Students at the University of Warwick can avoid dodgy landlords and nasty surprises - thanks to its industry-leading Rate Your Landlord platform.

One of the most daunting prospects for students is finding somewhere nice to live after leaving the comfort of home, or a managed hall of residence.

Choosing the right private landlord when budgets are tight can be difficult and unpredictable when there is a little or no information on how they look after tenants.

A survey in 2019 by the student newspaper the Warwick Boar revealed the experiences of many students who shared stories of unreasonable damage charges, unscheduled visits, and poor maintenance being ignored.

Jack Sperry, a student officer at Warwick Students’ Union, said, “Other accounts that worried us were the landlords refusing to help on issues like fixing door locks after the occurrence of crime, lack of communication when the landlord left the country, failure to fix breakages, alleged threats to tenants, unreliability and slow responses with issues concerning both health and infrastructure.”

To support students with the lettings process, the University of Warwick Students Union launched its Rate Your Landlord review and ratings website in September 2021, allowing student tenants to leave feedback about their renting experiences.

The ‘Tripadvisor’ style website is designed to help students make informed decisions when choosing a landlord or rental property.

The Students’ Union now holds annual Rate Your Landlord Awards that recognise the best landlords in the area, as rated by their student tenants.

This year’s awards will take place at the University of Warwick and will feature speeches from Councillor Andrew Day, leader of Warwick District Council, and other local leaders as well as presentations of awards to the top-rated landlords to attract student tenants.

Adele Browne, Director of Student Experience, said "At Warwick, we are committed to providing the highest quality academic and personal experience for our students, both academically and personally.”

“The 'Rate Your Landlord' website is an excellent tool for helping our students find safe and comfortable accommodation, and we are proud to support this initiative." Councillor Andrew Day added: "The 'Rate Your Landlord' website is a resource for students in the area. It allows them to share their experiences and assist others to make informed decisions about their accommodation.”

The 'Rate Your Landlord' Awards covers all landlords in Coventry and Warwick district, and nominations can be submitted by their student tenants on the 'Rate Your Landlord' website. The winners will be chosen based on the ratings and feedback provided by their tenants.

For more information about the 'Rate Your Landlord' Awards, please visit
https://www.rateyourlandlord.org.uk/landlord-rankings/warwick-rankings/

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