Landlords are joining up with a city council and university to launch a joint housing strategy.
Brighton and Hove City Council and the University of Brighton are offering landlords long-term contracts, rent guarantees and a managed lettings process in return for better property standards, and help with curbing antisocial behaviour.
The first stage of the strategy – a social lettings service where the council and university effectively take on the role of lettings agents for students is already underway.
Councillor Maria Caulfield, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We want thriving communities where families and students live happily side by side. Students offer huge benefits to the city both economically and culturally. To ensure harmonious neighbourhoods we aim to prevent tensions between students and residents caused by serious issues such as noise and litter.
“This strategy is designed to do just that and it represents good value for money for everyone. Additional licensing of smaller HMOs is intended to improve conditions for occupiers and ensure landlords engage more actively in terms of enforcing tenancy conditions because of anti social behaviour.”
Shared house and student landlords are invited to offer their houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in the scheme, so both council tenants and students can find homes to rent.
Julie Barker, Head of Residential and Catering Services at the University of Brighton, said: “Through the ongoing work between ourselves and the Council it became apparent that we were both competing for the same landlords in the city.
“Joining forces and bringing together the resources and the expertise of teams both within the Council and the University will bring mutual benefits not just to both organisations but also benefits to the City with a more coherent approach to student housing. This progressive development also responds to the recommendations of the City wide Student Housing Strategy.’’
Brighton has one of the largest concentrations of HMOs in England – with a reported 15,000 properties in the city serving a student population of around 34,000 – 13% of the people living in the city.
