How to Apply
As part of our, and hopefully your, commitment to continuing improvement in student housing standards Unipol are very keen to promote accreditation both to landlords and to students and we will be advising students strongly to give priority to accredited landlords and accredited landlords will come up first on the website listings.
Arrangements for membership if you are already a member of the Unipol DASH Code
Unipol took over the administration of the Greater Nottingham Accreditation system and this was rebadged the Unipol DASH Code (DASH is a regional initiative called Decent and Safe Homes that many of you will have already heard of). Unipol have been revising this Code with partners at the Councils, the universities and the students' unions and a new Code was launched on the 1st August 2008. Many owners joined the orginal Unipol DASH Code. This has now ended. In initially accrediting owners Unipol took into account the standards that were likely to be in the new Code so existing Unipol DASH Code owners will simply sign a new declaration and return it to the Unipol office.
There is considerable bureaucracy involved in getting new declarations from existing Code owners and issuing new certificates. After the 12th September 2008 your membership of the old scheme will lapse and you will need to rejoin and there will be a fee to over the administration costs of doing so as if you were a new applicant. The fees can be found in the next section.
Arrangement for new Accreditation
Unipol accredits landlords, rather than specific properties, so you will also be asked to list all your properties that are let to students.
As this is a new Code you will be a member for three years.
If you want to join the scheme then you should simply apply and make a self declaration that your properties meet the standards.You will need to declare all your properties that you let to students and, if there are some properties that do not meet the standards at the current time you must indicate this. The Accreditation Officer will randomly select properties for inspection to ensure you are complying with the Code. Unipol will inspect 1 in 5 of the properties that you are letting to students. Within 14 working days of the inspection you will receive a report of the findings during the inspection and any areas of non compliance will be brought to your attention. You will be asked to provide a timescale of when the works will be done to ensure compliance and once Unipol have received this, your Declaration and the administrative fee, you will be accredited and sent a certificate to show that you are a member of the Unipol DASH Code. Follow up inspections may take place to ensure the works have been completed. Many owners have been through this process in Nottingham and have found the inspection and the report very helpful.
There is a fee to to cover the administration of your application to be a Unipol DASH Code landlord.
The fee varies depending on how many properties you have. The fees from 1st August 2008 are:
Number of Properties Administrative Fee
1 £20
2-5 £40
6-10 £80
11-15 £120
16-20 £160
21-40 £200
41-60 £240
61-120 £300
Unlimited £350
These fees will enable an owner to join the Unipol DASH Code until July 31st 2011.
The fee is payable when you return your Declaration form and the fee must have been paid before a certificate is issued.
You can pay by online by going to the Unipol Home page and clicking on pay unipol or by clicking here, by cheque (payable to Unipol Student Homes), by credit or debit card by calling in at the office or telephoning 0115 846 8599.
Application Forms
If you wish to join the Unipol DASH Code please complete the forms below and return them to the Unipol Offices. You will need to complete both the Code Declaration form and the Declaration of Properties form.
To download the Code Declaration form click here
To download the Declaration of Properties form click here
Managing Agents
There are special arrangements for Managing Agents. Click here for further details.