diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index bf158032..0ad83c9d 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -160,6 +160,10 @@ Lint/Void:
 
 #################### Rails ###############################
 
-#  Enforce Rails specific style
+# Enforce Rails specific style
 Rails:
   Enabled: true
+
+# Avoid use of old-style attribute validation
+Rails/Validation:
+  Enabled: true
diff --git a/.rubocop_todo.yml b/.rubocop_todo.yml
index a0487443..2ada8e94 100644
--- a/.rubocop_todo.yml
+++ b/.rubocop_todo.yml
@@ -141,23 +141,6 @@ Rails/TimeZone:
     - 'spec/models/campaign_spec.rb'
     - 'spec/models/conference_spec.rb'
 
-# Offense count: 16
-# Configuration parameters: Include.
-# Include: app/models/**/*.rb
-Rails/Validation:
-  Exclude:
-    - 'app/models/call_for_paper.rb'
-    - 'app/models/comment.rb'
-    - 'app/models/conference.rb'
-    - 'app/models/photo.rb'
-    - 'app/models/registration.rb'
-    - 'app/models/sponsor.rb'
-    - 'app/models/sponsorship_level.rb'
-    - 'app/models/subscription.rb'
-    - 'app/models/ticket.rb'
-    - 'app/models/ticket_purchase.rb'
-    - 'app/models/vposition.rb'
-
 # Offense count: 18
 Style/AccessorMethodName:
   Exclude:
diff --git a/app/models/comment.rb b/app/models/comment.rb
index 00751bb8..947b2f54 100644
--- a/app/models/comment.rb
+++ b/app/models/comment.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
-  acts_as_nested_set scope: [:commentable_id, :commentable_type]
-  validates_presence_of :body
-  validates_presence_of :user
+  acts_as_nested_set scope: %i(commentable_id commentable_type)
+  validates :body, presence: true
+  validates :user, presence: true
   after_create :send_notification
 
   # NOTE: install the acts_as_votable plugin if you
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
   # NOTE: Comments belong to a user
   belongs_to :user
 
-  has_paper_trail on: [:create, :destroy], meta: { conference_id: :conference_id }
+  has_paper_trail on: %i(create destroy), meta: { conference_id: :conference_id }
 
   # Helper class method that allows you to build a comment
   # by passing a commentable object, a user_id, and comment text
diff --git a/app/models/conference.rb b/app/models/conference.rb
index 1d549ec7..e3b1d3dd 100644
--- a/app/models/conference.rb
+++ b/app/models/conference.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   default_scope { order('start_date DESC') }
 
-  has_paper_trail ignore: [:updated_at, :guid, :revision, :events_per_week], meta: { conference_id: :id }
+  has_paper_trail ignore: %i(updated_at guid revision events_per_week), meta: { conference_id: :id }
 
   has_and_belongs_to_many :questions
 
@@ -48,15 +48,15 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   mount_uploader :picture, PictureUploader, mount_on: :logo_file_name
 
-  validates_presence_of :title,
-                        :short_title,
-                        :start_date,
-                        :end_date,
-                        :start_hour,
-                        :end_hour
+  validates :title,
+            :short_title,
+            :start_date,
+            :end_date,
+            :start_hour,
+            :end_hour, presence: true
 
-  validates_uniqueness_of :short_title
-  validates_format_of :short_title, with: /\A[a-zA-Z0-9_-]*\z/
+  validates :short_title, uniqueness: true
+  validates :short_title, format: { with: /\A[a-zA-Z0-9_-]*\z/ }
   validates :registration_limit, numericality: { only_integer: true, greater_than_or_equal_to: 0 }
 
   # This validation is needed since a conference with a start date greater than the end date is not possible
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
     # do not notify unless one of the dates changed
     return false unless start_date_changed? || end_date_changed?
     # do not notify unless the mail content is set up
-    (!email_settings.conference_dates_updated_subject.blank? && !email_settings.conference_dates_updated_body.blank?)
+    (email_settings.conference_dates_updated_subject.present? && email_settings.conference_dates_updated_body.present?)
   end
 
   ##
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
     # do not notify unless one of the dates changed
     return false unless registration_period.start_date_changed? || registration_period.end_date_changed?
     # do not notify unless the mail content is set up
-    (!email_settings.conference_registration_dates_updated_subject.blank? && !email_settings.conference_registration_dates_updated_body.blank?)
+    (email_settings.conference_registration_dates_updated_subject.present? && email_settings.conference_registration_dates_updated_body.present?)
   end
 
   def registration_limit_exceeded?
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ class Conference < ActiveRecord::Base
     # Completed weeks
     events_per_week.each do |week, values|
       values.each do |state, value|
-        if [:confirmed, :unconfirmed].include?(state)
+        if %i(confirmed unconfirmed).include?(state)
           unless result[state.to_s.capitalize]
             result[state.to_s.capitalize] = {}
           end
diff --git a/app/models/registration.rb b/app/models/registration.rb
index 33507ec1..5d2555f2 100644
--- a/app/models/registration.rb
+++ b/app/models/registration.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class Registration < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :events_registrations
   has_many :events, through: :events_registrations, dependent: :destroy
 
