Student room availability in freefall

Achieved the A level results. Received the offer of a place. For hundreds of thousands of students, an even bigger hurdle awaits. Finding somewhere to live.

Rising student numbers and landlords leaving the student sector have combined to create a shortfall of 240,000 student rooms in the UK's largest university towns and cities. This compares with a shortfall of just 5,000 five years ago.

StuRents. a portal dedicated to the sector, arrived at the figure after analysis of the supply shortfall in 18 Russell Group locations - home to the UK's 'Red Brick' - universities. Although these all have higher than average student populations, if StuRents' work was extended to all 180 towns and cities hosting universities, the number would be far greater.

Cities with the biggest shortfall include Glasgow and Bristol, with 19,000 and 16.000 beds respectively. 

"If last year was a disaster, this year is a catastrophe", said Grant Robertson of Allied Surveyors Scotland, quoting a recent example of a two bedroom flat where they closed the listing after 22 minutes, during which they received 328 enquiries.

Last year, students were forced to live further away from campus. Students at St Andrews had to live as far away as Dundee and many in Manchester were commuting from Liverpool.

The shortage of beds is driving up rents, with cities such as London and Durham seeing increases of over £1,000 a year.

The Rental (Reform) Bill and student accommodation

Landlords who specialise in student accommodation let their properties to cover an academic year. As one group of students leaves, they prepare the property for the next intake. Landlords are committed for one year at a time.

The recently published Rental (Reform) Bill will break that business model. Under the proposed legislation, at the end of a fixed rental term, the rental contract will automatically convert to a periodic, or open ended, tenancy. If when a student completes his degree, should he decide to remain in the city, he will be entirely free to continue living in the property. 

This is no oversight in drafting the legislation. When questioned by the Select Committee, the Housing Secretary confirmed that it is the government's intention that fixed term student tenancies should convert to periodic tenancies.

Many landlords are likely not accept this change and may withdraw from the student sector.The next two to three years could see the shortage of student beds increase.