Welcome to our page especially for existing and prospective RCSLM Landlords

If you are not already a Landlord of ours and have or are interested in purchasing property suitable for student accomodation in and around Cirencester, please do get in touch with either Richard or Kim who will be delighted to discuss your requirements and how the RCSLM team can help you now and over the coming years. 

Richard and Kim have been developing and managing property for themselves for more than 25 years and having built up a great team around them became full time property managers in 2007. Their experience in managing their own HMO (Houses of Multiple Occupancy) portfolio since 2005 brings a vast breadth of knowledge and a unique approach to the letting's business.

RC Student Letting and Management has been providing a professional and personal service to student landlords in and around Cirencester for over 30 years and we are members of UKALA.

We offer a range of services to suit your requirements from Fully Managed to Let Only with a very competitive fee structure.

We can and do deal with all aspects of your property including:

• Advertising your property to let on the RCSLM website, facebook and other portals
• All viewings with RAU students
• APT's's, Guarantors and Deposit Protection
• Inventory at both check in and check out
• Regular house visits to make sure your house is being kept in good order and to deal with any related queries the students may have
• Day to day maintenance issues
• Arranging Fire and Gas Safety Certificates if requested by Landlord

As a Landlord you have a responsibility to both your property and your tenants throughout any tenancy agreement and these are listed below for you:

Landlord Responsibilities

• Landlords should ensure that their properties are maintained throughout the tenancy.
• Priority should be given to failures in heating and hot water systems.
• Landlords, tradesmen or other official personnel are not allowed to enter the tenants home without 24 hours' notice given unless it is an emergency.
• Landlords should provide all equipment enabling tenants to conduct their tenancies in an appropriate manner.
• Landlords must ensure they adhere to legal requirement guidelines on:
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme
• House in Multiple Occupation
• Energy Performance Certificates

Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (effective 1 May 2026), landlords can regain possession of student property using a new mandatory Ground 4A.

This requires the property to be an HMO, with all tenants being students, and possession sought between 1 June and 30 September to re-let to new students. Key Grounds for Possession (Post-May 2026) • Ground 4A (Student Specific): This is the main, new ground designed for academic cycles. It allows landlords to regain possession of HMOs (shared kitchen/bathroom with two or more other students) if all tenants are full-time students and the landlord intends to rent to a new group of students.
o Notice Period: The landlord must give 4 months' notice.
o Timing: Notice must expire, and possession must be taken, between 1 June and 30 September.
• Mandatory Grounds (Fault-Based): Landlords can use existing mandatory grounds if there is a breach, such as:
o Ground 8 (Rent Arrears): The tenant owes at least 3 months or 13 weeks of rent.
o Ground 7A (Anti-social Behaviour): For severe antisocial behaviour.
o Ground 7B (Right to Rent): The tenant does not have a legal right to rent in the UK.
• Other Mandatory Grounds:
o Ground 1 (Owner Occupation): The landlord needs to move into the property.
o Ground 6 (Redevelopment): The landlord needs to carry out major repairs or redevelopment.

Key Changes Affecting Student Lets

• No Fault Evictions Removed: The Act abolishes Section 21 "no-fault" evictions, making Ground 4A crucial for re-letting cycles.
• Periodic Tenancies: Fixed-term contracts are generally replaced with rolling, periodic tenancies.

Best Practices for Property Landlords

• Meticulous Record-Keeping: To successfully reclaim possession, owners must keep detailed logs of all rental transactions, correspondence, and evidence of any contract violations. • Regulatory Awareness: Familiarity with these specific legal categories is vital to navigating the eviction process correctly and avoiding costly procedural errors.