subject: Roadshows To Showcase New Code For Student Landlords [print this page] A series of roadshows aimed at recruiting good-quality landlords in university towns and cities is to kick off next week.
It is being put together by the accommodation for students (AFS) website and Unipol, the charity dedicated to the provision and improvement of student accommodation.
The roadshows will showcase the AFS/Unipol Code, which accredits student landlords who offer certain standards of accommodation.
The roadshow starts in York on May 8, followed by Liverpool two days later. Dates in May have also been set for Cardiff (18), Exeter (23), Edinburgh (25) and Hull (29), with Bristol and Brighton still to be finalised.
Representatives from both AFS and Unipol will give presentations to local student landlords and take questions about the Code.
Simon Thompson, co-founder and director of AFS, said: Since our launch last September we already have over 200 private student landlords seeking accreditation, and over 24,000 bed spaces in accredited accommodation. In addition, we want to take our message to the landlords in their own areas, hence this roadshow, initially in eight cities across the UK.
By providing service standards that cover all key areas of student accommodation, the AFS/Unipol Code provides peace of mind to students and parents. Accredited landlords, identified by our thumbs up logo on the website, will be preferred by our customers. The roadshow will also explain all the other elements of the scheme that are beneficial to them.
Two recent landlord forums that we have run have shown a great enthusiasm for this initiative.
Martin Blakey, chief executive of Unipol, said: The Code sets a number of specific professional standards for rented student properties and their management.
It covers all the key areas of student accommodation comfort, facilities, safety, security and service and is designed to help students (and their parents) make a more informed choice about accommodation and its quality.
Most importantly and uniquely, these standards are physically checked by visits from our team of independent professional assessors as part of the initial application, and three-yearly thereafter when membership comes up for renewal.
The AFS/Unipol Scheme is also partnered by the NUS who will promote the scheme to its student members.
Squatting in residential properties is to become a criminal offence in Britain, after the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill received Royal Assent this week.
As from September 1, squatting will become a criminal offence, meaning that perpetrators will face up to six months in jail and a maximum 5,000 fine if they move into a home owners property.
However, owners of empty property should still take certain steps, including always informing their insurers when the property becomes vacant.
Owners where the property is likely to remain unoccupied for longer than a few weeks should also be advised to shut down power and gas supplies, drain water systems, and install a letter box seal, partly to prevent the possibility of arson and partly to prevent a build-up of mail.
