LETTING YOUR PROPERTY TO STUDENTS

Letting to students can be an excellent option for landlords.

What are the advantages?
You can be sure of a high demand and long rental periods resulting in high yields especially in the North. Manchester, for example has the biggest student population in Europe so you can be sure that demand will outstrip supply. Landlords have a guaranteed market that is predictable whatever is happening in the economy.
What should I consider?
Properties tend to suffer more wear and tear when let to students, and as a result you are likely to spend more on maintenance at the end of the tenancy than you would with a traditional let. In addition, most students will expect properties to be fully furnished. You are likely to be letting to shared occupants (ie not a family group) so you will need to comply with rules around House in Multiple Occupations (HMO’s)
How can GMC help you?
It’s approaching the time of year when students start going back to university. With it comes the challenge of keeping student houses and halls of residence well maintained without creating extra work for yourself or your facilities management team. To help you we’ve put together our top maintenance tips for letting properties to students.

Property maintenance tailored to student landlords
1) Make problems easier to deal with
If you manage multiple student properties they aren’t always in the same area, university town or even part of the UK. This can make finding reputable service providers and overseeing jobs a real challenge. This is where GMC comes in… Our property maintenance services are available across the UK, we’ll send out one of our approved contractors and keep you updated of the progress of the work with before and after pictures. And, we’re only one phone call away.
2) Proactive and reactive property maintenance
As discussed above we provide any property maintenance service in any location. That includes reactive repairs as well as regular planned maintenance. As a student landlord there are great benefits in being proactive when it comes to your facilities management. For example, regular property inspections can help identify any issues which could otherwise get out of hand, even when you’re unable to visit the properties in person.

Property maintenance for halls of residence
1) Provide regular cleaning services
We all know that student accommodation doesn’t always have the highest standard of cleanliness. Especially in halls of residence where there are communal kitchens and bathrooms that experience a quick build-up of dirt and grime. Introducing regular cleaning of communal areas into the facilities management process ensures that standards don’t drop too low. This also helps avoid any dirt causing long-term damage to surfaces, and reduces the amount of cleaning needed once students move out.
2) Handle property repairs as soon as possible
If there are issues with basic amenities it will most likely affect multiple people, and even small areas that need repairs can become more problematic if not dealt with quickly. For example, a loose door handle can easily become a broken door handle that needs replacing. It’s in everyone’s best interest that maintenance issues are dealt with as soon as possible. At GMC we’re able to respond quickly regardless of where in the UK you’re located. Providing skilled and reliable maintenance workers with just one call.
3) Added extras for international & exchange students
Do you provide facilities management for a university that hosts international and exchange students? With students coming from across the globe, and sometimes for only a few months at a time the university can benefit greatly from helping them settle in more easily. Our cleaning and optional linen service provides an added touch of comfort, and ensures that exchange students don’t need to worry about providing and laundering their bedding and towels.
Whether you want to add additional property maintenance service to your facilities management process, or you need help with the maintenance of multiple properties across the UK GMC are here to help. Give us a call on 01903 721020 or email info@genmaint.co.uk to find out how we can tailor our service to suit you.