Student Accommodation Service
Inspection of Properties Statement for Landlords
It is the aim of the Student Accommodation Service to inspect annually all property offered to students from the University’s database of accommodation. It is important to note that properties that are registered with us are managed by the owner of the property and not a managing agency.
The purpose of an inspection is to assess the suitability of the accommodation offered, for student occupation. The Approved Housing Assessors are not qualified building surveyors and do not set out to undertake a full structural survey of the property offered. They do however possess a lot of experience and common sense and are able to judge – in so far as can reasonably be expected – whether a property on offer is suitable.
It is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure that the property offered meets all health and safety standards laid down by law. Landlords must be familiar with the legal requirements relating to gas and fire safety, electrical safety and the requirements relating to furniture and soft furnishings. Should the property be a three storey property and offer five or more letting bedrooms, the landlord must hold a licence for the property, or be going through the application process with the Local Authority.
Suitability of a property can relate to distance from the campus, size of rooms offered for study bedrooms, quality and size of furniture, size of kitchen and quality of fittings and equipment (white goods) in relation to the number of residents. The number of showers/baths and WCs must be sufficient for the number of residents within the property. There must be an effective heating system and no evidence of damp. Management of the property is a high priority. Many landlords would redecorate the property after each tenancy to ensure the property is presented well.
A student visiting a property as a prospective tenant must use his/her own judgement as to its suitability for him/her. We encourage students who have visited properties and feel that they do not meet an acceptable standard, to inform us of the details so that we can investigate accordingly.
While the law in respect of ‘homestay’ – ie where a landlord offers accommodation in his/her own home – is currently less strict than for houses or flats shared by students alone, the University nevertheless applies the same standards of “suitability” to accommodation offered as ‘homestay’.
Where practicable, the University operates a grading system to guide both landlords and students. These grades A to C are described overleaf. The grading system is not applied to ‘homestay’.
It is important to stress that grading and safety are separate issues. All properties,
irrespective of grade, are expected to comply with all appropriate safety standards.
A large percentage of students are looking for high quality accommodation to match that found in modern halls of residence and their family homes. This means that the accommodation will have an 'as new' feel; with new carpeting/wood flooring, high ratio of facilities to students, as new appliances, computer networking and satellite/cable TV, double beds and contemporary furniture. Properties meeting student expectations on these counts can expect to be let quickly. This type of property would be awarded our A grade
Grade A: This is the most requested type of accommodation from students. These properties include new or newly converted and refurbished properties which have been upgraded to a very high standard as well as other property which has been on the database for a number of years but which is maintained to an “as new” standard each year. Management of grade A properties is first class – repairs if required attended to immediately; problems resolved quickly; landlord easily obtainable, helpful and friendly, and will often visit the property monthly to ensure the property is being well looked after. There is often a weekly cleaning service for the communal areas. Externally the property must be well maintained and backyards/gardens kept clean and in good order. Internally the furnishings and fixtures must be first class with new or “as new” carpets, décor and facilities. Often A grade properties have a separate communal lounge. There must be central heating or equivalent and double glazing or “as new” windows.
Grade B: This is also a high standard but some features may not be “as new”. For example, the carpets may be perfectly sound but are now slightly worn or furnishings may be slightly marked. The property must be thoroughly cleaned before new tenants move in and it should be presented to an above average standard. The management will still be to a high standard and a weekly cleaning service may be provided.
Grade C: This is more basic student accommodation, which must also be presented in a clean condition at the start of the tenancy. General furnishings and fittings may be older and marked and carpets may be older and worn. The interior and the exterior of the property could possibly benefit from redecoration. Grade C could have all the facilities contained within a Grade A property but the presentation of the whole property may be old fashioned or needing to be redecorated. Management should still be effective and a weekly cleaning service for the communal areas may or may not be provided.
Footnote:
Staff carrying out an inspection visit will always explain to a landlord the reason for the grading decision and make suggestions about what could be done to achieve a higher grade. Although of course, the hardest issue to explain is the management of the property. Certainly with new landlords, we would have no previous knowledge of how the landlord interacts with their tenants or how quickly faults within the property are acted upon. The Student Accommodation Office has addressed this issue with the introduction of a landlord’s charter that provides guidelines on student friendly management.
Please be aware that the University inspection of your property does not constitute a fire safety risk assessment. The Housing Act 2004 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 place responsibility on landlords to carry out their own fire safety risk assessment. Guidance on how to undertake a fire safety risk assessment can be found here: http://www.lacors.gov.uk/LACORS/upload/19175.pdf
Marian Hayes
Student Accommodation Manager
April 2010
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