With the new college and university academic years looming on the horizon - just after what we hope will be a good summer - residential landlords in some areas may well be considering whether they should be letting to the student population.

While this is likely to be something that those owning property in the more traditional centres of learning have already considered, growth in the number of new colleges and universities could mean that this is now an option for many more.

Letting to students is not necessarily totally straightforward, in that there are several months each year when they are 'down' and do not require accommodation. However, the summer months may offer the potential for redecoration and refurbishment, as well as finding new tenants, if the previous ones are moving on. In addition, many universities now run summer schools, so there could be a chance of short term lets during that period.

An additional appeal of letting in a university town is that there is a potential additional market in the young professional market; not just recent graduates, but researchers and young lecturers as well.

There are not likely to be any particular insurance conditions relating to property let to students, but it is important that landlords check that they have the right landlords insurance policy; ordinary home insurance is unlikely to provide all the cover you will require and may even be invalidated if you fail to tell your insurance company that the premises are let.