Student rental, without the summer vacancy.
Most property managers won't touch student housing. We do — specifically near Santa Clara University and UC Santa Cruz. And we turn the summer vacancy into short-term rental income, which most owners didn't know was possible.
We specialize in two campuses.
Student housing in general is hard. Student housing for these two specific schools, with our specific systems, works.
Santa Clara University
Properties within walking distance of SCU. Academic-year leases plus summer corporate housing. The most reliable student-rental market in Silicon Valley.
SCU Specifics → Santa Cruz CountyUC Santa Cruz
Properties in Santa Cruz. Academic-year leases plus summer vacation rental (with existing permit). We have on-site staff in Santa Cruz, which most managers don't.
UCSC Specifics →
The summer vacancy is the lever.
Standard leases run a full year, but a student property really only fills for the nine-month academic year, so it sits empty over the summer. We structure it so students pay a premium for those nine months (they get roughly three months off), the owner still earns standard rent through the academic year, and then we capture a summer rental on top. That summer income is the upside most owners leave on the table.
- Academic-year leases (9 months). Students pay a premium for the nine-month academic year in exchange for roughly three months off, or we structure a straight nine-month lease with summer turnover. We'll model both.
- Summer short-term-rental conversion. June, July, and August: we convert the property to a vacation rental or extended-stay corporate housing. That stretch runs at our short-term-rental pricing of 20%, and it typically adds 25% to 35% on top of the academic-year rent.
- Co-signer-required leasing. Parents typically co-sign. We handle the documentation and the inevitable parent-tenant communications.
- Roommate management. Joint and several liability, individual rent shares, conflict resolution when needed.
- Move-in / move-out coordination. Students move on tight academic schedules. We coordinate with the same precision as our regular long-term turnovers.
- Property protection appropriate to the tenant. Annual property inspections and a clear damage protocol documented in the lease. Almost always we require co-signers based on our credit criteria.
- The same in-house maintenance team. Same response times, same care. Student tenants don't get a downgraded version of our service.
Owners with property near these two campuses.
Student housing only works because of geographic proximity to the school. Outside the right radius, the math falls apart. Here's how we know if it's a fit.
Right Fit
- Property within walking or short-bike distance of SCU or UCSC
- 2+ bedrooms (most student tenancies are 2-4 students)
- Owners willing to do summer turnovers (or want the upside)
- Property in good repair — students notice deferred maintenance
Probably Not
- Properties far from either campus
- Studios or 1-beds (poor ROI per student)
- Owners expecting executive-quality tenancy
- Properties that can't withstand normal college-life wear
Student housing. Same flat fee.
Student housing runs at 10%, calculated against the gross monthly rent. When we convert the property to short-term rental for the summer, it typically adds 25% to 35% on top of the academic-year rent.
See the Full Pricing BreakdownStudent-housing owners ask us most often.
Why don't most managers do student housing?
Higher turnover rate (9-month leases), more roommate dynamics, more parent communication, more wear on the property. Most managers have decided it's not worth the complexity. We disagree — for the right property near the right school, the per-square-foot revenue is hard to beat.
How much extra does the summer short-term make?
Typically 25% to 35% on top of the academic-year rent. So a property earning $4,000/month in academic season earns roughly $20-30K extra over the summer instead of $0. The exact upside depends on location, summer demand, and how well the property photographs furnished.
Do students actually get parent co-signers?
Almost always. We require them based on our credit criteria.
What about damages?
California capped security deposits at one month's rent in 2024, so we can't lean on big deposits the way student-housing managers used to. Instead we lean harder on documentation: photographed inspections at every move-in and move-out, annual interior inspections, joint-and-several liability across roommates, and co-signers required based on our credit criteria. For real damage that exceeds the deposit, we enforce through collections.
Can I just do academic-year leasing without the summer conversion?
Sure. We can run a straight academic-year lease and leave the summer alone. Some owners prefer the simplicity of one 12-month lease.
Tell us about your property. We'll model the numbers.
Twenty minutes with Laura, no pressure. We'll send a custom proposal showing academic-year only vs. academic-year-plus-summer, so you can pick which fits.
Request a Custom Proposal