A DATABASE of students’ views on city landlords is to be compiled at Oxford Brookes University.

Details collected through the Rate My Landlord scheme will be given to Oxford City Council, which regulates most private properties.

The scheme, launched this term, involves students filling in two surveys about issues such as resolving complaints, housing quality and end of tenancy.

Students’ Union president Andy Pedersen said he hoped it would benefit all people paying rent, not just students.

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He said: “That’s the point, what we want to do is improve the standards of rented accommodation across the city.

“Because there is a housing shortage it is very easy to have sub-standard accommodation.

“There are varying standards of landlords across the city and we are hoping we can put pressure on the council to sort this out.

“You will find a similarly poor standard of housing in other cities, but when you look at the price of housing in Oxford you will be paying more for less here.”

Students will fill in the survey at Christmas and at the end of the academic year.

Mr Pedersen said: “We are trying to make students aware of their rights and get them to engage with the campaign. We are already talking to the council about housing and we will be talking to them again when we have gathered evidence.”

All privately rented houses in Oxford which are occupied by three or more people from more than one family require a house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence from the city council.

The licence is meant to ensure the landlord is a “fit and proper person”, the property is suitable for occupation by the number of people to whom it is rented and that vulnerable tenants are protected.

The council currently runs a landlord accreditation scheme, but membership is not compulsory.

Mr Pedersen said the results of the Oxford Brookes scheme will be presented to the council with the aim of getting it to take action if problems arise.

He said: “We will be looking at two main themes: are the council enforcing their own rules and are these rules what people expect from the council?

“If it turns out rules aren’t being enforced we would then expect the council to enforce them.

“If the results come back and students are happy we will say well done to the council for helping enforce rules.”

National Landlords’ Association local policy officer Gavin Dick said: “Oxford City Council has a duty to enforce against bad property practices in the area and has already introduced additional licensing of shared housing across Oxford in an attempt to improve standards of accommodation.

“The National Landlords Association is interested to see the findings of Oxford Brookes’ private housing survey as we believe that no one should have to put up with sub-standard accommodation or suffer unsafe living conditions.”

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