The first step to developing a good relationship with your student tenant
is understanding what they are looking for from the accommodation. For a
number of years, Glide have surveyed landlords and students and used these
results to enhance our understanding of the market. We are pleased to share
some of our findings with a view to helping you to further understand what
students seek and build even better relationships.
Meet your tenant
: Around 70% of students consider essential to meet the landlord or
property manager before signing a rental agreement. Furthermore, our
research indicates that students who meet the landlord during a viewing are
more likely to be satisfied with their tenancy.
Arrange a viewing
: Two in three students visited their accommodation before moving in.
Students prefer to conduct a viewing during normal business hours, with 84%
of students arranging viewings at this time. 50% of students view 1-3
properties before deciding where to live.
Be available
: One in three students contacts their property manager via email. However,
50% of them consider text messages or phone calls the most effective way of
contacting the landlord and reporting issues.
Be friendly and organised
: Over 50% of the students consider having an organised and friendly
landlord one of the most important features of their ideal student
accommodation.
Consider offering bills
: bills included is an essential aspect of the property. 50% of students
believe that having bills included makes their life easier, 28% think it
saves them money, and 18% believe it avoids disputes with housemates. The
weekly average rental value of properties with bills included is
approximately £9 higher than properties without bills.
Let students know who they are going to live with
: 69% of students believe that people who they live with are more important
than the property itself. For them, the ideal number of flatmates lies
between 3 and 6.
Think about a good deal for summer break
: 85% of the students return to their family home in the summer break. 50%
of those students will still need to pay the rent over the summer period,
so offering a summer holiday deal could be a real bonus for your student
tenant.
For more facts and figures on the student accommodation market or to
discuss your bills inclusive options, visit www.glide.co.uk.
