Waikato Institute Of  Technology

There are three main accommodation options available to you Boarding, Hostel or Flatting.

The Accommodation Officer is able to provide lists showing private board available and flatmates wanted.

Private Board

It does not vet the people who offer accommodation nor do it inspects the homes. It is therefore important that you make contact and arrange a visit or meeting. Spend some time getting to know your prospective host family so that you feel comfortable with your choice. It is recommended that the following points be discussed and agreed on prior to you moving in.

• Be clear about rent - how much, when it is due and if there is a retainer expected during the holiday period.
   

• Discuss with the host family what washing (if any) they will do for you, or arrange how you can do your own.
   

• Charges for toll calls. How they will be recorded, when they should be paid.
   

• Be clear on the standard of behaviour expected - i.e. in relation to smoking, alcohol, friends in rooms, etc.
   

• Clarify which meals are provided, if you will need to prepare any meals yourself, if there are set times for meals and what happens if you are late.
   

• Advise your host family if there are any relevant medical problems, or special dietary requirements.
   

• Ensure that you provide a forwarding address. This is helpful if you leave property behind when you move out.

Hostels

List :-

Wintec Student Village

YWCA

Hill Street Lodge

Longview Taurima Hostel

Ruakiwi House

Studio Units

Flatting

Students can expect to pay between $75 - $95 per week for a room in a flat. Remember that rent also has to be paid over the holidays. Other expenses you need to budget for include food, electricity, telephone, Sky TV.

Do not forget to allow in your budget for "extras" e.g. any food that you want that your flatmates do not want to pay for, travel costs and other expenses. If a person moves out of the flat, the remaining flatmates have to pay more, as the full rent still has to be paid to the landlord.

Sharing a flat requires tolerance, patience and the ability to talk to other flatmates about problems.

Setting up a flat can be costly:

• A bond is required to the value of two or four weeks rent.

• Rent is usually paid two weeks in advance.

• Flats are usually unfurnished, so you have to purchase furniture, a refrigerator, washing machine, bed, linen, cutlery, and cooking utensils.

• A deposit of $200 has to be paid for the electricity to be switched on.

Tenancy Agreement:

A tenancy agreement is a contract between the landlord, and the people/person leasing/renting the house. The law requires all tenancy agreements to be in writing. The landlord must provide you with a copy of the tenancy agreement.

An agreement may be:

• Fixed term (starting and finishing on a specific date) or

• Periodic (no term specified)

Make sure you read the tenancy agreement carefully, and be aware of the leaseholder's legal responsibilities.

Bonds:

A bond must be paid on all rental houses to provide security for the landlord. The bond may be equal to 1 - 4 weeks rent and is refunded if all rent is paid and the house is cared for and not damaged.

Extra fees that can be added to the bond payment include:

• 2 weeks rent in advance

• Real estate agent fee (where applicable), usually equivalent to 1 week rent + GST. (non refundable)

The bond is not held by the landlord, but is deposited in trust with the NZ Tenancy Board. Both the landlord and the leaseholder must apply to the Tenancy Board 1 week in advance to have the bond returned.

Rent Money:

This is to be paid directly to the landlord, through a bank account, or through a real estate agent. Direct debit or automatic payments from a "flat" account are the best method of payment.

Power, Gas & Telephone

You will need to decide who will be responsible for these accounts.

• Connection of power generally requires a deposit. If you pay by automatic payment each week ("Evenpay") no bond needs to be paid.

• Telephone connection (Telecom) does not require a bond, but there will be a connection fee.

• Connection of gas requires either a credit check (for which you will be charged a fee) or a deposit.

Telephone Toll Bar and Pin numbers:

To avoid other people making toll calls which you might have to pay for, it is a good idea to have a toll bar on your telephone. Several versions exist, including 0900 blocks. To avoid confusion, talk to Telecom about getting a toll account that requires you to use individual pin numbers. In this way the telephone bill will have everyone's call charges listed separately under their names.

Food:

Is this purchased together, or bought by individual flatmates?

Furniture:

Is the flat fully furnished, semi-furnished (beds, fridge, washing machine) or unfurnished? Do you have the basic items? E.g. bed, linen, drawers, desk and light, kitchen utensils etc

Whiteware (fridge, washing machine)
Is this to be rented or provided by flatmates? Group purchase of white ware can create problems when flatmates move out.

Be aware of some of the potential problems when flatting:

• Personality clashes

• High telephone account

• Rent not paid. Flatmates move out and cannot be replaced quickly so the shortfall of rent and advertising costs need to be met by remaining flatmates.

• Flatmates move out without paying their share of costs

• Items stolen or broken (often at parties). Many insurance companies will not pay for personal items stolen by people at your flat, as they say that you had invited them to be in your house.

• Conflict over food, chores, TV/music tastes, quiet/noise, and different standards of living.

• Flatmates who do not pay for their share of expenses on time.

• You need to move out and have no money for moving costs