-  has_paper_trail ignore: [:updated_at, :week], meta: { conference_id: :conference_id }
+  has_paper_trail ignore: %i(updated_at week), meta: { conference_id: :conference_id }
 
   accepts_nested_attributes_for :user
   accepts_nested_attributes_for :qanswers
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Registration < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   validates :user, presence: true
 
-  validates_uniqueness_of :user_id, scope: :conference_id, message: 'already Registered!'
+  validates :user_id, uniqueness: { scope: :conference_id, message: 'already Registered!' }
   validate :registration_limit_not_exceed, on: :create
   validate :registration_to_events_only_if_present
 
diff --git a/app/models/sponsor.rb b/app/models/sponsor.rb
index 985cef44..df687f20 100644
--- a/app/models/sponsor.rb
+++ b/app/models/sponsor.rb
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ class Sponsor < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   mount_uploader :picture, PictureUploader, mount_on: :logo_file_name
 
-  validates_presence_of :name, :website_url, :sponsorship_level
+  validates :name, :website_url, :sponsorship_level, presence: true
 end
diff --git a/app/models/sponsorship_level.rb b/app/models/sponsorship_level.rb
index d4630971..da411859 100644
--- a/app/models/sponsorship_level.rb
+++ b/app/models/sponsorship_level.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 class SponsorshipLevel < ActiveRecord::Base
-  validates_presence_of :title
+  validates :title, presence: true
   belongs_to :conference
   acts_as_list scope: :conference
   has_many :sponsors
diff --git a/app/models/subscription.rb b/app/models/subscription.rb
index 1ee97ca6..aa688ae8 100644
--- a/app/models/subscription.rb
+++ b/app/models/subscription.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 class Subscription < ActiveRecord::Base
-  validates_uniqueness_of :user_id, scope: [:conference_id]
+  validates :user_id, uniqueness: { scope: [:conference_id] }
   belongs_to :conference
   belongs_to :user
 
-  has_paper_trail on: [:create, :destroy], ignore: [:updated_at], meta: { conference_id: :conference_id }
+  has_paper_trail on: %i(create destroy), ignore: [:updated_at], meta: { conference_id: :conference_id }
 
-  validates_uniqueness_of :user_id, scope: :conference_id, message: 'already subscribed!'
+  validates :user_id, uniqueness: { scope: :conference_id, message: 'already subscribed!' }
 end
diff --git a/app/models/ticket.rb b/app/models/ticket.rb
index e7af9809..7bac9462 100644
--- a/app/models/ticket.rb
+++ b/app/models/ticket.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class Ticket < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   validates :price_cents, :price_currency, :title, presence: true
 
-  validates_numericality_of :price_cents, greater_than_or_equal_to: 0
+  validates :price_cents, numericality: { greater_than_or_equal_to: 0 }
 
   def bought?(user)
     buyers.include?(user)
diff --git a/app/models/ticket_purchase.rb b/app/models/ticket_purchase.rb
index 793f6926..07fb7e16 100644
--- a/app/models/ticket_purchase.rb
+++ b/app/models/ticket_purchase.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ class TicketPurchase < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   validates :ticket_id, :user_id, :conference_id, :quantity, presence: true
 
-  validates_numericality_of :quantity, greater_than: 0
+  validates :quantity, numericality: { greater_than: 0 }
 
   delegate :title, to: :ticket
   delegate :description, to: :ticket
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ class TicketPurchase < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   scope :paid, -> { where(paid: true) }
   scope :unpaid, -> { where(paid: false) }
-  scope :by_conference, -> (conference) { where(conference_id: conference.id) }
-  scope :by_user, -> (user) { where(user_id: user.id) }
+  scope :by_conference, ->(conference) { where(conference_id: conference.id) }
+  scope :by_user, ->(user) { where(user_id: user.id) }
 
   def self.purchase(conference, user, purchases)
     errors = []
diff --git a/app/models/vposition.rb b/app/models/vposition.rb
index 3220aaa7..8a7dbdf9 100644
--- a/app/models/vposition.rb
+++ b/app/models/vposition.rb
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ class Vposition < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :vchoices
   has_many :vdays, through: :vchoices
 
-  validates_presence_of :title, :vdays
+  validates :title, :vdays, presence: true
 end