Storage / Repository
- There are several types and connotations regarding storage:
- Storing possessions in a house prior to actual occupation
- During vacations students leave halls of residence between their first and second year at university and again between 2nd and 1/3rd years.
- Students go home to their place of birth before returning to university, in say September.
- Storage of possessions during vacations raises many issues.
- Responsibility for theft, loss or damage and insurance.
- Could depositing possessions prior to the tenancy commencement date, ceate an alternative tenancy to that signed?
- Cleaning occurs during vacations. This is made difficult or impossible with possessions in place prior to commencement of the actual tenancy.
- Confusion can occur if new tenants leave possessions prior to departing tenants leaving. Disciplines are required to distinguish between the remaining possessions belonging to the old and the new tenants. Do we say, "No you cannot leave your possessions over the summer to avoid confussion!" or; do we devise an imperfct but workable compromise?
- When students return for a second year their possessions can remain undisturbed as there is no requirement to clean between years. Any mess following the initial professional clean is their own responsibility. However, this can cause other problems:
- Students often leave the fridge and freezer on, wasting energy and increasing our national carbon footprint.
- The cold and frozen contents of fridge-freezers are often inedible by the time the students return after a three months vacation.
- Damage can occur due to excessive frosting and unnecessary use of the remaining life of the appliances.
- The tenant's possessions cannot be interfered with by the landlord and technically this includes their rotting rubbish left attracting rodents and flies. One group actually stored their valued precious possessions in a bin and were furious when these were found in the skip. One of their group's joint housemates had dropped out and was replaced by a substitute who could not be expected to be greeted by bins full of rubbish etc. Dilemmas!
Published: 11 November 2013 Last Updated: 17 November 2021