Between dealing with landlords, middle-manning through an estate agent, getting along with the neighbours or signing a lease, moving into a digs can be a big decision for any student.
Between dealing with landlords, middle-manning through an estate agent, getting along with the neighbours or signing a lease, moving into a digs can be a big decision for any student.
The Rhodes Oppidan Union, in cooperation with the Legal Activism Society, hosted a digs workshop last Thursday in order to give advice to students thinking of moving into a digs and those already tied into a lease.
Attended by guest speakers from the Rhodes University Legal Aid Clinic and various property leasing agents from around Grahamstown, the workshop highlighted a number of important things for students to keep in mind when searching for a digs:
10 top tips for moving into digs in Grahamstown
1) It is very important to move in with someone you trust in order to have someone you can rely on to share responsibility for all digs issues.
2) Choose your estate agent wisely. You don’t want to be left with an unhelpful or unpleasant agent because ultimately it is them you will have to deal with for many of your digs matters.
3) Read anything your estate agent gives you very carefully. It is very important that you understand your lease before signing it. Always remember you have the right to question suspicious clauses in your lease and never sign anything you are unsure of.
4) Make sure each person living in the house signs their own lease so if someone moves out you cannot be held liable for paying their rent or finding someone to replace them.
5) Go inspect any prospective digs beforehand, preferably with your estate agent. Make a list of any problems such as leaking pipes or broken windows otherwise you cannot get them fixed by your landlord before moving in and may be held liable for them when you move out. Also be sure to get someone to come in and inspect the house before you move out in order to ensure you get your deposit back.
6) If you fail to make a rent payment, your landlord cannot evict you without a court order. You must be issued a warning for payment by your landlord before the courts can get involved.
7) Meet and respect your neighbours because you will have to live next to them for the entire time you live there and it will make your time there a lot more pleasant for both you and them.
8) When moving into a digs in which you have to pay for your own water or electricity, make sure you let the municipality know that there is a new tenant in the building otherwise you may be held responsible for paying any of the old tenants’ unpaid bills.
9) Oppidans are usually targeted for crime because they often own expensive laptops, cell phones and clothing so take care to protect against robberies because after you’ve been robbed once it is likely that you may be robbed again.
10) And most importantly always pay your rent on time. This will keep your landlord and estate agent on your side and will make your time in your new digs much easier.
