Wherever you live, your accommodation is one of the most important parts of your life as a student and you should feel happy and safe living there.
It's also incredibly important that you know your rights as a consumer and as a tenant if you're renting a property during your time as a student.
We're here to help you understand those rights and get the fairest deal.
Can my landlord increase my rent mid-contract due to the rise in energy bills?
Although unusual, your landlord may have reserved the right in your contract to charge a supplement if energy prices rise. As long as the clause is fair (within the meaning of the Consumer Rights Act 2015) then landlords will be able to pass on the price rises to their tenants.
Additionally, landlords may have reserved the right in the contract to put students on to a bills-excluded basis. Again, if the clause is fair, the landlord can use it.
Most all-inclusive contracts will have an energy usage cap or a fair usage policy. Put simply, this means that your agreement is only ‘all-inclusive’ up to the point where you exceed the fair usage policy. The amount may be capped by units of energy used, or the proportion of rent allocated for bills, for example, £15 per person per week. A landlord/agent can then legally charge you additional rent for your utilities.
For more information about the fair usage policy please access the following link.
If you need support with your accommodation then get in touch with the UPSU Advice team. The team supports students with a wide range of accommodation issues, contracts, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, inventories, bills, council tax, gas safety and moving out. For free, confidential and independent advice get in touch or access our resources below.