Unipol 2009 Garden Survey
The second annual Unipol Garden Survey took place on 7th May 2009 and Unipol would like to thank everyone who provided assistance. Unipol is committed to raising standards in the student accommodation sector, including the appearance and maintenance of outside amenity areas and this is reflected in the Unipol DASH Code standards. The garden survey aims to monitor the standard of gardens in student properties. and hopefully ensures that tenants are benefitting from gardens that they can use and enjoy.
A total of 557 gardens, belonging to 152 different owners (including 11 managing agents), were inspected by the Unipol team and its much needed volunteers. 442 gardens were inspected in Lenton and The Park, 44 gardens in Radford, 42 gardens in West Bridgford and 29 gardens in Clifton.
Some of the things that the assessors were looking for included:
- That boundary walls and fences were well maintained, stable and in good repair
- That pathways and patios were kept in good repair and free from obstruction
- That the garden and paved areas were kept in good order and that trees and planting was well maintained
- That the garden and paved areas were kept free of waste and litter
- That wheelie bins were stored at the rear of the property (excluding collection days)
The information gathered is currently being compiled and a full report will be available soon. However some preliminary results can be seen.
Results
A total of 428 gardens out of the 557 surveyed complied with the standards set out in the Code. This translates to an overall compliance rate of 77%.
- 75% of the gardens surveyed belonged to accredited landlords/ agents
- 78% of accredited gardens passed
- 74% of non-accredited gardens passed
In terms of area, the best result came from Clifton with a total compliance rate of 97%. West Bridgford came next with 86%, followed by Radford with 84%. Lenton had the worst results with a compliance rate of 74%.
Advise
Unipol advises that students and landlords communicate clearly about whose responsibility the maintenance of the garden area is.
A well maintained garden can provide tenants with an area of their home that they can enjoy and relax in and is a great selling point for landlords looking for new tenants. With just a little regular effort landlords and tenants can reap the benefits of a well maintained garden. It really is worth the effort!