Student tenants like their independence

Landlords who rent to students may take some comfort out of a recent survey produced by the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University which, showed that two-thirds of students prefer to opt for private rented accommodation over larger buildings designed for their use.

Where do professional student landlords go for their landlord insurance?

In recent years there has been some concern by student landlords that large purpose built student acccommodation blocks are squeezing the traditional small scale student operators out of the market.

The survey of around 5,300 students at The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University who responded to an online questionnaire about their accommodation choices. It was commissioned by the student housing charity Unipol, both universities, the two Students' Unions, Nottingham City Council and Broxtowe Borough Council. The aim of the survey was to find out what students think about the range and quality of housing available to them in Nottingham and why they prefer particular types of accommodation. It also sheds light on the extent to which students in private housing feel part of the surrounding community.

The results show that most students think 'less is more' rather than 'big is beautiful' with just over two thirds preferring to live in private rented houses instead of larger developments (defined as those housing ten or more students).

The main attractions for those choosing a private rented house or flat were the independent lifestyle it allows and control over who they share with. Popular features were large bedrooms, roomy living space and good locations in relation to the university and city. Common irritants in private housing were poor standards of decoration and repair, some inconvenient locations and slow response times by landlords to requests for repairs.

Thinking of letting to students? Find out more here.