Renting: focus on your next academic year
- Can you afford the full rent, deposit, fees and utilities?
- Does the lease match the period you need?
- Are sharing, visitors, parking and repairs clearly covered?
- What happens if your campus or funding changes?
Buying: inspect the scheme as well as the flat
A neat apartment does not tell you the condition of the building's finances. Request documents before deciding.
Recent financial statements, current budget, levy schedule, arrears information and reserve-fund position.
Maintenance plan, recent meeting minutes and approved or proposed special levies.
Sectional plan, unit details, parking rights, insurance and the current management/conduct rules. Ask about letting and occupancy restrictions.
Actual signed lease history, rent collected, vacancies, arrears and management costs. Adverts alone are not proof of income.
Do the full-cost calculation
Ownership: financing cost, levies, municipal charges, insurance not covered by the scheme, repairs, letting/management fees and vacancy costs. Obtain a conveyancer's acquisition-cost estimate. Do not assume the asking price is your total cost.
Renting: rent, recurring extras, deposit, initial fees and transport. Compare equivalent accommodation and your own time horizon.
What the sources support
The sectional-title management regulations cover administrative and reserve funds, maintenance planning and special contributions. The CSOS levy guidance explains levy obligations, including that owners of unoccupied units still pay levies. These are general scheme rules, not verification of Akademia's accounts.
Sectional Titles Schemes Management Regulations (hosted copy) · CSOS levy guidance (official)
What this guide cannot tell you
Whether a particular unit is a good investment, a fair value, NSFAS accredited or currently available. Those answers need current unit-level and scheme-level evidence. This checklist does not endorse buying.