A collection of second and third-year university accommodation providers are urging the Government to deliver a better rental system for students as MPs prepare to debate the long-awaited Renters’ Rights Bill.
With the Renters’ Rights Bill returning to Parliament for Committee stage today, SAPRS (Student Accredited Private Rental Sector) is calling on the Government to ensure the reforms deliver the necessary protections for students and prevent a worsening of the student housing crisis.
During the Bill’s Second Reading this month, a cross-party group of MPs outlined the importance of student housing for their constituencies and the country more widely.
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Housing and Planning Gideon Amos warned of a potential “significant withdrawal of student housing from the market” from the reforms, and Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government David Simmonds outlined the need to ensure there is “appropriate flexibility in respect of student properties”.
In its current form, the Renters’ Rights Bill will ban fixed-term tenancy agreements (FTTAs) for private student accommodation in England, despite both students and landlords relying on tenancies that align with the cyclical nature of the academic year. SAPRS and other experts in the higher education sector believe that the Bill does not recognise the unique structure of the student housing market and therefore fails to adequately deliver for students and student landlords.
SAPRS is urging the Government to amend the Renters’ Rights Bill to ensure parity between purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and private student housing to avoid worsening the student housing crisis. If no action is taken students will suffer, SAPRS warns.
Even without the Bill, StuRents has forecast a 490,000-bed shortfall in the student sector by 2026. This will only get worse if the Bill passes as it currently stands, with landlords leaving the student market, leading to less supply and higher prices. A negative precedent for this was created in Scotland, where as a result of similar legislation the student housing crisis has significantly worsened.
SAPRS’ solution is to provide the student private rented sector with the same exemption as PBSA, provided there is adherence to a government-approved code of conduct which protects and enhances students’ rights, which will provide the security of supply for good landlords to continue letting their properties to students for years to come.
Calum MacInnes, Chair at SAPRS said: “We were delighted to see the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill by the new Government and support their ambition to overhaul the private rented sector. However, it’s crucial that students across the country don’t suffer from the reforms. We will continue our warnings until students get the housing system they deserve.”
