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Student Accommodation

The government along with universities told students to return back to their permanent addresses. After the lockdown was imposed, you then told students to stay put. I have now gone home, but my accommodation provider is still saying I have to pay next term. Providers are complaining that they can’t release us from our tenancies, because the government is not helping them. What plans have been put in place for both providers and students renting? I don’t think it’s fair to have to pay for a room I am not occupying.

Reply 1

Michelle Donelan, Universities Minister

Official Rep

Original post by Sohray-Tai

@Sohray-Tai, thanks for your question. The government has always issued guidance and instructions based on Public Health England advice and I can assure you that we never instructed students to return to their permanent addresses. I know many students like yourself will already have travelled home. Regarding university owned accommodation - Universities are autonomous organisations but the Government has sent the message out that universities need to make their policies on rent charges clear to students and ensure fairness is at the heart of their decisions. A number of Universities and large private companies have waived rents for the summer term or released students early from their contracts, including Unite. Private student accommodation providers who are facing difficulty may be able to access the support packages announced by the Chancellor to protect businesses. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19No accommodation provider should have instructed any student to return home. If an accommodation provider did formally instruct a student to leave the property, then it would not be appropriate to continue to charge students rent. I also encourage students who are tenants with individual private landlords to discuss the possibility of an early release from their lease. As tenants, students are entitled to support if they are impacted by COVID-19, like repayable rent reductions or postponements and assurances that eviction proceedings cannot begin against them for 3 months. The private accommodation regulator has a really good Q and A which may help – www.unipol.org.uk/advice/students/coronavirus-advice-for-students-and-landlords.

Thanks,
Michelle