How Landlords can deal with their Student Residents
Renting to students comes with some challenges for you as a Landlord. It is prudent to remember these are young adults coming into the property world for the first time where many of them are learning as they go.
So, when letting to students it is possible you will meet with two types.
Type 1 – they will read the tenancy contract thoroughly making note of anything that could cause them to be in breach.
Type 2 – they won’t bother reading the tenancy agreement thoroughly and sign it anyway with no recollection of what could cause them to be in breach of their contract.
This is very important for you, as a Landlord, to know. Because this is the first time a lot of students are renting they presume the contract is going to be similar to the one they signed for their ‘on campus’ accommodation, which can be quite lenient.
Student Lettings
Student Lettings – What a student should look for, from a student’s perspective
The first thing you must establish before looking for a place to live for second and third year, is finding a solid group of friends that you will enjoy living with. You do not have to be best friends but at least get on well enough so you can commit to living together for the next couple of years.
When looking for housing, you need to start early as possible! This is because there are a larger range of properties available earlier in the year than there is later on.
To put this into perspective, when I started University in September, I was already looking for houses in the previous November. Dependent on the size of your group will denote which type of property you will require. For example, my group were six in total so this meant we needed to look for 6 bedroom houses as fast as possible.
A Level Results Day with a Difference for the Second Year Running
Today was A Level Results Day and for the second year running, exams were not how grades were decided, instead it was through the process of “Replacement Grades” that dictated the outcome for all A Level students across the UK.
Statistics showed that top grades for A-level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland reached a record high - with 44.8% getting A* or A grades, and in Scotland the grades were slightly higher than the pre-pandemic levels. And whilst the method of “testing” may have been distinctly different pre-Covid, students have been put through their paces with constant testing. Simon Lebus, interim chairman of the exams watchdog, Ofqual, said: "We've always said outcomes from this year were likely to be different," said but he assured students they had been "fairly treated" and grades, based on teachers' judgements, could be trusted.
Whatever the challenges are for students moving from A Levels to University, it is obvious that there is no possible way to compare the last 2 years to any other.
The cohort of students will never have sat an exam in the traditional way and may have spent a great deal of time navigating their studies via Teams and Zoom; they will have developed a skill set that may be quite alien to those who studied A Levels pre-Covid. Being self sufficient and making sure that they were able to meet set deadlines without a teacher breathing down their necks. And whilst their parents, guardians and carers may have been working from home, they too would have to adapt from the transition from school to home and back again, ensuring that they understood the requirements of Covid Protocols.
Preparing for University - Student Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Now that the A Level results have been released, students will be planning for the next phase of their academic lives. Whilst none of us know what the next few months will bring, universities and academic institutions will be set on creating a safe, clean and vibrant place to live by ensuring that ‘COVID-secure’ measures are in place.
Before moving to university it is important to ensure that the Government guidelines issued by Public Health England, the NHS and Foreign & Commonwealth Office and check the protocols put in place by the university.
How can you protect yourself from COVID-19?
The most effective method of protecting yourself and others is to social distance. Also ensure that you have very strict cleaning and hygiene protocols in place - wash your hands regularly and keep surfaces clean.
Personal waste, for example, tissues and face coverings (disposable masks) should be placed securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags must be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual property waste bin. Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.