Here are five recommendations for landlords and letting agents letting student properties in England to follow.
- Bring your tenancy start dates forward
In 2025, 44% of student properties advertised on Accommodation for Students had September tenancy start dates.
There is a strong argument for bringing these forward to July or even June.
If students decide to serve notice to leave at the end of their exams, a September tenancy cycle could leave you facing three months without rent. Starting tenancies will reduce that that exposure. - Price in the additional risk
We believe that rents will increase as landlords adjust to the new legislation.
The important thing is to manage this sensibly. Landlords need to protect their income, but keeping student accommodation affordable is equally important.
At Accommodation for Students, we have comprehensive rental data covering every UK student city. We can help you understand how your rents compare with the wider market and you can use this to optimise your income.
Access the latest data here. - Avoid joint tenancies
This is potentially one of the biggest risks.
Under the new rules, one student serving notice can bring a joint tenancy to an end for the entire group.
Our advice would be to use individual room agreements instead. If one student leaves, the remaining tenants are unaffected and your potential void is limited to one room.
You can access our free tenancy agreement here. - Use Ground 4A and continue marketing early
Ground 4A provides an important route for qualifying student HMOs to recover possession for the next academic year.
However, there is a catch. To rely on Ground 4A, tenancy agreements cannot be signed more than six months before the tenancy starts.
One option is to delay marketing until the new year. However, we think there is a strong argument for continuing to market in the autumn, particularly for established groups of second- and third-year students.
A pre-let agreement could provide a practical solution, allowing landlords and students to make an early commitment while delaying the tenancy agreement until the permitted window.
We have partnered with a landlord based in Chester to develop an example pre-let agreement and you can access this document here. - Protect your income and retain good tenants
With restrictions on rent in advance, professional guarantor services such as Housing Hand may become increasingly useful where students cannot provide a suitable guarantor.
Equally important is the quality of your accommodation. Students who are unhappy with their property will now find it easier to leave.
Keeping properties in good condition and dealing with problems quickly will matter more than ever.
AFS View
The Renters’ Rights Act will change the way student landlords operate, but it doesn’t mean the traditional student lettings market cannot continue to work.
The key is to adapt early, understand the risks and make sensible changes to how you market, price and manage your properties.
We’ve put together a more detailed guide covering these issues and the practical options available to landlords and letting agents and you can access that here.
If you’d like to discuss any of these issues, contact [email protected].
