Over three quarters (78%) of undergraduates said that the overall quality of their student lodgings was good or excellent, busting the myth of sub-standard digs, said Paragon.

The buy-to-let lender found that students were most happy with the location of their rented home, with 84% rating it good or excellent.

Bedroom sizes were also praised, with 83% saying they were good.

Must-have features

When asked about the most important features of a rented home ‘affordable rent’ was unsurprisingly the most cited by students, ranked as the number one priority for more than four in 10 (42%) undergraduates.

In second place were ‘good Wi-Fi’ and ‘proximity to the university site’, both chosen by just over a quarter (27%) of students.

Other must-have features included room size, chosen by a quarter, inclusion of bills in rent, a consideration for 18%, and proximity to public transport links, which 15% of respondents said was a desirable feature.

Richard Rowntree, mortgages managing director for Paragon Bank, said: “Student homes used to be associated with poor quality, but today’s undergraduates are demanding more, particularly as individual landlords are often competing against private institutional providers.

“Nearly eight in 10 students view the standard of their accommodation positively and landlords are taking extra steps to attract students, such as installing good quality furnishings, en-suites and strong Wi-Fi.”

Thoughts on landlords

Paragon also asked students about their view of landlords. Over half (54%) responded positively, while indifference was seen in just over one in five (21%) students.

Rowntree added: “It is encouraging to see that students view landlords positively overall. The high levels of satisfaction in the homes provided by landlords letting to students will be a significant factor in this.”