Apply for approved student housing with Snug

Snug is a property inspection standard. It is awarded when homes meet the required standard of property and tenancy management and when the landlord is considered ‘fit and proper’.

The scheme is promoted by us and both Sheffield universities as the best way for students to make sure that their home and landlord are approved.

Why Snug has been developed

We know that the majority of student landlords in the city are professional, responsible and work in full cooperation with us. We think this deserves some recognition, so that students choosing a new home can distinguish between landlords who comply with their responsibilities and those who possibly do not.

In time, we hope Snug will reduce, or even remove, the market opportunities for those landlords who aren’t willing to meet their obligations.

Apply for Snug

Any properties that landlords want to register and advertise through Sheffield Hallam University or the University of Sheffield (or both) need to be Snug approved. Properties will not be advertised or promoted until they are approved.

If you wish to apply, you can download the application form and return it to us by email or post.

Before applying, we ask that landlords read the Snug standards and are comfortable that they are able to meet them.

When the inspection is complete, and the inspector is satisfied that the property and landlord meets the standard, a certificate is issued to display in the property and both universities are notified.

Snug approval lasts for 2 years.

Snug application form from 1 August 2023 (WORD, 64.4KB)

Fees

There is an inspection fee of £50 per property. This increases to £100 for houses with 11 bedrooms or more.

We do not charge an inspection fee for Licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) that meet the Snug standard. If we haven’t carried out an HMO inspection in the last few months, then we would need to re-inspect for Snug, but we won't charge a fee.

For larger purpose built blocks:

up to 200 bedrooms = £150
201 to 999 bedrooms = £250
1,000+ bedrooms = £500

There is an additional charge to advertise properties on the Sheffield Hallam University Studentpad website and to register with The University of Sheffield. Both additional fees are payable directly to the relevant university.