Money.co.uk has provided landlord tips for letting student properties as the new academic year is about to begin.
The website’s key points are:
- Budget for the extra wear and tear that comes with student properties. Professional cleaners might be needed when each group of tenants moves out.
- Budget for furnishings and white goods, as student properties are expected to be furnished.
- Do your research around HMOs (houses in multiple occupation). These are properties with three or more tenants from different households and legislation can be dependent on the local authority.
- You’ll also have to take this into consideration when it comes to insurance, making sure that your policy covers an HMO.
- Make sure that your tenancy agreement is watertight and covers all the bases, such as how much notice is required if tenants want to move out.
- Consider asking for guarantors before reaching an agreement. You may even ask each tenant to provide their own guarantor.
- Invest in an area with a high level of students and look into potential rental yields.
A study from money.co.uk has highlighted hotspot opportunities for towns and cities with universities. It analysed the number of dwellings in each UK region in comparison to the total number of dwellings occupied by students. Exeter ranks top of this research, with over one in ten properties occupied by students.
The UK regions with the most student housing investment by private landlords
| Rank | Local Authority | Region | Total Properties | Student Properties | Student Properties (%) |
| 1 | Exeter | South West | 59,329 | 6,479 | 10.92% |
| 2 | Nottingham | East Midlands | 142,675 | 15,422 | 10.81% |
| 3 | Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | 136,635 | 10,470 | 7.66% |
| 4 | Oxford | South East | 62,490 | 4,569 | 7.31% |
| 5 | Leicester | East Midlands | 142,003 | 10,233 | 7.21% |
| 6 | Canterbury | South East | 69,376 | 4,095 | 5.90% |
| 7 | Cambridge | East of England | 58,993 | 3,028 | 5.13% |
| 8 | York | Yorkshire & the Humber | 92,114 | 4,578 | 4.97% |
| 9 | Sheffield | Yorkshire & the Humber | 255,248 | 12,330 | 4.83% |
| 10 | Southampton | South East | 109,902 | 5,182 | 4.72% |