Inspections and grading of properties

Inspections of approved accommodation

The Student Accommodation Office inspects all property offered to students from the University’s database of approved accommodation. The purpose of these inspections is to assess the safety and suitability of any accommodation offered for student occupation.

The staff of the Student Accommodation Office assess whether a property is suitable to offer. The staff are not qualified building surveyors, and as such do all that can be reasonably expected in assessing the suitability of property.

It is the responsibility of the landlord to ensure that the property offered meets all health and safety standards laid down by law. Landlords are asked to make themselves familiar with the law relating to gas and fire safety, electrical safety and the requirements relating to soft furnishing. Our staff will look at any health and safety issues that are relevant in letting to the student market. The responsibility for compliance with legal requirements remains with the landlord.

All landlords are encouraged to follow a Landlords Guidelines. Please follow this link to view the Landlords Guidelines.

What does the Housing Assessor look for when they visit my house?

It is University policy to visit all property before registration onto our Studentpad database can be considered. Once included on our database we revisit the property and meet with the landlord, every 12 to 18 months. Standards have risen considerably over recent years and students expect facilities and accommodation which is safe, secure and offers good value for money. Well presented properties located in the popular areas are always in high demand.

The purpose of a visit from our assessor team is to meet the landlord and assess the safety and suitability of the accommodation offered, for student occupation. The staff of the Student Accommodation Office are not qualified building surveyors and do not set out to undertake a full structural survey of the property offered, or a full fire risk assessment. They do however possess a wealth of experience and common sense and are able to judge – in so far as can reasonably be expected – whether a property on offer is suitable.

It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the property offered meets all health and safety standards laid down by law. Landlords must be familiar with the law relating to for example, gas and fire safety, electrical safety and the requirements relating to furniture and soft furnishings. The assessor will obviously be looking out for health and safety issues but the responsibility for compliance with legal requirements remains with the landlord.

Requirements of approved accommodation

To comply with Environmental Health regulations there must be at least one kitchen, bathroom and WC for every 5 students, although a ratio of one shower/WC facility for three students is preferable. This is applicable to all properties on our approved database.

Gas safety is taken very seriously. All registered landlords must provide a current Gas Safety Certificate for their property.

Fire safety equipment will be visually checked. All accommodation, except homestay, must have a mains powered smoke detection system, which will be hard wired and linked to a panel in larger properties. We ask for certification that these systems are tested annually. Landlords of larger properties will be referred to Plymouth City Council’s Private Rented Team (Tel: 01752 307081) to take advice on the best fire detection system for their property. These suggestions must then be actioned. Fire escape routes are assessed, and improved where necessary.

Liaison with Plymouth City Council has helped raise the standard of accommodation throughout the city. Any properties referred to Plymouth City Council will, if needed, be thoroughly assessed and certification relating to electrical safety will be required in addition to those points detailed above. Plymouth City Council work to ensure that the Licensing Regulations and Housing Health and Safety Rating System as described in the Housing Act 2004 are implemented across all registered properties. This includes the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, intended to provide security for deposit monies, and speedy dispute resolution in those cases where agreement cannot be reached between landlord and tenant at the end of a tenancy.

Grading of approved accommodation

Inspections will also involve the grading of all properties, except homestay, on a 3 point scale. Grades A, B and C are awarded and will reflect the quality of the accommodation on offer and the management of the property. An A grade is the highest grade. If a property does not meet the standards required for a C grade it will not be listed on our database of accommodation. Landlords are given suggestions on how to improve a property when the grade is given, helping to maintain the standard of accommodation on offer, and encouraging landlords to provide students with appropriate facilities.

It is important to stress that grading and safety are separate issues. All properties, irrespective of grade, are expected to comply with all appropriate safety standards.

For a property to be included onto our database, there must be:

Mains linked smoke detection on each level of the property, with a heat detector in the kitchen
2kg dry powder fire extinguisher wall mounted on each level of the property, as set out in the LACORS standards for rented accommodation
A fire blanket to be wall mounted in the kitchen area
A substantial door to the kitchen area to protect the hallway and the remainder of the property in the instance of fire.

Suitability of a property can relate to many factors including: size of kitchen in relation to the number of residents, the effectiveness of the heating system and type of heating system, size of rooms offered as study bedrooms, quality and size of furniture, security, the absence of damp. The property must also have the correct ratio of showers/baths and wc’s for the number of residents in the house. Above all, the property must meet current safety requirements and the management of the property must be regular and professional.

When visiting a property, the assessor will be looking at the following;

The Exterior of the Property

Is the front exterior tidy and well presented
Is paintwork clean and fresh
Do the gutters appear clear from blockages
Does the roof appear to be free from any loose tiles
Is the rear area of the property clear from overgrowth and is the ground clear from any slip hazards

The Inside of the Property

Bedrooms

Are there enough electrical sockets – our recommendation is three double sockets per bedroom
Do the windows open for ventilation – are they in good repair
Is the furniture that the landlord provides, fit for purpose
Are the floors and walls in good repair and floor covering well maintained

Bathroom/Shower rooms

Are there enough facilities for the number of tenants in the property
Is the flooring to these rooms appropriate and in good repair
Is an extractor fan fitted to aid ventilation
Do all separate wc’s have a wash hand basin as per the regulations

Kitchens

Are there enough cooking facilities for the number of tenants in the property
Are there the correct number of dishwashing facilities for the number of tenants
Is there enough work preparation surface space adequate for the number of tenants
Is the flooring adequate and in good repair

Communal areas (Hallways and separate lounge)

Is the flooring in good repair
Are the banister rails in good repair without spindles missing
Are lounge suites in good repair and fit for purpose

All internal doors must be in good repair and final exit doors must also be in good repair with thumb turn locks.