Just one in six university rooms based on campus are affordable for students, with one option charging over £12,000 per year, research finds.
The issue is more prominent for freshers, according to an analysis by Generation Rent of almost 50,000 student rooms in the UK.
The National Union of Students (NUS) states that 35% of rooms should be offered at 55% of the maximum student loan.
So, with only 16% of universities setting their rooms at 55% of the maximum amount or less, it means there are only half of the required affordable rooms needed for students.
Nine campuses up and down the UK were considered:
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Birmingham
- University of Leeds
- Warwick University
- Manchester University
- University of Nottingham
- University of Edinburgh
- Cardiff University
- Queen’s University Belfast
Out of the nine options, Leeds, Edinburgh and Cardiff boasted the most affordable rooms available of the 157 in total.
The most expensive room was a large en-suite at UCL, which would set students back £12,683.58 on average, representing 95% of the maximum student loan.
One room at the University of Nottingham would eat up all of the available loans plus an additional 2%.
None of the campus rooms in the London, Manchester or Nottingham universities had rooms priced below the 55% threshold.
‘Universities raking it in as landlords’
Generation Rent noted: “University is an exciting time for people, especially young people embarking on the next stage of their lives. It should not be a time mired by money problems and difficulties covering the rent. Too many universities claim to look out for their students’ wellbeing while raking it in as their landlords.
“Our homes are the foundation from which we build our lives, relationships and aspirations. Student accommodation is no different.
“Universities must offer their students enough affordable accommodation [for] every person undertaking their degrees and qualifications. This will enable them to thrive and to reach their full potential.”
At present, almost two million people owe up to £50,000 in student loan repayments, with over 61,000 people owing more than £100,000, according to the Student Loans Company.
‘Depressing but anything else would be a shock’
Tom Allingham, student accommodation expert at Save the Student, described the results as “depressing, not least because we’re now at a stage where anything else would be a huge shock”.
Allingham said: “Our own National Student Accommodation Survey found that 64% struggle with the cost of rent at least some of the time, while two in five have thought about dropping out due to the cost of rent.”
He also said Save the Student found that university accommodation costs “roughly £70 more per month on average than renting from a private landlord.”
Allingham added: “Although it should be noted that a room in halls typically does have most bills included.
“We’d strongly encourage the Government to work with universities to fix the student housing crisis, focusing on supply, price and overall standards.”
