Advice for shared renting of a house with other students

[Berberis]

Hi folks my son is planning on renting with two other fellow students in September when college resumes.
This will be his first time renting and looking for a bit of advice, mainly around what would be best practise around how the rent should be paid by all three.
Is it usual that there be only one lease holder with the landlord. If so how best would it be to go about this so as to minimise the risk to the one who will end up with the lease in their name.
Can a seperate bank account be set up where it can only be used for paying out the monthly rent by standing order, ie it can't be borrowed from etc.
Any advice greatly received, as we are complete novices around this

 

[niceoneted]

I haven't rented for a while but when I did sometimes it was paid as an individual to the landlord and some times one in the house paid on behalf of the others.
Generally it is in the lease. I think it is best if each sets up a standing order to the bank account of the landlord. That way no one gets burned. Lease to be signed by all so as they have equal responsibility.

 

[millieforbes]

Often landlords want a single payment, especially if an agency is involved, from the landlord's point of view there's nothing but hassle in chasing three or four students separately for late rent

 

[Bronte]

At a minimum everybody should be on the lease. But landlord will chase whoever is easist in the event of default. Landlord will want only one rent. Apart from that there is the issue of utilities and who drank 'my' bottle of milk in the fridge and who didn't clean the dishes. It's a learning curve.

 

[choccy]

best advice is that we knows who he is sharing with reasonable well .......main reason is your sharing utility bills as well as rent. recommend they don't get a landline - blood has been shed over dividing up the phone calls in a house share. imagine nights of fighting over who rang what number etc.

ideally rent should be collected by landlord or paid to him weekly if possible- i've always found in flat shares theres always someone smashed at the end of the month whereas weekly more managable.

sometimes one person will take the lease and sub- let to the others - while paying cheaper rent them selves to make up for the hassle. the issue with this is that this person liable for missed payments by others so only recommended when your son has been sharing with same people for a couple of years.

but generally its all good fun !