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Renting a top of the range student property in the Leeds are can sometimes be a struggle. Choosing the right house and landlord can be one of the most stressful things about house hunting.

Being a student is full of fun – in fact it is one of the best times of your life, but sometimes it can be problematic too.

Amongst the studying and the partying, there are also housing issues to consider. It is important to ensure that you do not get ripped off, or end up living in a health hazard.

Expensive and low quality

There are no end of horror stories out there about the lack and quality of the housing available. These can include:

These are all issues that your landlord is responsible for, and there are several more things that can go wrong too!

Make sure that you don’t end up moving into a hovel or a run-down house, as this can even end up causing long term health problems. So you may think that you are getting a good deal, when really the problematic effect of the poor housing will last a lifetime.

Rogue landlords

There are some dishonest landlords out there, and they tend to target students. This is because often students are living away home for the first time, are busy and can be somewhat naïve. The rogue landlord depends on this!

So it is important to arm yourself with knowledge, and that you know your rights.

It has been such a recurring problem in Leeds that the City Council have decided to tackle the problem head on. They have been awarded £125,000 to tackle the issue of rogue landlords, by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

“We undertake a lot of work to ensure we tackle rogue landlords within the city, and have had a number of successful prosecutions throughout the last 12 months,” said Councillor Peter Gruen, an executive board member from Leeds City Council.

Is there another way?

Don’t worry, there is another choice! Problems like these can be avoided if you pick a landlord that is established and guaranteed to take care of their tenants.

Always investigate your landlord before you settle on a permanent choice.  Even just a quick google search will bring up relevant reviews and comments from previous tenants.

Have a look and see how many people are recommending the estate agents, whether they have a standard’s association and also remember to research if they have any awards.

Pickard Properties is a landlord that you can rely on. At the top of the industry for 47 years, they offer a mix of both student and professional lets, which are located in top properties from the Leeds area.

They are all current members of the landlord regulatory bodies such as the Leeds Property Association, and they offer tenants all sorts of benefits, including the option to pay bills online, free wifi in all student properties, and a guaranteed 24hour call out.