Frequently Asked Questions For Landlords
Do students make good tenants?
In our experience students make great tenants, which is why it is all we have done since 2001.
Will you have issues with rent arrears?
This will not be an issue as your Rent is guaranteed on SHL D/Let service.
Do students generally damage houses and leave it dirty when they move out?
We have not experienced wilful damage to a property rented to our student tenants, typically, the only thing you will see are general wear and tear of the fixtures and fittings when letting to a group of people i.e., more people more wear and tear.
Less than 1% require a deep clean in general and as we provide our tenants with a cleaning guide and a cleaning rota and reiterate on how we expect them to leave their property several times throughout our contract with them, it works well for us
We expect that they have followed our advice by basically emptying their house, and having a good clean at the end of their tenancy, but landlords should expect to have the houses cleaned before new tenants move in
Our experience suggests that if landlords give tenants high quality properties, they do respect it in return keeping in good order and by doing regular services and works helps keep the property in great condition.
What are your policies regarding usage of blue tac on walls?
It is in our tenancy agreements that tenants can’t put things up on the wall, but we’d advise you to provide notice boards in bedrooms to give them somewhere to put things up on. There are lots of other simple easy solutions to help the tenants live comfortably and enjoy the property.
How much does maintenance of a house cost?
This varies from year to year and does depend on what is planned to do we look at a cycle of regular works and tasks to keep the property in line with the market usually over a 3 or 4 year cycle to cover regular maintenance, like carpet cleaning, replacing bits of furniture and equipment, as well as medium to long term maintenance, like new kitchens and bathrooms, we would recommend putting something like 10% of the total rent aside each year but typically around 8% approximately gives a good reserve to use.
Maintenance work and repairs
SHL organises any works to be carried out on your property on your behalf our experienced inhouse team handle 99% of the works reported to us, so no unnecessary delays for routine maintenance you will only be charged for the actual cost of work carried out at your property. And no upfront payments required, no monies held on account.
Do I need to pay the utility bills for the tenants?
No, normally it is included in the rent to the students. So, it is completely hassle-free and easy to manage without having to deal with a call centre for hours on the phone. Just what the tenants want.
Can the tenants use as much energy as they want?
No, we include a limit on the gas and electricity the tenants can use in their tenancy agreement, but the best way to reduce the bills is to provide good facilities for example, double glazed widows and modern external doors, a modern boiler with thermostatic control and loft insulation. And keep the property well maintained.
How much do utilities cost?
There is no cost to our landlords during the tenancy. Typically, the tenants are responsible for their own utilities and they do not pay council tax so no need to worry about that either, we can help set these up for the tenants also.
What are the student accommodation regulations for landlords regarding safety checks and certificates?
The usual are as follows – but others may be required depending on each individual property type.
Gas safety certificates are needed annually, and it is recommended that Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) and a fire detection test and service are carried out on an annual basis as well and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) needs to be carried out every five years.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is needed every 10 years and properties need a Fire Risk Assessment, which provides a fire plan for the tenants.
You may also need an HMO licence if the property requires one usually 5 bedrooms or more it may also need regular fire alarm testing all of which we will organise.
Do I need to be accredited to rent to students in Lancaster?
NO, you do not need to be accredited to rent to students in Lancaster. We have been in business for 20 years and have always based our services solely on offering the best customer service to both Tenants and Landlords.
What are the comparisons to our local competitors?
A. STUDENT HOUSING LANCASTER – 11 %
B. ESCAPE CAMPUS – 10-12% + VAT total = (12 – 14.40%)
C. MIGHTY HOUSE – 12% + VAT total = (14.4%)
Along with everything you would expect from a market-leading agent.
At SHL, we also include at no extra charge, on our DIRECT LET SCHEME:
- Rent Guarantee
- Heating and Boiler Cover
- Termly Cleaning of Internal Areas
- Termly Tidy of External Areas, Windows, Front & Back Doors Cleaned
- Yards Paths etc Cleaned & Swept
- Organise Services Between Tenancies
- Emergency Cover Out of Hours Security Service
- No Re-Sign Fees to Owners Between Tenants
- No Ongoing Upfront Costs