The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) Regulations 2024

Made: 9th September 2024

Laid before Parliament: 12th September 2024

Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1(2) and (3)

The Secretary of State has taken reasonable steps to consult the persons mentioned in section 233(2)(b) of that Act and is satisfied as to publication arrangements as required by section 233(3) of that Act.

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) Regulations 2024.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 15th October 2024 subject to paragraph (3).

• (3) Regulation 5(2)(b) comes into force on 15th January 2025.

• (4) These Regulations extend to England and Wales and apply in relation to accommodation in England.

PART 1 — Codes of Management Practice for Student Accommodation

Application of this Part

2

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Approval of code of practice

3

• (1) The codes of practice mentioned in paragraph (2), which lay down standards of conduct and practice to be followed with regard to the management of living accommodation comprised in buildings falling within paragraph 4 of Schedule 14 to the Act (buildings occupied by students), are approved for the purposes of section 233 of the Housing Act 2004.

• (2) The codes of practice are—

• (a) ANUK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Developments for student accommodation managed and controlled by educational establishments dated 5th September 2024;

• (b) Universities UK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice for Student Housing dated 11th March 2025.

Revocations and savings

4

• (1) The following orders are revoked—

• (a) the Housing (Approval of Codes of Management Practice) (Student Accommodation) (England) Order 2019[^f00003];

• (b) the Housing (Approval of Code of Management Practice) (Student Accommodation) (England) Order 2022[^f00004].

• (2) Notwithstanding the revocations made by paragraph (1), the following code of practice continues to be approved for the purposes of section 233 of the Housing Act 2004—

• (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (b) the Accreditation Network UK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Developments for Student Accommodation Not Managed and Controlled by Educational Establishments dated 28th February 2022[^f00006].

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 2 — ... Specified Educational Establishments

Amendment of the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Specified Educational Establishments) (England) Regulations 2019

5

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Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

Matthew Pennycook — Minister of State — Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government — 9th September 2024

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Under section 233 of the Housing Act 2004 (c. 34) (“the 2004 Act”) the Secretary of State may approve codes of practice which lay down standards of conduct and practice to be followed with regard to the management of houses in multiple accommodation (HMOs) or of excepted accommodation. Excepted accommodation is living accommodation falling within Schedule 14 to the 2004 Act that are not HMOs for the purposes of the Act (excluding Part 1, which deals with housing conditions) (“excepted accommodation”). Certain buildings occupied by students are excepted accommodation pursuant to paragraph 4 of that Schedule.

Regulation 3 approves a new code of practice, the Accreditation Network UK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Developments for Student Accommodation Managed and Controlled by Educational Establishments dated 5th September 2024 (“new code of practice) which supersedes the code of practice of the same name dated 1st May 2019 (“superseded code of practice”).

Regulation 4 revokes two previous orders under section 233, but saves the approval of those codes of practice approved under them which remain current. The approval of the superseded code of practice is saved for three months only to give members of the superseded code of practice time to become members of the new code of practice.

Schedule 14 to the 2004 Act specifies buildings which are not HMOs for the purpose of the 2004 Act (excluding Part 1). Paragraph 4 of Schedule 14 sets out one such type of “excepted accommodation”, which can be summarised as “student accommodation”. In order to fall under this paragraph (and therefore be excepted from being an HMO), the accommodation must be a building which is occupied solely or principally by persons who occupy it for the purpose of undertaking a full-time course of further or higher education at a specified educational establishment, or at an educational establishment of a specified description, and where the person managing or controlling the building is the educational establishment in question, or a specified person, or a person of a specified description.

Regulation 5 amends the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Specified Educational Establishments) (England) Regulations 2019 (“the 2019 Regulations”) which specifies educational establishments for the purposes of paragraph 4 of Schedule 14 to the 2004 Act. To be a specified educational establishment an educational establishment must be listed in the Schedule to those Regulations and also comply with requirements in regulation 2(b) of those Regulations about membership of codes of practice for the management of student accommodation.

Regulation 5(2) amends the provision relating to membership of codes of practice to reflect the approval of the new code of practice and revocation of the approval of the superseded code of practice. It also corrects two previous errors. First, it removes the reference to the Accreditation Network UK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Developments for Student Accommodation Not Managed and Controlled by Educational Establishments dated 28th February 2022 which is not relevant to educational establishments and was included erroneously. Second, it amends Regulation 2(b) to reflect that educational establishments are only to be required to be a member of one of the approved codes in order to be specified for the purpose of paragraph 4 of Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004. The previous wording required educational establishments to be a member of all listed codes which was not the policy intention.

