Furniture in student accommodation tends to have a shorter life span than in a conventional home and should be reviewed annually by the owner. Furnishings must be of adequate size, meet fire regulations, be durable, fit for purpose and in keeping with student expectations.
Where problems do occur we find it is usually because cheaper furniture, not suitable for long-term use, has been provided. We can provide guidance on types of furnishings and suppliers if required. Contact us for advice.
The property should be centrally heated.
A standard contents list would be:
Bedroom
- Bed with clean, stain-free, firm mattress (replacement mattresses must be new)
- cotton quilted mattress cover
- wardrobe (not canvas or plastic)
- mirror - full length
- chest of drawers with adequate storage
- desk or table (minimum size 2.5ft x 3ft)
- desk lamp
- upholstered desk chair which is suitable for studying
- book case or wall shelving of an appropriate size
- rubbish bin
- lined curtains or blinds (with nets in ground floor rooms)
- at least four electrical plug sockets.
Kitchen
- Free-standing or built-in cooker with separate four-ring hob, clearly visible operating controls and working auto ignition
- refrigerator – suitable for the size of the home (one shelf per student)
- freezer (one shelf per student, minimum size 4.5 cubic feet)
- plumbed-in washing machine
- one cupboard for each student and adequate food preparation areas
- chopping board (replaced annually)
- rubbish bin of adequate size and a recycling box
- fire blanket (checked annually by the owner and replaced if used)
- vinyl floor, or a similar washable surface, not Flotex or similar coverings.
Bathroom
- Shower – either a shower unit or a bath with mixer taps
- sufficient cabinet or shelf space for those sharing
- washable nylon shower curtain (renewed annually)
- electric extractor fan ideally with a humidistat sensor
- sufficient towel rails and hooks for the number of sharers
- mirror
- toilet brush (renewed annually)
- vinyl floor, or a similar washable surface, not Flotex or similar coverings.
There must be enough amenities for the number of students in the property.
| No of persons sharing | one bathroom with WC | one bathroom with WC + separate WC | two bathrooms with WCs | two bathrooms with WCs + separate WC or third bathroom with WC | three bathrooms with WCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 6 to 8 | - | - | Y | Y | Y |
| 9 to 10 | - | - | - | Y | Y |
| 11+ | - | - | - | - | Y |
Communal room
- Enough comfortable and contemporary seating to enable students to sit together
- table and chairs (if not in kitchen)
- working television aerial capable of receiving a digital signal
- adequate low-energy lighting for night time and enough natural light for daylight hours.
- All broadband routers, central heating and hot water controls, fuse boxes, meters and emergency cut off valves must all be located in a communal space and not within a study bedroom to ensure access by all the tenants in the property.
General
- Adequate, safe fixed heating
- working phone point allowing internet access or a wireless router
- ironing board (with cover – replaced annually)
- vacuum cleaner and tools in good working order, serviced annually and suitable for the size of property and regular use
- broom, dustpan and brush
- mop and bucket (mop head replaced annually)
- dustbin (or local authority provided bin) and recycling bins supplied by the local authority
- doormats
- lockable outbuilding for student use or space for cycle storage (where possible)
- a clothes airer or other means of drying washing
Keys
You will need to provide the following sets of keys:
Bedrooms
2x copies of the key for each bedroom
Front door
1x full set of front door keys per occupier, plus two full sets for the accommodation office (e.g. four-bedroom house = 6x full sets)
Back door
2x full sets (one for the accommodation office and one to be left in a secure location in the property).
