Housing

 

Councils Believe:

 

1. All students are entitled to good quality, affordable housing and accommodation regardless of provider during their time in Post 16 Education.
2. Poor quality accommodation and/or housing had undeniable knock-on effects for tenants, causing stress and providing a negative impact on wellbeing which can in turn have a detrimental effect on marks and assessments.
3. 90% of students live in private rented accommodation, university-owned halls or private halls of residence (Save the Student, 2018).
4. 44% of students struggle to keep up with their rent payments with 45% noting that accommodation costs have a detrimental effect on their mental health (STS, 2018).
5. The average weekly rent in Wales is £122, while the average maintenance funding works out to be £139, leaving many students in Wales just £17 per week to live on from maintenance support.

 

Councils Further Believe:

1. The increased cost and poor value for money accommodation offering for students across the UK has an undoubted affect on retention of students by the university due to being priced out of their studies and/or the knock on effect this has on mental health.
2. There are many examples of students having to pay 12 months of rent on a lease when only occupying and utilising a property for circa 30 weeks of the year.
3. The vast majority of students are not in full time and/or high paid employment, and this must be considered within leases to students.
4. A national, grass-roots level inquiry into student housing should be carried out by UK and/or devolved governments.
5. Tighter, fairer and better regulation of the student housing sector is needed to avoid further manipulation of students - this regulation must be informed by students as partners within the process and approved by the NUS.

 

Councils Resolve:

1. TSDSU should lobby the university, local authorities, UK and Welsh govt representatives and other colleagues/partners to achieve the following:

• • A fairer economy for student accommodation, which sees a reduction of rental fees and/or an improvement in maintenance support.
  • To better inform students of their rights prior to searching for private rented accommodation (which appears to be the most problematic) and offer a guidance/advice service which is easily accessible by all to provide clear support.
  • A full abolishment of agency fees for students across the UK.

2) TSDSU should produce an accommodation ‘handbook’ or guide which is accessible in hard copy and online format which contains more specific advice for its members.

3) TSDSU to lobby UWTSD to keep a stock of ‘emergency accommodation’ available for members who cannot use their private rented accommodation for whatever reason (eviction/dispute with landlord or tenant etc).

4) TSDSU to work in partnership with UWTSD to conduct a localised student accommodation survey on an annual basis in order to ensure that private landlord and commercial providers are delivering a value for money service for its students and to identify areas of improvement, concern and also good practice.