Regulation 5(3) amends the list of educational establishments in the Schedule to the 2019 Regulations to omit Stranmillis University College (which had been included in that list erroneously) and to reflect the change of name of the Backstage Academy to the Academy of Live Technology.

Copies of the codes of practice referred to have been lodged in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

An impact assessment has not been provided for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2004 c. 34. For the definition of appropriate national authority see section 261(1) of the Housing Act 2004.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2019/884.

[^f00004]: S.I. 2022/198.

[^f00006]: This code was approved by S.I. 2022/198. A copy of this code can be obtained from The National Codes Administrator, 155-157 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 3ED, email NationalCodes@unipol.org.uk or online at www.nationalcode.org or www.anuk.org.uk. A copy of this code has been lodged in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Editorial notes

[^key-f60f7b8c944320e39aeee1cf2f38675a]: Reg. 4 in force at 15.10.2024, see reg. 1(2)

[^key-727514f9f6e2774ce2b609f6ba3aa1f4]: Reg. 1 in force at 15.10.2024, see reg. 1(2)

[^key-624bf7612700df8b8c49216667df4b1d]: Reg. 3 in force at 15.10.2024, see reg. 1(2)

[^key-9a9e4fad966e9fdf86bcf96de4fd4d0a]: Pt. A1 heading inserted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(2)

[^key-8f9e35b3ff324d89cf354c3bb69fc0f9]: Words in Pt. 2 heading omitted (1.5.2025) by virtue of The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(7)

[^key-40056e3848c231a45248701fbdee90a4]: Reg. 4A inserted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(8)

[^key-dc3f86e21e2186d12397e814b31ae6f8]: Words in reg. 1 heading substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(a)

[^key-440c523499be6a0d58a344e92205ea20]: Words in reg. 1(4) inserted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(b)

[^key-0cced45b0097829ee01bae4823b0378b]: Reg. 2 omitted (1.5.2025) by virtue of The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(4)

[^key-fb5c6ed8fe6d391d0313f3f25f051c73]: Word in reg. 3 heading substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(a)

[^key-d863ee98b819bc4d1fd1c5db3b98646a]: Word in reg. 3(1) substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(b)(i)

[^key-9aa722371595705ea7905f55474f1541]: Word in reg. 3(1) substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(b)(ii)

[^key-f11f2e3fb09fc3b1b1723145613a1e1b]: Word in reg. 3(1) substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(b)(iii)

[^key-b7f5155b0b58b6592c1484a487cc121e]: Reg. 3(2) substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(5)(c)

[^key-8a3d9c543405f4f4bb81f5184aa7e767]: Words in reg. 4(2) substituted (1.5.2025) by The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(6)(a)(i)

[^key-289bb08b1446678da5b8c05d48d3caec]: Reg. 4(2)(a) omitted (1.5.2025) by virtue of The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(6)(a)(ii)

[^key-75ba58aa9e2ef7ce3f54dda0854c9f2d]: Reg. 4(3) omitted (1.5.2025) by virtue of The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(6)(b)

[^key-8c639a6bdd5bd177fd27c298f6c6872e]: Reg. 5 omitted (1.5.2025) by virtue of The Student Accommodation (Codes of Management Practice and Specified Educational Establishments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/431), regs. 1(2), 2(9)

PART A1 — General

Citation, commencement, extent and application

Approval of codes of practice

Educational establishments specified for certain purposes of the Housing Act 2004

4A

An educational establishment is specified for the purposes of paragraph 4 of Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004 (buildings occupied by students) if it is listed in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Amendment of the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Specified Educational Establishments) (England) Regulations 2019

SCHEDULE — Educational establishments specified for the purposes of paragraph 4 of Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004

