Students usually move out of their accommodation during May or June, giving landlords a small window to inspect, refresh, and prepare the property before the new academic year begins.
However, this year there is more than the usual cleaning and maintenance for student landlords to consider. The 2026/2027 academic year is the first full student intake since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force. So, alongside the usual refresh and inventory checks, landlords also need to make sure their processes and paperwork reflect the new legislation.
To help you get organised, we’ve put together a practical checklist covering everything from end-of-tenancy inspections to updating tenancy agreements to help you prepare for the academic year ahead.
The Student Landlord’s Checklist: Preparing For The 2026/2027 Academic Year
Work your way through the checklist below to make sure your student let is ready for the next intake of tenants and your processes have been updated in line with the latest legislation.
Carry Out A Thorough End-Of-Tenancy Inspection
As soon as your tenants have cleared out their belongings and headed home for the summer, you can complete a thorough end-of-tenancy inspection.
If you can, it's useful to carry out a less formal inspection before your tenants move out too. This allows you to identify any major issues while they’re still in the property. Discussing issues face-to-face and showing tenants the damage in person can be easier than waiting until everyone has left the house and then relying on photographs or videos to communicate issues.
This is the point where it really pays to have set clear expectations with tenants from the start. While you can’t expect them to leave the property spotless, it should be, broadly, in the same condition in which it was let to them – bar fair wear and tear.
If damage goes beyond reasonable wear and tear or if the property has been left excessively dirty, then you may be able to claim money from the student’s deposit to help you return the property to its former condition.
Remember, deductions must be reasonable. If you did not have the property professionally deep-cleaned before the students moved in, then it is unreasonable to expect it to be returned to you in this condition.
If any deductions are required, you’ll need to send details about the deduction to the tenant in writing. The communication should include a breakdown of costs and supporting evidence, like photographs and invoices.
Refresh And Maintain Your Student Rental Property
Carrying out repairs and maintenance work with student tenants in situ can be difficult and disruptive, so make the most of this brief window when the property is empty.
Take the opportunity to walk through each room and identify anything that might need repairing, replacing, or upgrading. Getting everything in good nick now will reduce the number of issues and maintenance requests you receive from tenants over the next year.
Now is a good time to:
- Give the walls a fresh lick of paint.
- Replace damaged furniture or mattresses.
- Repair flooring or damaged fixtures.
- Upgrade appliances.
- Fix dropping taps and leaks.
- Replace broken blinds or curtains.
- Update lighting.
It’s also very important to look out for signs of damp, mould, or poor ventilation. While Awaab’s Law has not yet been extended to the private rented sector, the change is on the horizon, and landlords need to start looking for ways to improve housing standards now. Identifying and resolving issues will only benefit both you and the tenant by improving living conditions and tenant satisfaction, reducing complaints, and putting you in a stronger position when future regulations are introduced.
Complete Essential Landlord Compliance Checks
Ensuring that your student let is safe and free from hazards is a responsibility that you should take very seriously. If you fail to comply with relevant health and safety regulations, it could have serious consequences for both you and your tenants.
Before welcoming new students, you should:
- Ensure you have a valid Gas Safety Certificate.
- Check that the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is still valid.
- Carry out PAT testing.
- Check that all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are present and working.
The private rented sector is becoming increasingly heavily regulated, so if you haven’t already got a system in place to help you stay on top of your compliance responsibilities, now is a good time to put one in place.
Landlord software and tools like PaTMa’s Property Manager make it easy to store all your important compliance documents securely in one central place. It can also be used to set digital reminders for upcoming inspections, certificate renewals, and other important compliance deadlines, helping you stay organised and reducing the risk of something important slipping through the cracks.
Update Your Property Inventory With New Photos And Records
Once you’re confident that your student let is ready for the new student cohort, it’s time to document its condition.
A detailed inventory serves as invaluable evidence should any disputes arise in the future, so it pays to do a thorough job.
Take new photos or videos:
- Every room.
- Walls and flooring.
- Furniture.
- Appliances.
- Fixtures and fittings.
