Priorities are Changing for the UK’s Students for Rental Properties

The question of what students are looking for when they need a property to rent while undertaking their studies has been revealed in a new report.

Entitled ‘What Students Seek‘, it questioned students around the UK to find what they consider to be most important when considering which property to rent.

While 75% of those surveyed said they were satisfied with their shared accommodation, the report highlights a number of changing priorities.

The bottom line is that the number of students satisfied with their student accommodation is gradually falling but it’s not because the conditions of these properties is dropping. Instead, student expectations for their accommodation are rising.

Growing demand for private halls of residence from students

This is one reason to explain the fast growing demand for private halls of residence from students who are looking for high quality and value for money accommodation.

This is underlined by the report, which is published annually by Glide Utilities, which reveals the insights and trends to help landlords plan to provide better property.
Among the most popular choices for students when looking for accommodation are:

• Inclusive bills: this is essential for 74% of students
• Fast Internet: a choice for 83% of students and the most popular item
• Double beds: 60% of students are looking for a double bed
• Big communal rooms: 59% of students said they wanted large living areas to share with fellow students

In addition, 55% of those surveyed said the accommodation should be close to their university and 31% said they needed good transport links.

Students want quality accommodation for university

As we have explained before in this Private Halls blog, these expectations are also top of the list for students wanting quality accommodation for their university studies which is increasingly being met by providers of purpose-built student accommodation.

Indeed, though the price for renting a private student halls of residence is more than a traditional shared student property, it seems that students are now willing to pay a premium to have their expectations met.

This is underlined by Glide’s CEO, James Villarreal, who says that when it comes to attracting students ‘more is more’.

He explained: “We cannot ignore the fact that the figure for students being satisfied with their accommodation is gradually falling. This is not because the conditions are slipping but that student expectations are rising.”

Students opting to live in a private halls of residence

Another big attraction for students opting to live in a private halls of residence is that the accommodation is not only newer but usually close to their university.

There’s also generally a manned reception desk 24/7 which helps bring peace of mind and security to those living there.

Students living in private halls can also opt to do so for the entire duration of their studies rather than having to find new shared student property on a regular basis.