University Letting Service “40 Homes Short” as Demand Exceeds Supply

Call out for new landlords to house surplus students in Edinburgh

A POPULAR service that matches students with private accommodation in Edinburgh is hunting for more landlords after being short of potential spaces for 120 students for the upcoming academic year.

Domus, The University of Edinburgh’s letting service, allocates second and subsequent year students with private and university-owned homes in the city. It is now urging more property owners to sign up to its service – which guarantees rental payments for the year.

Having relaunched in 2018, Domus is an increasingly popular service with both students and landlords.

While last year represented its most successful to date (housing 860 students across 300 homes), growth in demand from students looking to use the service is outstripping growth in supply of landlord properties.

Michelle Christian, Director of Property at The University of Edinburgh Accommodation Catering and Events, said: “Finding rental properties in Edinburgh which suit both student and landlord can be impossible but Domus continues to provide a great option for both parties.

“So much so, we would welcome many more through the door and could have comfortably allocated many more homes than we currently have available.

“The service takes the stress out of letting, guarantees rent and manages all aspects of student tenancy agreements.

“We’d urge anyone interested to get in touch with the Domus team – even just to chat more about the rental agreement and service.”

Relaunched in summer 2018, after more than 20 years of student letting, Domus attracted a record number of landlords to its portfolio in the last year.

Domus landlords can receive the benefit of a rental income without the inconvenience that can come with managing tenancies. Offering a full service, every aspect of property tenancy is taken care of, with no hidden fees, commission or extras.

Michelle added: “We would love to be able to match up those additional students – and we also know just how popular the programme is with the landlords already on our books.

“In short, we know it works for all parties. Although students are already settling in to their new homes, thankfully we do have opportunities for landlords to be allocated part time students later in the year, or with students who have currently had to resort to temporary accommodation.”

As part of the University of Edinburgh, the Domus team has extensive knowledge of both the city and the student rental market. All surplus profits generated are also kept within the university, for wider benefit to students.

For more details about the University of Edinburgh’s Domus team, visit https://domus.ed.ac.uk/. To speak with the team, call 0131 651 2130 or email domus.enquiries@ed.ac.uk