Top 10 tips to find the best student accommodation in London

I have been renting student accommodation for almost 15 years. I now have six properties and a total of twenty-eight available beds. To begin with I would advertise the properties myself and handle all the administration and maintenance issues myself too. But as I continued to acquire more properties over the years, as well as holding down a full time job I eventually had to enlist the services of a letting agency to manage the properties on my behalf. The standard of service I have received from letting agencies has varied widely. I have used a couple who were absolutely terrible. Badly organised with inexperienced employees who have sometimes completely failed to get tenants into my properties before the start of term. This can be a massive blow to a landlord who has spent money improving a property only for it to stand empty for months on end not making a penny. On the other hand some agencies will bend over backwards to get you on board and to ensure your property rents each year. It is important to try and build a rapport with the agent and bear in mind you are paying them to provide you with a service and you need them to deliver. Of course it works both ways and you need to do everything you can to make your property appealing to new tenants. As an experienced landlord I can usually spot a good agent but I have made some costly mistakes in the past.

Renting student accommodation is not as straightforward as it seems. Things have changed a lot over recent years and it is no longer acceptable to offer bog standard facilities. The rules and regulations surrounding student accommodation are really strict and if as a landlord you fail to comply with the rules you can soon find yourself off the books.