Landlord News

Landlords Told to Check Out Student Tenants

Taking references before allowing a new tenant to sign on the dotted line is normal good practice for landlords, and can help prevent problems with damage, arrears and anti-social behaviour. It is particularly important for landlords to take references from student tenants, says tenant referencing and eviction company Landlord Assist.

While students should not be stereotyped as being bad tenants, Landlord Assist believe that students are more likely to cause problems for landlords, for several reasons. Students are nearly always on a low income, and so landlords must make sure they have guarantors in place who are able to meet the rent if needs be. The guarantor should also be able to make sure that students keep the property in good condition and clean it at the end of the tenancy.

The majority of student tenants are good tenants, but a combination of youth, inexperience and lack of income means that some can cause problems for landlords (and sometimes for neighbours). With student numbers dropping this year, some landlords may be tempted to cut corners and not insist on guarantors and all the associated referencing and credit checks.

But Stephen Parry from Landlord Assist pointed out that ‘They are a few weeks away from a new academic year at a college or university which is unlikely to be in their home town and they need to secure accommodation as quickly as possible. The request for a guarantor in such circumstances is unlikely to be a deal breaker but will certainly help to ensure a smoother tenancy and prevent disputes’.