Norwich Students Lets-Your Definitive Guide

Increased Importance Of guarantors

With upfront rent restricted, guarantors will become the main way to mitigate financial risk. Landlords should prepare for an increase in guarantor requests and explore Professional Guarantors.

One And Two Bed Properties Used by Students

Smaller students let are treated similarly to HMO’S under most aspects of the bill. However, some provisions such as Ground 4a do not currently apply as these properties fall outside the definition of an HMO.

If you own these properties in Norwich, assume the majority of the reforms will still apply and keep an eye on the final bill.

Guarantors and Ground 4a, A Hidden Trap?

Parents who act as guarantors under a joint tenancy guarantee the whole tenancy — not just their child’s share.

Whilst some landlords may consider switching to individual tenancies to limit that liability, doing so can create new problems- Not being able to make use of Ground 4A

Ground 4A, the new student-specific possession ground, applies where all tenants are full-time students and the landlord has given advance written notice that possession may be sought at the end of the academic year.

If each student has their own separate tenancy, it’s currently unclear whether Ground 4A could still be used, but it certainly presents legal and practical risks. Also, individual tenants will mean any student can leave mid-term, leaving rooms empty and harder to re-let once the academic year is underway.

So, while separating agreements may protect guarantors, it could also mean landlords lose both the streamlined route to regain possession and the group stability that keeps voids low.

Students could time their departure to end with their last exam- leaving a lot of students’ properties available sooner than would have been the case with a fixed term tenancy.

Students who decide a course is not for them may leave in the Michaelmas term leaving potential void for the remainder of the academic year.

Practical Advice For Landlords

Professional guarantors

When fixed term tenancies end, anyone acting as a guarantor for a tenant will be entering into an open-ended agreement which they can’t themselves break. This could expose parents or friends to an eye-watering liability if the tenant is unable to pay the rent and doesn’t surrender the tenancy; particularly if they are guarantor for the whole tenancy.

A Professional Guarantor allows tenants to pay a fee to a third-party company, which then acts as their guarantor. This is particularly useful for tenants without a UK based guarantor such as overseas students, as well as removing the risk of personal liability. Meanwhile, the landlord still has the extra layer of security, backed by an organisation with verified means.

Looking Ahead

The Renters’ Rights Bill will permanently change how student letting operate. While PBSA providers have retained a degree of flexibility, private landlords face new compliance hurdles.

Landlords that act early, by updating processes, reviewing clauses, and engage professional guarantor support, will continue renting to students with little or no disruption during the 2026 transition.