Throughout this resource we have provided plenty of information for those looking to rent, on both the legal standings – as well as best practice tips for budgeting and finding a property to begin with.
In this section, we’ll provide useful details on the scams to be aware of and a checklist for moving into your rented accommodation.
At s1homes, we do everything in our power to ensure rental scams don't get posted on the site or emailed to our clients or renters. It is virtually impossible to stop every single scam email from getting through our system, but hopefully by highlighting common scams we can prevent our users becoming victims.
Scammers will try to make the victim feel as comfortable as possible in order to gain access to their funds. Here is how they do it:
Please take all necessary steps to protect yourself online. Never provide sensitive information such as bank details, transaction numbers, or unnecessary personal information to third parties.
You can use this link to check either the Landlord or rental property by postcode.
https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/search/start
Always keep all emails, correspondence and records until you are satisfied that the deal has been completed successfully. If you have been the victim of fraud, please contact the police and report the problem directly to them.
If you're a student looking for rented accommodation, you're not alone. Students form a large part of the rental market - but their needs are quite often different from other tenants.
You'll probably only want a short-term lease - maybe nine months - and you'll probably need to share to make your loan stretch as far as possible.
In which case, plan ahead. Communal living can be fun and a great student experience - but it can be full of pitfalls if one person in a flat doesn't pull their weight, financially or otherwise.
If you’re planning to share a house or flat with other students try to make sure you all have your own tenancy agreements specifying which room you occupy.
That way, you're only responsible for your own share of the rent and can give notice separately from your flatmates. If all your names are on one tenancy agreement, you are joint tenants - which means if one of you moves out or stops paying rent, those who remain can find themselves liable for the shortfall and any arrears.
Make sure you register for Council Tax. If you are all students, you will not be charged, although if one or more of you is not a student, they might be liable to pay something.
