Make sure your Student Accommodation is as safe as it can be

We have perhaps all heard the odd horror story about student digs that were not as safe as they should be, and this is maybe why so many students are now far more aware of safety standards. Even if a property appears to be perfectly OK and ideal to be let out to members of the public, that doesn’t mean it should be left to chance.

If you are about to start a new college year in any one of the many seats of learning to be found anywhere in the UK, you need to be careful about your choice of home for the coming months. If you are left in any doubt at all about the safety of the place, the best option is to say no and to look for an alternative at the earliest opportunity.

In most cases, a student will need to share a flat or a house with others, and for this reason there has to be a consensus of opinion about the said property. There is a great deal of legal requirements that a landlord has to adhere to, and if there is even a suspicion that this is not happening then a few questions will need to be asked.

Make some enquiries about the regulations and ensure your landlord is within the law

One of the main issues in a student house or flat that need to be sorted is the safe operation of small electrical appliances in all the rooms in the home. The landlord or landlady should be looking for a specialist who has attended PAT testing courses in the past, and who will be very diligent about the way this vital task is carried out.

You might think that the student will have enough to worry about with his or her studies as the academic year approaches, but of course living in a home that is as safe as can be is perhaps even more crucial. Making a mistake at this stage of the process could lead to major problems later on. It’s a good idea to be highly selective.

If the student is not sure about the right approach to finding a house or flat, or the best way to make sure the place is safe, it would be good to include the parents in any decisions that need to be made. It goes without saying that student life offers a chance to establish some independence, but having a safe place in which to live is vital, and if the only way to be sure means asking Mum and Dad then surely that is how it must be.

Tags: student accommodation, student safety

Category: Student News