The Student Room Group

Student Accommodation - use of maintenance loans

Following on from the other questions posted about being released from accommodation, landlords and universities who have not yet released students from their contracts seem to using the fact that students will continue to receive their maintenance loans as a justification for not releasing students from the liability.
Surely it should be acknowledged that if a student has returned home they will be using their loan to pay towards their living costs at home and they simply won't have sufficient funds to pay for both sets of living expenses.

This will place students and their families in severe financial hardship.

Whereas it is understood that the Government has put a financial package in place to assist landlords - why are landlords of private student accommodation and indeed Universities who provide accommodation not accessing this support.
Original post by starlightxxx
Following on from the other questions posted about being released from accommodation, landlords and universities who have not yet released students from their contracts seem to using the fact that students will continue to receive their maintenance loans as a justification for not releasing students from the liability.
Surely it should be acknowledged that if a student has returned home they will be using their loan to pay towards their living costs at home and they simply won't have sufficient funds to pay for both sets of living expenses.

This will place students and their families in severe financial hardship.

Whereas it is understood that the Government has put a financial package in place to assist landlords - why are landlords of private student accommodation and indeed Universities who provide accommodation not accessing this support.


Thanks for your question @starlightxxx if students are having to in effect pay twice and struggling financially, then they can discuss this with their University and see if they can get help from their hardship funds.


The Government has sent the message out that universities need to make their policy on rent charges clear to students and ensure fairness
is at the heart of their decision. A number of Universities and large 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. However some will not be able to as they will not be businesses in fact some may be reliant on one property's rent as their income/ pension.

It is important to note that no 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

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