Manchester Student Homes Awards
This week I had the pleasure of being invited to the Manchester Student Homes (MSH) Awards at the Fallowfield Campus. I have to say, it was a real highlight of my week. It was also lovely to reconnect with some landlords I haven’t seen in far too long. Property has a funny way of bringing people back together.
For anyone who isn’t familiar, Manchester Student Homes is the official university‑run housing service for students across Manchester. It’s a partnership between the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, created to:
- Promote safe, high‑quality student accommodation
- Support both students and landlords
- Provide an accredited scheme that sets clear standards
- Offer advice, conflict resolution, and community support
- Encourage good practice and positive relationships in student neighbourhoods
In a city with such a huge student population, MSH plays a crucial role. They’re the bridge between universities, landlords, and the wider community, and they do it with a genuine commitment to fairness, safety, and quality. Headed up by the power house that is Cooper Healy, supported by her fantastic team
The annual awards are in place to celebrate landlords, students, and local community members who go above and beyond.
For the first year nominations were invited from students and the public, not from submissions or self‑promotion. The recognition comes from real feedback, from real people, based on real experiences. (Otherwise I’d have nominated myself ha!)
I also enjoyed chatting to student landlords about how the upcoming changes to renters’ rights may impact the non‑PBSA student market. There’s a lot of uncertainty at the moment, and it was interesting to hear different perspectives, from concerns about upfront payments, voids, flexibility and tenancy lengths, to how the sector will adapt if traditional student letting cycles shift.
These conversations matter. Student landlords are a huge part of the housing system in Manchester, and their insight is invaluable when we’re all trying to understand what the next few years might look like.
Landlords and students often get a bad reputation, that’s why I loved seeing excellence recognised. The students who won “Best Neighbours” had genuinely gone the extra mile, and that deserves to be celebrated.
In a world where negative landlord stories dominate the headlines, it’s refreshing to shine a light on the positive. There are great landlords. There are brilliant students. There are communities where everyone works together.
And events like the MSH Awards remind us of that.
If you want to know more about the property market in Manchester, or how renters rights will impact you email ann@maddoxnoel.com
