What Student Tenants Are Looking For
Landlords looking to exploit the student tenant market need to understand what students are looking for in a property, one organisation says.
To help those buy to let landlords who have bought properties close to universities to take advantage of the impressive yields that student rental property offers means they need to attract quality student tenants to do so.
Now, Glide, a utilities and services provider, has published a guide based on research after questioning 1,460 students.
The findings highlight that 70% of students consider themselves to be an environmentalist, whereas just 46% of the general public do.
Students want to make a difference to the world with 75% saying they are considering the installation of solar panels on their future home.
Student tenants want to improve the environment
Glide says that landlords should show student tenants that they also want to improve the environment and offer energy-saving light bulbs to help reduce their electricity bills by as much as 90%.
The research also highlights that broadband and Wi-Fi are crucial to student tenants and not just for their studies but their everyday lives.
The research highlights that 75% of students say they cannot manage without the Internet and they value a superfast broadband connection more highly than non-students do.
Glide's research also highlights that the partying reputation of students has come to an end with 30% of respondents saying they do not drink.
Instead, most young people prefer socialising with close friends and having a takeaway.
The bill-splitting service says that it is crucial for landlords to accommodate a student's needs and ambitions as much as possible and they will, in return, enjoy a generation of student tenants who are excellent renters who are not only forward thinking, but also considerate.
Growing numbers sell up to rent in retirement
Meanwhile, it's been revealed that growing numbers of people aged over 60 are looking to sell up and rent for their retirement.
Research from the Centre for Ageing Better found that the number who want to rent privately has risen from 2007's figure of 254,000 to 414,000 in 2017.
Now the organisation says that by 2040 around a third of people aged over 60 could be living in private rental homes.
Those over the age of 60 are looking to free-up their assets to help their family members onto the housing ladder or move closer to their family.
The chief executive of Girling's Retirement Rentals, Gillian Girling, said: "Renting gives financial freedom and people can budget for their rent per month with no additional maintenance and service charges to pay.
She added: "Most retirement developments have good transport links and are in convenient places with doctors' surgeries close by."
