Plumbing The system of water and gas pipes in a building. Property A formal or legal term meaning a self contained unit of accommodation such as a studio, a flat or a house. Purpose Built A purpose built flat is a flat that was originally constructed to be a flat. In this way it is totally different from a converted flat. Purpose built flats are usually grouped in large blocks. The various flats in a block will usually be identical or similar in design. Referee A person who supplies a reference. Reference A recommendation given by a person or organisation regarding the suitability of an accommodation seeker as a future tenant or lodger. Learn More Sharer A person who shares a room or property with one or more other people who are not family members. Single Glazing A single glazed window is constructed of one pane and therefore heat and sound insulation is poor. Skirting Board A molding covering the joint formed by a wall and the floor. Slot Meter A meter that switches on a gas or electricity supply when a coin or token is inserted. Stairwell The vertical shaft containing a staircase. Standing Order An order by a customer to his/her bank to pay a specified amount usually on or around a particular day of the month regularly to another account. For example, this could be to a bank or building society for regular payment of rent. Stopcock A lever or tap that turns off the water supply to a property in the event of an emergency. Sublet If you rent a property from a landlord and then at some stage during the tenancy you move out and rent that property out to someone else, you are said to have sublet the property. In most tenancy agreements subletting is prohibited. Learn More Tenancy The temporary renting of a property by a tenant. Or, the period during which a property is rented. The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for most dwellings in England and Wales. It is a form of Assured Tenancy with limited security of tenure, which was introduced by the Housing Act 1988, with important changes made by the Housing Act 1996. Useful Links Tenancy Agreement A tenancy agreement is a contract between you and your landlord. It is usually written, but not always. The tenancy agreement gives certain rights to both you and your landlord, for example, your right to occupy the accommodation and the your landlord’s right to receive rent for letting the accommodation. It will define such terms as the amount of rent to be paid, the frequency of payment and the start and end dates of the tenancy. It will also include clauses prohibiting unreasonable practices and behaviour by both the landlord and the tenant. Learn More I Useful Links Tenant A person who lives in a property that he or she does not own, but instead that person rents the property from a landlord. Term A term is the same as the duration of a tenancy. Token A small metal disc, about the size of a coin, used in some slot meters. Trade Button A push button, for the use of trades people such as postmen, repairers and installers, which releases the lock on the communal entrance door to a building divided up into several studios or flats. For security reasons it is usually controlled by a timer which restricts its use to particular times of the day, and particular days of the week. The trade buttton is usually located on the panel next to the entrance door that houses the bell push buttons for all the individual studios or flats in the building. TV The traditional system of TV transmission and reception is called terrestrial TV. The TV signal is received by an aerial, usually positioned on the roof or at some high point on the building. This aerial is connected by a cable, or cables, to one or more rooms in the building. Here the signal is picked up by connecting a cable from a socket called a TV point, usually positioned on a wall or skirting board, to the TV itself. TV License A TV license is an official license required in the U.K. for the reception of television (and sometimes also radio) broadcasts. Useful Links Utility Bill A specified amount, usually paid on, or around, a particular day of the month regularly from a personal bank account to the account of a service provider. For example, this could be for gas, electricity or water consumed at a particular property. Utility Room A room used for keeping large typically household appliances, such as a washing machine and dryer, or for storing cleaning items, such as a mop, bucket, and broom. Vacuum Cleaner An electrically powered cleaning device that lifts dust and dirt by suction. Water Rate A charge made for the use of the public water supply. This can either be a fixed monthly charge, or, a combination of a fixed component plus a variable component dependent on the amount of water consumed, as measured by a water meter. White Goods Large, traditionally white, kitchen appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and cookers.			ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGE APARTMENT BREAK CLAUSE BT CENTRAL HEATING CONDENSATION & MOULD COUNCIL TAX CREDIT CHECK CROCKERY CUTLERY CONVERTED BUILDING DEPOSIT DOUBLE GLAZING ENTRYPHONE FLAT FLOORS - HOW ARE THEY IDENTIFIED? FORWARDING ADDRESS FUSES - CIRCUIT BREAKERS GUARANTOR HAGGLE INVENTORY KITCHENETTE LANDING LANDLORD / LANDLADY LETTING AGENT LODGER LOUNGE NIGHT STORAGE HEATING NOTICE REQUIRING POSSESSION NOTICE TO LEAVE PLUMBING PROPERTY REFEREE REFERENCE SHARER SINGLE GLAZING SKIRTING BOARD SLOT METER STAIRWELL STANDING ORDER STOPCOCK SUBLET TENANCY TENANCY AGREEMENT TENANT TERM TOKEN TRADE BUTTON TV TV LICENSE UTILITY BILL UTILITY ROOM VACUUM CLEANER WATER RATE WHITE GOODS Help & Advice for Foreign Students International Students Foreign Workers !!!