A NEW business in Bournemouth intends to shake up the student accommodating market by creating “Instagrammable living”.

loc8me manages properties, as well as acquiring its own, and intends them to be the kind that students want to picture on social media.

Director Lloyd Young said: “The needs and expectations of students have dramatically changed over the past 10 years and by re-thinking the approach we are able to let properties faster, streamline the management process and achieve the best rents for landlords.”

The business is already established in Loughborough, Hull and Lincoln, where it manages assets worth £300million and has 3,500 bedrooms in thousands of properties properties. It recently set up a Bournemouth operation.

“With the majority of student housing industry becoming soulless, purpose-built living, loc8me is focused on unique student experiences with an underlying sense of community. Happy students show strong brand loyalty. Students actively view loc8me houses first,” Mr Young said.

Mr Young said landlords were having to raise the standards of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

“People are having to do a lot more than they’re used to and they’re not going to be going to be able to charge as much for little effort,” he said.

“It used to be, when I was at university you’d get a room with a window you were lucky but in the last few years, students’ needs have definitely changed.

“They’re coming from mum and dad’s home which is very nice, they know what they should be getting and what they should be paying. They’re a lot more savvy to what they should be getting.”

Landlords that join the loc8me portfolio in Bournemouth are being offered full management of their properties free in the first year.

Mr Young said: “After that, we hope to prove we’ll provide a good enough service that people stay and want to be a part of loc8me. We understand we have to buy our way in.”

Landlords are also being offered perks including free rounds of golf, restaurant vouchers, networking events and birthday presents. Students also get birthday gifts as well as nightclub deals, food and drink discounts, free pizzas, T-shirts, parties and contents insurance. The agency does not charge students fees for administration or re-signing.

The Bournemouth loc8me is based at THIS Workspace in the Daily Echo building.

Mr Young said: “THIS Workspace is brilliant for us right now as we look for a permanent home. It’s cheap and allows us to pass on savings to our landlords whilst still being a professional area for meetings and serious work.”