A Student's Guide - Useful Information
If you have any questions, or would like to find out more about renting a student flat in Edinburgh or Glasgow through Rettie, please get in touch with our team.
Once you have moved into your student accommodation, there are a few more things to set up. Here is some useful information on how to arrange paying your bills, your responsibility for stair cleaning, rubbish collections and council tax for your student accommodation.
- Noise
Your student flat is let within a residential stairwell: with that in mind you must be aware of your neighbours and take care not to cause excessive noise or do anything to disturb the people living around you.
You will also be responsible for the behaviour of visitors. Your neighbours have the right to report you to local authorities which may result in Environmental Health Officers issuing you with an on-the-spot fine.
Your student flat is subject to a HMO licence: noise complaints may put this licence in jeopardy.
- Stair Cleaning
You may be required to contribute to the cost of cleaning your property’s communal areas or take a turn cleaning if your building has a shared rota arrangement.
To ensure communal areas are kept as clean and tidy as possible, please refrain from littering in the stairwell or leaving items outside your door.
Please note that smoking is not permitted in any part of Rettie properties or garden areas.
- Rubbish
Remember you should only put your rubbish bags out on the street on allocated collection days to help keep the streets tidy and to minimise the risk of vermin infestations. It is important to use the industrial-sized waste bins if they are available in your location and to separate general rubbish from recycling appropriately.
If you want to know which days your rubbish will be collected, visit your council’s website for more information. Details for Edinburgh and Glasgow waste collection schedules can be found here:
● Edinburgh Bin Collection Days
● Glasgow Bin Collection Days - Utility Bills
You will be responsible for paying your property’s utility bills including gas, electricity and telephone connections.
We will take gas and electricity meter readings from your property before you move in, and inform the utility providers that you are the new tenants. The providers will then contact you directly in order to set up a direct debit with them.
- Council Tax
As a student it is your responsibility to tell the council if you are exempt from paying council tax. While students are exempt from paying council tax, if one of your flatmates is not a student and is employed, you will be required to pay full council tax for your property.
Visit your Council’s website for more information. Edinburgh and Glasgow council tax details can be found here: