Washing machines

You can rent a washing machine from an electrical store for around £32 a month. If you're in a group it may be worth considering.  Find out whether there is plumbing for a machine, and if not, whether the owner is prepared to meet the cost of this and any electrical work that may need doing.  If not, check where the nearest launderette is.

Cookers and microwaves

Is there a good cooker? Does it have shelves and a grill pan?  Although microwave ovens can be cheaper to run than conventional ovens they're not a viable alternative to the real thing.

Central heating

This is an effective way of keeping warm and can be the cheapest system there is - and it reduces dampness and condensation.

Television

It's unlikely you'll have a television provided. If there is one, you'll need a TV licence.

Furniture

Some students supplement the furniture an owner provides by bringing personal items of their own.  When viewing a property you should establish which furniture belongs to the tenants and which to the owner.  The owner should provide a bed, desk, wardrobe, chest of drawers (or built-in cupboard/wardrobe) and chair.  Have a good look at the bed and mattress - you'll soon discover if the mattress has outlived its useful life.

Kitchens

Kitchens should be provided with a cooker and fridge/freezer.  Make sure there's enough space for food storage and for preparing meals - for example, would there be enough room if two or more of you wanted to cook at the same time?

Carpets

Baths and showers

If you're in a large house (seven and over), are there enough washing facilities?

Are they separate from the toilet? Suppose everyone wants a bath on a particular morning - work out if this is possible without a shower.  If there is a shower, does it work and is the water pressure good enough?

Electrics

Make sure the house has a safe electrical system. It is recommended that the electrical system be checked every five years.  Ask the owner to show you the periodic safety report.  If the house has extractor fans, check they're clean. Blocked fans, particularly in internal bathrooms or kitchens, can make the house smell.

Fire safety

The house should have some fire detection equipment, even if this is only battery smoke detectors in the hallways and landings on each floor.  Some owners provide a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen.  Give some thought to how you might escape from a fire. Look critically at the house and ask yourself about safety hazards.

Although fire doors with self closers are not always popular with owners and tenants (who wrongly wedge them open as an inconvenience) they are designed to provide a half hour fire barrier when closed and can form a "protected route" (normally around the stairwell of a house) so that you can leave safely in the event of a fire. Fire doors also contain a fire within a single room for at least half an hour and, coupled with a detection system, can warn you to leave the property, allowing you to do so safely.

Many owners fit fire doors on kitchens and some fit them on all doors (you can normally tell a fire door because it is heavy, has a self closing device and has some seal mechanisms that stop smoke going round the door in the event of fire - brushes, strips or rebates).

In Scotland where there is mandatory licensing, houses will meet a particular fire specification that allows for safe exit from a building in the event of fire. Many accreditation schemes also stress fire detection and containment.

Fires do happen in student properties (most commonly caused by forgotten candles) and detection systems and fire doors do save lives - so don't tamper with them

Gas appliances

It is now the law that owners should have all gas appliances serviced every year by a CORGI registered engineer.  As a tenant you are legally entitled to see a copy of the gas safety record to assure yourself that these appliances have been serviced.

Reducing the risks: Security

Security is an increasing problem in many student areas. There are a number of ways you can reduce the risk of theft from a property.  Front and back doors should have either bolts (if the door is a secondary entrance) or a mortise lock (this is a lock that fits into the body of the door and is not surface mounted). On larger properties mortise locks may have a thumbturn inside the building. Whilst this weakens security (in that if a burglar has entered the property they can then leave without a key through the front door) it allows for a fast exit, without a key, in the event of a fire. There is a clear contradiction between high levels of security and ease of exit in a fire.