The Consumer Council warns students: – See the property before you rent

High rental prices and housing shortages have created long waiting lists for student accommodation this summer. Several are at risk of spending the start of their studies in a dormitory.

Seven out of ten students who are house hunting say they are open to renting without having seen the home first, according to a recent survey by YouGov, carried out on behalf of the Consumer Council.

Just as many state that they accepted the home unseen the last time they moved. This is a marked increase from last year.

– Attend open house

The Consumer Council warns against renting a home unseen, but getting them to understand that can be difficult.

– If you don’t have the opportunity to go to the screening yourself, check if you know someone who can go there for you, says consumer lawyer Nora Wennberg Gløersen at the Consumer Council in a press release.

– In any case, it is very important that you enter into a written contract, which states what is included in the lease, she continues.

Conflict with landlord

Every year, the Consumer Council receives several inquiries from tenants who experience conflicts with landlords, and who wonder what rights they have. Gløersen has clear advice for tenants to avoid conflict.

She recommends using the Consumer Council’s tenancy contract, which ensures that the tenancy complies with the rules in the Tenancy Act. Gløersen also advises newly moved tenants to always thoroughly check the home for faults and defects.

– If there are nail holes in the wall, dents in the kitchen worktop or other visible damage or defects in the home, you should document these on the day you move in. In the worst case, the landlord can demand that you pay for damages that were there when you moved in, by deducting the deposit, she says.

Takes a deposit

Every summer, the Consumer Council receives reports that landlords are taking tenants’ money without a valid reason. Gløersen warns tenants against transferring the deposit directly into the landlord’s account.

She emphasizes that the deposit must be deposited into a separate deposit account in the tenant’s name. This is so that the landlord cannot take your money without a valid reason.