Benefits of joining Unipol 

Introduction to Unipol

Unipol is a charity, established in 1975 in Leeds, to help students find the best housing they can, to drive up standards and be a beacon of good practice for other housing suppliers. Unipol is dedicated to promoting high quality student accommodation that’s affordable. Unipol's operations are not for profit, which means no profit is taken from our operations and all monies received are invested back into the organisation in the form of services for students and tenants.

An exceptional service for landlords and managing agents

As landlords we all know that the student rental market is continually changing, particularly over the last 5 years. We are now operating in a surplus market and it is getting increasingly challenging to let our properties. Flexibility and effective marketing are central to a successful let and Unipol is committed to assisting landlords and managing agents in achieving this.

Why advertise with Unipol

Marketing advantage

Unipol is a unique organisation in a unique position within the Leeds student letting market. Over the last two decades Unipol has continued to develop and expand its relationships with the two universities and their Student Unions and a number of colleges around Leeds including Leeds Trinity University College, the Leeds College of Art, , the Northern School of Contemporary Design and Leeds College of Music. In practice these relationships mean that students are recommended to use the Unipol service above all others to secure their accommodation and all of our publicity is welcomed on their premises.

I would like to become a member of Unipol and advertise my properties

Providing the best access to over 35,000 students every year

Unipol actively works with all institutions to make sure that students are equipped with the necessary skills to choose their properties wisely. Every student in halls will receive house hunting information produced by Unipol, delivered by their institution, to help them make the best choice for them and their group.

• Last year there were more than 30 million hits and 4.6 million page impressions on the web site, this shows it is used by most students;
• So far this year over 400,000 actual searches have been carried out this year;
• Independent research has shown that around 84% of students with a housing requirement use Unipol's site as their starting point for finding houses;
• The site carries details of over 14,000 bed spaces each year to help the 35,000 students who live in the private sector;
• This year over 90% of properties displayed between January and the end of September were let

The Unipol Website

What we provide is a very well used and attractive website, where you can display details of your properties with photographs, EPCs and room plans with space for extra information about your property. In addition the website offers an online service, providing access to a set of tools which will allow you to manage your rentals more efficiently. These include publishing tools to upload images and information about your properties and advice on how to be a better landlord.

Not just a website

Although Unipol aims to centralise as many private sector vacancies on our website as possible to allow for transparency, comparability and no hidden bias we do use many advertising methods to help you let your properties.

The Unipol Tabloid

Unipol produce and circulate a tabloid at the start of housing hunting to all University and Private Halls of Residence and over 20,000 properties in the LS6 and LS4 areas. The tabloid gives students useful information and details of properties that meet the Code of Standards. In a recent accommodation survey conducted by Leeds University Union, it was found to be the best read and most useful housing publication. The tabloid helps to generate significant rises in property searches in January each year. This is further evidence of our commitment to you, to develop the service and make Unipol’s site the one site that you cannot afford not to advertise on. To advertise in the tabloid please contact the Bureau. Unipol will produce a tabloid up to the launch of house hunting and several more through the year.

Using Plasma Screens and Emails

Unipol is continuously exploring new ways to reach students to inform them about our service and about our landlords. We will use plasma screens in the accommodation bureau and other public spaces within the institutions we serve to further communicate our message. Students will receive information by email and through their logins at University. Only Unipol with its established relationships with the institutions in Leeds can get this level of access to the whole student body.

Become Accredited

Unipol is committed to improving standards in student housing and does this primarily through promoting accreditation both to landlords and to students. The institutions and their student unions will be advising students to give priority to landlords signed up to the Unipol Code when deciding which properties to view. There is a marketing advantage to being in the Code; it offers landlords guidance about what they should do; it promotes good practice and makes it easier for students to find a safe and secure property.

When you advertise with Unipol and join the Code or become a Supporter of the Code you are making a choice to be recognised as a landlord or agent that is committed to continuing improvement in student housing standards. Students will look to you as having properties that exceed national health and safety requirements. Students are using the Unipol website more than any other in Leeds and especially to look at properties that are covered by the Code.

The Unipol Code

The Unipol Code is recognised by students, the universities and colleges in Leeds as setting a professional minimum standard which rented properties should meet. It covers the physical attributes of the property as well as the relationship between the landlord and tenant. It also deals with certain financial aspects to make sure that the rent is paid and deposits returned.

Over 80% of Unipol's property owners have joined the Code and recent research has shown that it plays an important part of the house selection process by students. Almost all houses let on a 52 week basis are in the Code.

If you want to join the Code then you should simply apply and make a declaration that all your properties meet the standards. You will be asked to sign a declaration and pay a fee every three years. Unipol will inspect a sample of your properties before you are accredited to ensure that your declaration is accurate.

A separate Code exists for owners letting rooms in their own houses.

Fees for joining the Unipol Code

An important change that was agreed as part of the review process in 2012 was the introduction of a charge for membership of the Code. This will be separate from the fee for membership of Unipol and will be based on the number of student properties owned/managed. The fee levels for 2012 to 2015 will be as follows (all prices inclusive of VAT):

The fee (which can be paid by cash/cheque/credit or debit card) is payable at the time when landlords/agents submit the membership declaration form.

The starred system

Unipol has a starred system to award Code properties on their amenity level.  Revised in 2011, information can be found at the following link, The New Starred System

Supporter of the Code for Managing Agents

If you are a managing agent then you will be able to join a special scheme where you become a "Supporter of the Code" Unipol wishes to encourage and support all managing agencies to participate in accreditation by being members of the Unipol Code but acknowledges the practicalities for different types of managing agents in ensuring that their owners' properties can fully comply. This status allows us to reward good managing agents who are making every effort to ensure as many of their properties as possible meet the standards of the Code.

Becoming a Supporter of the Code

To join as a supporter of the Code you will need to give an undertaking to draw the attention of the Code to all of your owners and will seek to persuade them to join. You will also provide information about the Code (which will be supplied by Unipol) to all your existing and potential owners. 

You will be required to provide Unipol with a property list detailing all the properties that you intend to rent to students, indicating clearly which properties you would like to put forward for accreditation. It is helpful to put forward those landlords and properties which you feel are most likely to meet the Code or if a few improvements are required that the landlord in question is likely to be in a position to do the required work. Unipol will meet with you and draw up an agreement that will detail a target for you to reach. This will detail the percentage of properties you will need to have accredited by a given date. This is mutually agreed and you will be supported through the process. You will be designated, by Unipol, as a “Supporter of the Unipol Code” and this will be recognised in Unipol's publications and on our web site when marketing properties. This will give you a marketing advantage and students will know that you are working towards achieving the highest standards in student accommodation. Find out more about becoming a Supporter of the Code

Code of Standards for Larger Developments

There is also a National Code of Standards for Larger Developments (over 15 students). The Codes of Standards for Larger Developments establish a set of specific standards with particular relevance to larger developments tenanted by students. More information is available on application.