Page 24 - May 2023
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INTERIORS INSIDER                                                                                                                                   EXPERT ADVICE

                                            Set of four Black Checkered Coasters: £38,                   A guide to renting to students
                                             Rockett St George, rockettstgeorge.co.uk
                                                                                                   Nicky Lloyd, Head of ESPC Lettings, discusses some key factors to
                                                                                               consider when buying a rental property intended to be leased to students.


                                                                                                tudent lets usually offer good rental yields   Timing
                                                                                                and can be a solid financial investment in   You will want to have your student property
                                                                                            Sthe long term for buy-to-let investors.  ready to go to coincide with the start of the
                                                                                                                                 academic year, so summer is the ideal time to
                                                                                            Location is key                      get your property set up and advertised.
                                                                                            Students want to be close to their university,
                         Check mate                                                         and in Edinburgh there is a lot of choice with     Pick the right model
                                                                                            the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier
                                                                                                                                 Some landlords opt for the HMO (House of
                                                                                            University, Heriot-Watt University, Queen
                                                                                                                                 Multiple Occupancy)  model  for their student
                                                                                            Margaret University as well as various colleges.
                                                                                                                                 lets, where students share a property. An
                                                                                            Your student buy-to-let property should
                                                                                            ideally be somewhere within 30 minutes’ walk   HMO licence is required where three or more
                                                                                                                                 unrelated people (normally students) are
                 Introduce playful party vibes to your home with these retro-               of campus, with plenty of student-friendly   sharing a property. HMO properties may require
                                                                                            amenities nearby.                    remodelling to add extra facilities and the local
                 inspired coasters. The set of four provide the perfect pit stop
                                                                                                                                 council will need to grant an HMO licence.
                for cocktails, glasses of wine or even your morning cup of tea.
                                                                                            Furnish appropriately
                                                                                            Students, like many other tenants, are looking   If you choose not to purchase an HMO property
                                                                                            for a well-furnished home with a desk. Investing   for your student buy-to-let, there are plenty
                                                                                            in extras such as mattress protectors, sofa   of students looking for one or two-bedroom
                                                                                            covers,  and  laminate  flooring  will  all  help  to   properties where this type of licencing is not
                                                                                            preserve the condition of your student let.  required.
                                                                                                                                 Invest in a full management service
                                                                                                                                 With a full management service, your agent will
                                                                                                                                 photograph and market your property, handle
                                                                                                                                 enquiries and conduct viewings, reference check
                                                                                                                                 prospective tenants, draw up a detailed inventory
                                                                                                                                 and provide a Private Residential Tenancy
                                                                                                                                 Agreement so you can have peace of mind that
                                                                                                                                 your property is being dealt with expertly.

                                                                                                                                 ESPC podcast
                                                                                                                                 To find out more about student lets, listen to
                                                                                                                                 episode 15 of The ESPC Property Show which
                                                                                                                                 goes into depth about student buy-to-lets. It
                                                                                                                                 can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and
                                                                                                                                 Google Podcasts.


                                                                                            ESPC Lettings is an Edinburgh letting agent. We can help with marketing your rental property and finding the right tenants.
                                                                                            Contact the team on 0131 253 2847 or landlord@espc.com.
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