There is no doubt that more and more property investors regard student tenants as an attractive business proposition. A company in the Midlands are offering property owners, who are thinking of organising landlord insurance on a student let, an insight into what they should offer to get students running to their door.
Simon Thomson is a Director of Accommodation for Students (AFS) and has been an integral part of the company since he started it up 12 years ago with a friend while at university. The company offer students an online search engine where they can look for accommodation that suits their needs as well as their pocket. In the last few months AFS have been conducting focus groups to find out just exactly what a student looks for in a home and have come up with one or two answers.
Simon said: “Students have got it tough at the moment, it seems that students have been hit-hard with the introduction of higher tuition fees, tougher A-level standards and increased accommodation costs and the aim of these focus groups is to try and help improve one important element of university: accommodation.” The research showed that natural daylight and big windows were important for the majority, as they accepted that space would be at a premium. Most students no longer want to be shut up in their room for long periods and expressed a desire for more open plan living with rooms where they could study and interact together.
Wi-fi and plenty of plug points were seen as a must have for most students and en-suites or multiple bathrooms were a luxury that students said they would be prepared to pay more for. Girl students said a home with a shoe rack would impress them, as would extra wardrobes but the deal clincher for many would be a landlord who took them out for a pint!