The Deposit Protections Service (The DPS) has issued guidance on student property check-ins in anticipation of significant demand for rental properties this autumn. 

The UK’s largest protector of deposits said that 425,830 students are due to start degree courses this month: the second highest number of university admissions on record. The organisation added that some academic institutions have already said they might not be able to house all first-year students in university accommodation, leaving them to arrange tenancies in the Private Rental Sector (PRS). 

Matt Trevett, managing director at The DPS, said: “The combination of historically high university applications, students deferring their places during the pandemic and a shortage of rental properties means that higher-than-expected numbers of students could be looking for private accommodation this autumn. 

“We would encourage students, letting agents and landlords arranging tenancies during the next few weeks to follow a number of key steps to ensure a smooth tenancy and avoid the risk of falling into a dispute at the end.” 

The DPS’ top tips included: checking out the landlord to see if they have been approved by the student union, making sure that landlords have protected the deposit within 30 days of receiving it, checking that the tenancy agreement clearly spells out their obligations while renting the property, attending the check-in to agree on the condition of the property, reviewing the inventory, including date-stamped photographs, immediately reporting any damage or defects, and keeping copies of all conversations and documents.