- Gardens or outdoor areas.
- Meter readings
At this point, it’s also useful to check that all the appliance manuals and other important information leaflets are present.
Prepare For Student Move-In Day
Move-in day should be about more than handing over the keys. This is your opportunity to set the tone and start building a positive relationship with your new tenants.
Once the date is set, you’ll need to spend some time putting together a list of everything you need to run through with your new tenants on the day they arrive.
Make sure you set clear expectations from the start and give your new tenants plenty of time to ask any questions that they may have.
Important things to cover on move-in day include:
- Walk through the inventory together.
- Explain the process for reporting maintenance issues.
- Provide emergency contact details.
- Provide information about bin collection.
- Show tenants how heating and appliances work.
- Discuss expectations surrounding cleanliness and property care.
Taking half an hour to explain these things and answer any questions your new tenants have can help prevent countless hours answering queries and handling misunderstandings later down the line.
Check Your Ground 4a Eligibility Before The New Academic Year
The Renter’s Rights Act, the abolition of Section 21 notices, and the introduction of Ground 4a have changed the way student landlords regain possession of their properties.
If your student tenants leave at the end of the academic year as planned – no problem. But if they don’t, Ground 4a acts as a backstop to help remove tenants before the next academic year.
Student landlords had until 31 May 2026 to give formal written notice of their intent to use Ground 4a for any tenancies that had already been signed before the new rules came into force.
Because student tenancies are often signed six months or more in advance, this didn’t just apply to students leaving this summer, but also to many students due to move in for the 2026/2027 academic year.
If you missed the deadline, you may not be able to use Ground 4a for those particular tenancies if any possession issues arise. However, this is a good opportunity to review your processes to make sure that all future tenancies meet the conditions for Ground 4a.
If you’re unsure how it works, you can read our full guide to Ground 4a here.
Review Your Student Letting Processes For 2027/2028
Once your new students have settled in, take some time to review your processes before you begin advertising for the 2027/2028 academic year.
The Renters’ Rights Act introduced several big changes, and it’s important to make sure your systems, paperwork, and letting processes reflect the new rules.
Here are three tasks you can carry out now to save yourself a lot of time and stress next year.
Review Your Student Letting Timeline
Now that all tenancies are periodic and Section 21 has been abolished, the new Ground 4a of Section 8 has become a valuable legal tool for student landlords.
However, if you want to use it, you’ll need to think carefully about when to ask students to sign their tenancy agreements. Under the new rules, you cannot rely on Ground 4a if the tenant signed their tenancy agreement more than six months before they moved in.
You may need to rethink when you advertise your student lets or introduce a holding deposit to secure prospective tenants while delaying the signing process.
Update Tenancy Agreements For The Renters' Rights Act
Now is also a good time to review and update your tenancy agreement template and any supporting documents to reflect the latest legislation.
Pay particular attention to areas affected by the Renters’ Rights Act, including tenancy type, Ground 4a notices, rent reviews, pets, and how tenants should report maintenance issues.
Use Landlord Software To Stay Organised And Compliant
The introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act and Making Tax Digital has made organisation and record-keeping a fundamental part of the modern landlord’s skillset. If you’re still using old-school processes to manage your student lets, like paper files, spreadsheets, and calendar reminders, now’s a good time to modernise your operations.
PaTMa’s Property Manager is perfect for student HMO management. It is a dedicated landlord software that makes it easy to stay organised and manage your entire portfolio from one central platform.
With PaTMa you can:
- Easily maintain a clear digital audit trail.
- Store tenancy agreements and important documents securely online.
- Log all tenant communication.
- Track maintenance requests and repairs.
- Set reminders for compliance deadlines.
- Keep digital financial records.
- Submit digital tax returns to HMRC.
- Build detailed inventories.
- Utility and rent management.
Whether you manage one student let or a growing portfolio, PaTMa can help you save time, get organised, and maintain compliance as the private rented sector continues to evolve.
Book a free online demo or start your free trial today to learn more about how PaTMa works and what it can do.
