Student campaigners demand ban on guarantor requirements for tenants

Student campaigners demand ban on guarantor requirements for tenants

9:57 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago 45

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The National Union of Students (NUS) is calling on the government to make it illegal for landlords to require tenants to have a UK-based guarantor.

Student campaigners argue that the current housing system is “predicated on exploitation and profit extraction,” leaving many student renters vulnerable.

This demand follows an NUS survey revealing that one-third of students are struggling to afford housing costs, with 17% forced to rely on food banks.

Students are suffering at the hands of the housing system

According to the NUS survey, 60% of student renters were required to have a guarantor and 40% of respondents found the process of securing one difficult.

The survey says international students and low-income students face the most difficulty and stress when trying to find a guarantor as they do not have access to the same funds or security net that others may have.

NUS UK President Amira Campbell said: “The results of this research lay bare what we sadly already knew, students and apprentices across the UK are suffering at the hands of a housing system predicated on exploitation and profit extraction.

“We should be ashamed as a society that we are allowing policies like the requirement for a UK-based guarantor to stand as a barrier in the way of our most vulnerable students having a safe and secure place to live.

“Our country’s unfair and inequitable housing system is limiting students and apprentices from feeling part of their communities. We need urgent action from the UK government, and devolved governments in all the nations across the UK, to fix this system and help student renters.”

Nearly half of students have experienced mould or mildew

Other key findings from the survey reveal that 84% of student renters reported encountering issues with their housing, including 48% who have experienced mould or mildew, 44% issues with heating or cooling, and 20% with pest infestations.

Housing costs were confirmed as a continuing problem for students and apprentices with over a third of students (36%) indicating they have difficulty paying their housing costs. Almost 40% of those report going without heating, and 17% have used a food bank.

A third of students (32%) say that they didn’t feel part of their community, which the NUS claims shows the isolating nature of the current student housing system.


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Cider Drinker

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10:09 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

We need fewer students. Most end up getting jobs that don’t justify the expense of a University education or remain unemployed.

In many cases, it’s just a crèche for adult children that refuse to grow up.

Neil P

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10:14 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

A good few years ago I let a house to 2 Chinese students. They paid monthly, were model tenants and looked after the property. That was until they went back to China early without telling me. They left a house full of stuff, I had no idea if they were coming back or not. A guarantor wouldn't have helped unless they were UK-based. Lesson learned on being taken for a fool.

Edward Hammond

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10:19 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

Yup - seen it.
Overseas students just walk away and write off their deposit. I know one landlord that now refuses to accept foreign students without a UK national guarantor.

Fraser Hopewell

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10:23 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

FYI I never used to take students now 3 of my properties have them (all 2 bed ) this is because in brighton you can get £1700-£1900 pm (£850-£950 per room) for a 2 bed student let, which the renters believe is a good deal when you compare to corporate rentals that cost between £1300- £1500 per room its an amazing deal ! as private landlords sell up (such as me) there will be less choice and student rents will only go up

Fraser Hopewell

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10:26 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Edward Hammond at 20/11/2024 - 10:19
I only take cash up front from overseas students and yes they all walk away leaving the place in a mess, which means a lot of work but they very rarely argue over the deposit its almost like they expect not to have it returned

Dylan Morris

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10:30 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 20/11/2024 - 10:09So many are doing worthless degrees like underwater basket weaving and Elizabethan poetry 😂

Marlena Topple

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10:47 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

An overseas guarantor is worthless. I generally will let to international students without a guarantor. Probably not smart but I have never had a problem. Halls of residence accommodation is presumably available to international students. I accept that is more expensive but landlords cannot be blamed for that. As far as damp and mould is concerned we only ever get problems when students don't heat the house properly. We are fighting a mould problem at the moment in one house (no previous history in 12 years) but the quota we allocate for gas is £100s in credit meaning the central heating is not being used. We increased the quota to encourage usage but that hasn't made a difference. We are going to lock down the thermostat. My substantive point is (as all landlords know) is that damp and mould can be caused by tenant behaviour.

Stella

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10:52 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

Why would we accept guarantors that are not based in the UK and therefore not subject to the laws of this country?

The reason that students experience infestations damp and mould is that some need to be house trained.

AndrewP

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10:58 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

I have been letting to students for several years and have never had a problem (maybe I have been lucky) and they are from all over the world.

I always want a UK guarantor or up front payment purely for assurance but if there is an alternative which works I'd have no problem as this can be difficult for international students.

Also some of the horror stories I have heard from them especially with HMOs makes me think the mould figure is low although often self inflicted (stop drying towels on radiators and ventilate the place!)

If only these sad leftie organisations would talk not rant

alan thomas

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11:10 AM, 20th November 2024, About a month ago

Let’s not forget that it was David Cameron of the conservatives that started it all !!!

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