Accredited property scheme
The aims of the accredited property scheme are to encourage, acknowledge and actively promote good standards of privately rented accommodation, and to assist landlords and tenants to undertake their respective responsibilities to each other.
This page will assist in giving you a broad understanding of the scheme.
Lancaster University runs an approved homes scheme for sudent accommodation. The city council works closely with both Lancaster and Cumbria universities in the city to promote this scheme. For further information see Lancaster University Homes.
We hope the information provided will enable you to make a positive decision to join one of the schemes. If you do not rent to students and wish to proceed with the Lancaster City Council scheme please contact us. If you rent to students and are interested in the Lancaster University scheme please contact them directly.
Categories and standards
In the accredited property scheme an application for accreditation must be under one of the following five categories and the property must comply with the relevant standard for that category.
Category A - Bedsitters (PDF, 278KB)
Houses occupied as individual rooms, bedsits and flatlets which are considered to have a number of rooms for exclusive occupation, not necessarily behind one door, with some sharing of amenities usually a bathroom and/or toilet and maybe a kitchen. In such a house each occupancy would be separately rented.
Category B - Shared houses (PDF, 361KB)
Houses occupied on a shared basis. This type is found most commonly amongst students, but is increasingly formed by groups of people coming together in the house who share certain amenities as they wish but can have individual facilities, such as a bedroom.
Category C - Lodgings
Houses let in lodgings, ie catering for lodgers on a small scale but not living as part of the main household normally with a resident owner/occupier. This is the traditional 'houses let in lodgings' where meals are provided in a dining room and would be typified by a family or household who might take in a small number of students or other individuals away from their primary place of residence.
Category D - Hostels and B&Bs (PDF, 274KB)
Houses generally referred to as 'hostels', 'guesthouses' or 'bed and breakfast accommodation'. They provide accommodation for people with no other permanent place of residence as distinct from a hotel, which provides accommodation for visitors to the area for a short time
Category E - Registered homes and hostels
Houses, which are hostels and require registration under the Registered Homes Act 1984. These residential homes provide board and personal care for persons in need of such care by reason of old age, disablement, past or present dependence on alcohol or drugs, or past or present mental disorder.
Category F - Self-contained flats (PDF, 259KB)
Most houses or buildings which by erection or conversion contain dwellings which are self contained and all such dwellings comprising accommodation which is behind one access door off a common area. The dwellings would normally contain all the standard amenities although it would be possible for some to be unimproved self-contained flats lacking one or more standard amenities. There would be no sharing of amenities with occupiers of other dwellings.
Category G - Houses (PDF, 271KB)
Houses, which are occupied by a single family.
Frequently asked questions
Last updated: 08 October 2018