If your landlord clients own property in a student city they may be tempted to allow a group of budding scholars to rent it out. It can be a good idea, the flow of tenants is consistent and unaffected by most of the economic shakes that can negatively impact the fully developed renter.
So what can your clients do to prepare for letting to students? Here, Erin Duffy, a Associate Solicitor with Palmers who specialises in residential landlord matters, explains what your clients need to know:
Expect wear and tear
One of the downsides of letting to students is that appliances and furniture can experience more wear and tear. These are young people with a new found independence from their parents, after all. You may want to insure items of expensive furniture from any misuse, or at least be prepared to shell out a little more cash for repairs and maintenance.
Ask each student for a guarantor
University students don’t usually have a reliable means of making money apart from maintenance loans, for this reason you should seek a guarantor from each student in order to protect your income. This can be a parent or guardian who will be responsible for paying the rent should your tenants fail to.
It may also be a good idea to insure yourself against complete failure of payment so that you don’t lose out on any money from rent or potential legal fees.
Comply with Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) rules
As you’re unlikely to come across a family of students who are looking to rent, you’ll most likely end up with five or six individual coming from different families. In this case, you’ll need to ensure your property abides by HMO rules.
These rules include the different tests that must be completed on the property, the addition of communal areas and preventing overcrowding. A full list of these rules can be found on the government website.
Don’t do it alone
If you’ve never let to students before you might be uncertain of the potential issues you need to be aware of.
For legal advice on all aspects of residential property letting, please contact us.