Landlord’s guide to student lets

EPIC
2 days ago
3 min read

Student season can be frantic. Turning around properties quickly and cleanly between one tenancy ending and the next beginning – without any drama!

What separates a smooth changeover from a successful one is almost always preparation, and the landlords who start the prep early in the season are the ones who aren’t firefighting in September.

Panoramic Aberdeen skyline over a river and stone bridge, with green parkland and houses under a clear blue sky.

Here’s what you need to have in order before the new academic year begins:

1. The changeover clean

An end of tenancy clean is non-negotiable. Properties that have been tenanted for a full academic year or more need more than a once-over. Kitchens, bathrooms, carpets and ovens bear the brunt and incoming tenants (or their parents!) will notice the standard immediately.

A professional end of tenancy clean protects your deposit position, sets the right tone with the new tenants from the off and means that the property is genuinely ready.

⭐ EPIC’s cleaning team handles end of tenancy cleans across Aberdeen city and shire, including carpet cleaning, oven cleaning and full deep cleans for properties that need more than the basics.

2. The inventory

A thorough check-in inventory, completed independently, with photos and signed off at the start of the tenancy, is the document you’ll rely on if there’s any dispute. Without it, recovering the costs for damage through the deposit scheme is extremely difficult, regardless of how obvious the damage is.

⭐ EPIC’s independent inventory service is legally binding. It covers full check-in and check-out reports, utility readings and is supported up by photographic evidence.

3. The mid-term inspection

A mid-term inspection, typically carried out around the halfway point of the tenancy, gives you eyes on the property while there's still time to address anything before it becomes a bigger problem.

It's also your opportunity to catch things tenants don't always report. Mould forming in a poorly ventilated bathroom, a slow leak under the kitchen sink or a garden that's become overgrown. Small issues that are straightforward to fix early, and significantly more expensive to fix late.

⭐ EPIC carries out mid-term property inspections with detailed reports covering condition, maintenance requirements and any concerns to follow up on.

4. Legislative compliance

Everyone is focused on the clean, the inventory, the new tenants moving in…and the single certificate that expired in July gets missed.

Before your new tenants arrive, make sure the following are current:

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) – annual, must be provided to tenants before they move in
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) – every 5 years
Legionella risk assessment – reviewed regularly, especially between tenancies when water systems have been sitting unused
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms – tested and confirmed working at the start of every tenancy
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – valid for 10 years

A property that isn't compliant on day one of a tenancy isn't a minor oversight – it’s illegal with real consequences.

⭐ EPIC can oversee a rental property’s compliance, ensuring appropriate checks and certificates are valid throughout a tenancy. Need remedial work ASAP? We can also coordinate that.

5. Deposit protection

Student deposits must be registered in an approved protection scheme within 30 working days of receipt and tenants must receive the relevant documentation. With multiple tenants on a single tenancy, make sure everyone named on the agreement receives what they're entitled to.

And remember, the deposit is only as useful as the evidence behind it – which brings us back to the inventory…

The bottom line

Student let season rewards landlords who are organised and exposes those who aren't. EPIC works with student landlords across Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire on end of tenancy cleans, independent inventories, mid-term inspections and full compliance management. If you want this year's changeover to be your smoothest yet, get in touch now before the rush begins.