Moving In

Your property should be ready for you to move into from the first day your tenancy starts. Use our Moving in checklist to keep track of eveything you need to do when you move in.

Congratulations on moving into your new home! These are the things that we'd recommend you do on the day that you collect your keys.

Meter Readings and Setting Up Your Utilities

Make sure you know how to access your meters for meter readings (your landlord/agent should inform you of their location). It is important to take meter readings as soon as you move in, to ensure you aren't charged for any energy or water you didn't use.

Check where your mains water tap (stopcock) is, so you can turn the water off if you have a leak. 

The landlord should provide you with details of which companies supply the utilities to the property. If they don’t have the details you can find out by contacting the following companies to find out who your supplier is:

Gas - 0870 608 1524 or visit www.ukpower.co.uk

Electric - 0870 751 0093 or visit www.ukpower.co.uk

Telephone / Internet – BT 0800 800 150 or visit http://home.bt.com/

Water – United Utilities are the only supplier of water in the North West and can be contacted on 0345 672 2999 or visit United Utilities

TV Licence – if you have a joint and several tenancy agreement you will only need one TV licence for the whole property. If you are on an individual room by room contract you will need one per person. Visit TV Licensing for more information.

You can compare the cost of utility bills on uSwitch, Compare The Market, and/or Money Supermarket.

Inventories 

When you move in, it’s really important that you have an inventory. Often, landlords/agents will provide you with an inventory. In this case, make sure you agree with the inventory and make any amendments before you sign it. For more guidance, please visit Shelter - Inventories. If you landlord/agent does not provide you with an inventory, you should do one yourself, ideally with the landlord present if possible.

Here are some tips on taking an inventory:

• Document the condition of all fixtures, fittings, furniture and any external spaces.
• Make note of any items which are missing, for example if the property was advertised as including a kettle, but there isn't one present.
• Take lots of photographs and videos.
• Make sure your photographs and videos are dated - this should be done automatically on most phones and cameras.
• Include as much detail as possible.
• Download our Inventory Template.

Report any disrepair or damage

Report any disrepair or damage to the property to your landlord or letting agent. Use our ‘Repairs procedure’ guidance to help you effectively report any issues to your landlord. 

Fire safety 

Check for a fire blanket in the kitchen - this should comply with the British Standard of BS EN 1869 (you should be able to see this clearly written on the fire blanket). And check that there are smoke detectors on each floor of your property. 

Check your wheelie bins  

If your property uses wheelie bins, check you have a full set of bins and that they’re ready for you to use. 

When you move into your new home, you will most likely need to apply for a Council Tax exemption.

To apply for your Council Tax exemption, you can visit the Manchester City Council Student-Only Household Form.

To fill out this form, you will need:

• full name of each resident
• full address and postcode

• date of tenancy commencement and termination

If you and the other tenants attend one of the below institutions, you will also need each student ID number:

• The University of Manchester
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• University of Salford 
• BIMM
• The Royal Northern College of Music
• Spirit Studios
• University of Greater Manchester
• UCEN/The Manchester College

If you or the other tenants attend a different institution than those listed above, or if you have already submitted this form and been asked to provide evidence of student status, you can contact your relevant student services centre, who will be able to provide you will a Council Tax exemption certificate.

For Salford addresses, you can fill out the Salford City Council Student Exemption Form.

Don’t forget to register to vote! It’s really easy and simple and can be done online at Register to Vote.

Make sure you are registered with a local GP and dental practice, or update your address where you're currently registered. You can find health services in your area by visiting NHS Service Search.

If you have repeat prescriptions, make sure you update your nominated pharmacy. You can find your nearest pharmacy by using the NHS Pharmacy Finder.

When you move in, it's important to know your bin schedule and how to properly sort your bins. If your bins are overflowing or have the wrong things in them, they won't be collected, so it's important to start off on the right foot!

Here are some tips for managing your bins when you move in:

• If you have wheelie bins, you can find out when they get collected here.
• Check what goes in each bin! Find out how to separate your waste and recycling here.
• If your recycling bins have been contaminated, or if you have a large item to dispose of, you can request a collection here.
• Make sure your bins are numbered! You can pick up free bin numbers from our Pod.

Knowing your neighbours can help if you need advice on your recycling, someone to take in a package or where the best local takeaway is! Use one of our ‘Hello Neighbour’ postcards to introduce yourself to your new neighbours. 

The landlord should give you clear instructions about how to use any appliance in the house such as the heating, hot water and cooker, etc. or provide you with the instruction manuals. All electrical appliances should either be under 12 months old or be PAT tested to make sure they are safe. If you have gas appliances, the landlord should provide a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate.

The landlord should provide you with a welcome pack and information about the property.

This should include:

• Who to contact in an emergency (for example, in the case of being locked out, a water leak, broken door/window etc.)
• How to report repairs and maintenance requests.
• Information on how to operate any alarms in the property.
• Any other relevant information or documents.