As letting agents located in the heart of Edinburgh’s student properties we get more than our fair share of students popping into the office.

Some pop in for a warm cup of coffee and a blether (feel free to pop in when you like!). Some are looking for advice on anything from dealing with problem flatmates to cleaning out their vacuum. Others look to us for a bit of a ‘verbal cuddle’ when dissertation deadlines (or hangovers) are looming. We sometimes even get students popping in looking to rent one of our student properties!

Over our years dealing with Edinburgh student properties we have learnt a lot about dealing with students. So, we’ve come up with a list of 10 tips we think all mums and dads should pass on before they send their children off into the big bad world of living in a student property for the first time.

Here goes…..

  1. Open your windows – those drips of water on the inside of your window are bad news. I know it’s cold in Scotland but open your window a little when you’re our at lectures to get a bit of air flowing through your flat
  2. Take your bins out. And not just into the stairwell. Put them out, out. They can smell. Badly
  3. Start a rota – you may get a tough time from your flatmates for suggesting this but it will make all your lives easier living together and stops the ‘it’s not my turn’ ‘chats’
  4. Speak to your flatmates about your flat. Don’t all separately speak to your letting agent and expect them to be your means of communication!
  5. Keep your oven clean. A dirty oven stinks and is sore (either financially or sore on your elbow) to clean
  6. Learn to change a lightbulb and to bleed a radiator. It’s easy!
  7. Find your fusebox when you move in. Sometimes a quick flick of a switch is all that’s needed to get your toasty machine firing up again
  8. Set your heating timer. Leaving your heating on when you’re out is expensive
  9. Wash down your shower walls after a shower. This will stop mould building up
  10. Always check you have your keys when you leave your flat. Students forget. A lot

Did I mention about opening your windows? Open your windows!

I hope this helps! If you have any other tips for those living in a student property for the first time feel free to comment below or tweet me @UmegaAndy