Accommodation Maintenance and the Student Experience

The student experience is increasingly important in a competitive higher education marketplace. Accommodation is an important factor in this overall experience – not just the availability but also the quality. According to the 2017 UCAS Track survey, the quality of student accommodation was rated as even more important than a university’s position in the league tables.

Similarly, in a major survey by Knight Frank, 99% of students expressed the view that the quality of accommodation was important for their wellbeing, 68% said it was ‘very important.’

Greater awareness of these issues is leading many universities to explore different solutions for how student accommodation is built. Design, build and operate is becoming a popular model as institutions seek imaginative ways to manage long term costs while improving the range and quality of accommodation on offer.

What Makes a Good Student Accommodation R&M Partner?

Like any other residents, students want accommodation that is comfortable and well maintained. Students and accommodation managers also want any repairs to be dealt with efficiently. Once accommodation has been created, it’s the operation of these assets that becomes critical in the overall student experience.

To meet both accommodation managers’ and students’ needs, repair and maintenance services have to be highly responsive. The repair and maintenance partner also has to be flexible so that repairs can be carried out when they cause the least disruption. The ability to work sensitively in a live environment, surrounded by students, is another important attribute to universities which require works to be carried out during term time or in the holiday periods.

Many of the demands and constraints that affect student accommodation such as working in a live environment and careful planning are similar to large scale housing repair and maintenance contracts. The other similarity is that these services are increasingly being driven by value and service levels, rather than just price.

Osborne is harnessing our successful experience with local authority housing to deliver repair and maintenance services to organisations that develop and operate student accommodation. This expertise is particularly valuable when long-term value has to be delivered alongside improvements. These are benefits we deliver through all our repair and maintenance contracts.

Senior Account Manager, Osborne Property Services