Renters (Reform) Bill doesn’t solve student accommodation issues

The recent Parliamentary debate by MPs of the Renters (Reform) Bill has highlighted the plight of student renters and private landlords, one rent guarantor service says.

Paul Blomfield, the MP for Sheffield Central, told MPs that 45% of students live in the private rented sector (PRS), which amounts to 600,000 young people across England and Wales.

However, he said that the UK’s rental crisis means that suitable accommodation is often not available for them.

Student renters are looking for a good standard of accommodation

Graham Hayward, the chief operating officer of Housing Hand, agreed that student renters are looking for a good standard of accommodation that is near to their campus and has a reasonable rent.

He also pointed out that universities need large student populations to make the delivery of higher education ‘economically viable’.

Mr Hayward said that Covid and Brexit have impacted student numbers and occupancy levels, while student landlords have had to deal with legal and regulatory changes.

He added that the Renters (Reform) Bill poses more challenges and does not treat landlords of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) equally.

‘Joined up thinking’ from the government for student accommodation’

Mr Hayward is calling for ‘joined up thinking’ from the government for student accommodation and said: “Universities need strong attendance, so they also need to coordinate with the various stakeholders in the accommodation supply chain, to ensure that planned student numbers can be housed appropriately.

“This is a market, after all, so if supply doesn’t meet demand, then demand may weaken – though it will certainly increase in price until it is rebalanced.”

He also expressed concern that some UK and international students may consider universities in other countries or defer if they cannot find the accommodation they need in the UK.

‘All parties involved in educating and housing students’

Mr Hayward said: “The UK is currently regarded as a global higher education leader. That position could come under threat if all parties involved in educating and housing students cannot work together to achieve a more balanced solution.

“To support this, the Renters (Reform) Bill should initially focus on accommodation for the non-student market, giving the student market time to rebalance itself after the Brexit and Covid changes – which it needs to do in short order.”

He also said that open-ended tenancies in the private rented sector are a key sticking point and could create ‘significant challenges’.

Mr Hayward says that both students and student landlords want a start and end date to their tenancies and a solution that suits both parties must be found, he said.

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