Applying for Membership
To apply for membership, providers must complete the online registration form to start an application. It is necesscary before membership that applicants read the relevant Code document in full, and consult and understand the terms of membership in the Code Declaration form.
Non-Educational Code Membership Criteria
National Code membership is for providers who undertake the day-to-day management of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). This may be a managing agent rather than the owner of a building. To determine whether it should be yourself or another party registering the building, please use Annex 1 Management Test in the National Code document.
Applicants must have operational control of the whole residential building under management which must be solely or principally occupied by students; (principally relates to where there is a residential staff presence e.g. warden)
Overall control means you should have management control of both the common parts/areas and the flats/studios/bedrooms.
Joint applications are currently not accepted.
For the purposes of National Code membership, a PBSA block is a larger student development that is defined as having 15 or more bed spaces - please note rooms that can be designated as dual occupancy (e.g. for couples) only count as one bed space - a couple sharing 1 bedspace does not constitute 2 bed spaces.
Applicants must register all PBSA stock that they operate that meets the eligibility requirements of the Code
The definition in the Code glossary of a larger development is “A larger development is a development where 15 or more students live in one building in rooms off a central corridor, in cluster flats, or in self-contained flats.”
To progress your application you must be operating a building that is currently open and occupied. This is because a verification visit can only be undertaken on open and occupied buildings.
Traditional off-street student housing (e.g. small HMO houses) are not eligible for membership of the National Code.
For providers who operate buildings/houses smaller than 15 bed spaces - please note if membership is accepted, the benefits of being a Code member extend only to your registered PBSA sites. If you also operate small HMOs that do not meet the requirements of the Code, you must abide by the tenancy changes under the Renters Rights Act for those properties.
Educational Code Membership Criteria
National Code membership is for providers who undertake the day-to-day management of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA).
Applicants must have operational control of the whole residential building under management which must be solely or principally occupied by students; (principally relates to where there is a residential staff presence e.g. warden)
To progress your application you must be operating a building that is currently open and occupied. This is because a verification visit can only be undertaken on open and occupied buildings.
Membership Periods
Educational Code - The current Code period for the Educational Establishments Code began on 15th January 2025 and will run until 15th January 2028
Non-Educational Code - The current Code period began on 1st May 2026 and will run until 31st December 2027
Fee Levels
New applicants are required to pay two fees as part of the membership process - the application and administration fee and a membership fee (all figures exclusive of VAT):
£2000 applicaton and administration fee - this covers access the National Code online training course and pre-application support from the National Code team. Please note this fee is non-refundable even if your application is declined.
The membership fee varies depending on the number of bed spaces managed and will be either:
The minimum fee £1200 (if registering 750 bed spaces or less)
The per bed space fee £1.60 per bed space (if registering 751 or more bed spaces)