Student housing

If you rent from a private landlord, you and your landlord have certain rights and responsibilities.

Your landlord must give you:

a rent book
a tenancy statement
an energy performance certificate

Ask your landlord for these documents. If you have any problems, call us on 028 9027 0428.

Your landlord must also be a registered landlord. Visit nidirect (link opens in new window) to check your landlord and their property is registered.

Northern Ireland has a tenancy deposit scheme. From 1 April 2013, any deposit for a private tenancy taken by a landlord or agent must be protected in an approved tenancy deposit scheme.

Certain rented houses require a fitness inspection. If you want to make a complaint regarding fitness, disrepair or damp in your property, call us on 028 9027 0428.

For advice on houses of multiple occupancy (more than three unrelated people sharing), call us on 028 9027 0428, or email nihmo@belfastcity.gov.uk.

If your house has gas appliances or flues your landlord must provide you with a copy of the annual gas safety check. For further advice on gas contact the Health and Safety Executive's free gas advice line on 0800 300 363, or visit the Health and Safety Executive website (link opens in new window).

Household bins and recycling

Bins

It is important that you put your general waste bin and your recycling bin or boxes out for collection. If you don't, you could attract rats and mice to your home. If you don't have a general waste bin, ask your landlord to get you one.

If you live in a shared house (a house of multiple occupancy has more than two unrelated people sharing) and the landlord refuses to supply you with a bin, you should contact the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

To make sure your bin is collected:

put your bin out by 7am
make sure the lid closes and don't put out any extra rubbish in bags

Find out more about bins

Recycling

Recycling facilities are available for Queen's University students living in Queen's Elms, Guthrie House, College Gardens and Mount Charles halls of residence. If you live in private rented accommodation in areas such as the Lisburn Road, Stranmillis, the Holylands, or Botanic Avenue area, you will have kerbside recycling boxes.

Knowing what to do with your waste and recycling is very important. Follow these steps to recycle:

Order the right bins and boxes for all your waste and recycling.
Check what can be recycled with the Binovation app.
Sort your recycling correctly.
Leave bins and boxes at your collection point by 7am on collection day.
Bring them back in again once your collection has taken place.

Find out more about which items you can recycle and the location of our recycling centres.

If you are caught littering or dumping rubbish, you get will get a £80 fine. And if you fail to remove offensive rubbish from your property, you could be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000.

Unlawful eviction and harassment

If you have lived in your rented home for less than five years and a landlord wants you to leave your property, they must give you 28 days' notice in writing. The landlord must not change the locks without obtaining a court order.

If they make you leave the home by interfering with gas, electricity, water, making threats, or frequently entering the property without consent it is harassment. If you are worried about this, call 028 9027 0428.

read more about harassment and unlawful eviction

Condensation

Condensation, mould and damp is a common problem particularly in older houses. It may be seen as water droplets on windows or patches of mould on walls, furnishings and clothes.

You can take steps to treat mould or condensation in your home and prevent its recurrence. Check the Energy Saving Trust's advice on Fixing damp and condensation (link opens in new window).

Fire safety

Make sure you:

have a working smoke alarm
test your smoke alarm every week
have and practice a fire escape plan
know the five main causes of house fire
check your fire extinguishers on the day you move in – alert your landlord if they have been used at all, this will benefit your safety plus you will not be held accountable at the end of the year when deposits are being returned.
check for a fire blanket

Before you go to bed:

close all internal doors
put out cigarettes and candles properly
check that the cooker is off
switch off unwanted electrical appliances

For more information, call 028 9066 4221 or visit the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (link opens in new window). Landlords are required to make sure furniture and electrical items they supply are safe and meet relevant fire safety requirements. Students can contact us on 028 9027 0431 if they have concerns about how fire-resistant furnishings are.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that has no smell, colour or taste. It can be released by any appliance that burns oil, solid fuel, wood or gas, including boilers.

When you inhale carbon monoxide it starves your body of oxygen. Low level exposure over a long period can cause permanent brain damage and in more serious cases death.

Make sure you are aware of the symptoms and how to protect yourself and your housemates. You should also install a carbon monoxide detector.

If you think there are carbon monoxide fumes in your home or suspect that a flue or heating appliance is blocked or faulty, you should switch off the appliance and open your window. You should not sleep in the room.

We can investigate complaints regarding fumes or carbon monoxide entering your property. Call us on 028 9027 0428 for more information.

find out more about carbon monoxide poisoning (link opens in new window).

Pest control

If you're having trouble with pests, call us on 028 9027 0431 for advice or visit our pest control pages.