When student tenants leave before the end of their contract, landlords lose money.
You can find a replacement quickly in several different ways.
It doesn’t need to take several months.
Read on to learn about them.
1. Student groups
There will be groups dedicated to students at the university. You can advertise your vacancy in there.
Facebook groups may be dedicated to students at the university. There could also be Reddit or Discord Subforums.
And the university might have a portal you can access with their permission.
2. Speak to the university
You should contact the university directly. They can put you in touch with students who need accommodation.
They may also give you access to their online portal. Or they could grant permission to put printed flyers around their campus.
3. Online platforms
You can use several websites dedicated to finding tenants for a spare room, including:
- SpareRoom
- Gumtree
- Facebook marketplace.
Instagram pages might advertise house vacancies for you – in which case, contact them! Even Twitter (X) and Reddit could be useful as well.
4. Word of mouth
Most student properties are HMOs with multiple students.
So, when students leave, you can ask their housemates. They might know other students looking for a room already or be able to ask around.
5. Speak to other landlords
Tell them about your situation if you’ve got a network of other local landlords.
They might know a student nearby who’s searching for a room.
Especially if a student has only recently moved out of one of their properties. It could be a perfect match.
How long does it take to find a replacement student tenant?
Ideally, it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks.
Word of mouth is arguably the strongest method, so encourage the students in your property to tell their friends.
You don’t want the process to take over a month, as the academic year may already be partly through.
Landlord insurance can sometimes covers this scenario, depending on your policies.