Academy of Live Technology Ltd

Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation

Balliol College, University of Oxford

Bath Spa University

Birmingham City University International College

Birmingham Newman University

Bishop Grosseteste University

Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford

Blackpool and the Fylde College

Bournemouth University Higher Education Corporation

Brasenose College, University of Oxford

Brunel University London

Buckinghamshire New University

Canterbury Christ Church University

Chichester College Group

Christ Church, University of Oxford

Christ’s College, University of Cambridge

Churchill College, University of Cambridge

City St George’s, University of London

Clare College, University of Cambridge

Clare Hall, University of Cambridge

Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford

Corpus Christi, University of Cambridge

Coventry University

Cranfield University

Darwin College, University of Cambridge

De Montfort University

Downing College, University of Cambridge

Edge Hill University

Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge

Exeter College, University of Oxford

Falmouth Exeter Plus, Falmouth University and the University of Exeter

Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge

Foundation for International Education

Girton College, University of Cambridge

Goldsmiths’ College

Gonville and Caius, University of Cambridge

Green Templeton College, University of Oxford

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Harper Adams University

Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

Hartpury University

Hertford College, University of Oxford

Homerton College, University of Cambridge

Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge

Imperial College London of Science, Technology and Medicine

Jesus College, University of Cambridge

Jesus College, University of Oxford

Keble College, University of Oxford

Kellogg College, University of Oxford

King’s College London

King’s College, University of Cambridge

Kingston University

Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford

Leeds Beckett University

Leeds Trinity University

Linacre College, University of Oxford

Lincoln College, University of Oxford

Liverpool Hope University

London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London

London South Bank University

Loughborough College

Loughborough University

Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge

Magdalen College, University of Oxford

Magdalene College, University of Cambridge

Manchester Metropolitan University

Mansfield College, University of Oxford

Merton College, University of Oxford

Middlesex University Higher Education Corporation

Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge

New College, University of Oxford

Newnham College, University of Cambridge

Norwich University of the Arts

Nottingham Trent University

Nuffield College, University of Oxford

Oriel College, University of Oxford

Oxford Brookes University

Pembroke College, University of Cambridge

Pembroke College, University of Oxford

Peterhouse, University of Cambridge

Queen Mary, University of London

Queens’ College, University of Cambridge

Regents Park College, University of Oxford

Robinson College, University of Cambridge

Roehampton University

Royal Holloway and Bedford New College

Reuben College, University of Oxford

SCIO – Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford

Selwyn College, University of Cambridge

Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge

Somerville College, University of Oxford

Southampton Solent University

St Anne’s College, University of Oxford

St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge

St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford

St Chad’s College, University of Durham

St Cross College, University of Oxford

St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford

St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge

St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford

St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford

St John’s College, University of Cambridge

St John’s College, University of Durham

St John’s College, University of Oxford

St Mary’s University, Twickenham

St Peter’s College, University of Oxford

St Stephen’s House, University of Oxford

Teesside University

The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford

The Edward James Foundation Limited

The Queen’s College, University of Oxford

The Royal Agricultural University

The Royal Veterinary College

The University of Bath

The University of Birmingham

The University of Buckingham

The University of Chichester

The University of Cumbria

The University of East Anglia

The University of Essex

The University of Hull

The University of Lancaster

The University of Leeds

The University of Leicester

The University of Liverpool

The University of Manchester

The University of Reading

The University of Sheffield

The University of Surrey

The University of Warwick

The University of Westminster

Trinity College, University of Cambridge

Trinity College, University of Oxford

Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge

University College Birmingham

University College London

University College, University of Oxford

University for the Creative Arts

University of Brighton

University of Bristol

University of Central Lancashire

University of Chester

University of Derby

University of Durham

University of East London

University of Exeter

University of Gloucestershire

University of Greenwich

University of Hertfordshire Higher Education Corporation

University of Keele

University of Kent

University of Lincoln

University of London

University of Newcastle upon Tyne

University of Northampton, the

University of Nottingham, the

University of Plymouth

University of Portsmouth Higher Education Corporation

University of Southampton

University of Staffordshire

University of St Mark & St John

University of Sunderland

University of Sussex

University of the Arts, London

University of the West of England, Bristol

University of Winchester

University of Wolverhampton

University of Worcester

University of York

Wadham College, University of Oxford

Warwickshire College

Westminster College, The Cambridge Theological Federation

Williams College, Exeter College, University of Oxford

Wolfson College, University of Cambridge

Wolfson College, University of Oxford

Worcester College, University of Oxford

Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford

York St John University