Just one in six university campus rooms are affordable

The crisis in the UK's student accommodation sector has been highlighted with research revealing that just 17% of on-campus university rooms are deemed affordable for students.  

The findings from activist group Generation Rent analysed 49,161 rooms across nine major universities, including London, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh. 

It says that there's a lack of affordable student accommodation - especially for first years. 

Researchers looked at shared facilities, ensuite rooms, as well as self-catered and catered offerings but not larger-scale rooms such as family suites and studios. 

'Young people embarking on the next stage' 

Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, said: "University is an exciting time for people, especially young people embarking on the next stage of their lives.  

"It should not be a time mired by money problems and difficulties covering the rent, as too many universities claim to look out for their students' well-being while raking it in as their landlords. 

"Our homes are the foundation from which we build our lives, relationships and aspirations. Student accommodation is no different." 

He added: "Universities must offer their students enough affordable accommodation so that every person undertaking their degrees and qualifications is able to thrive and to reach their full potential." 

Affordable student accommodation 

The organisation points to the widely used metric to define 'affordable' as student accommodation costing no more than 55% of the maximum student loan. 

However, the National Union of Students (NUS) argues that 35% of rooms should fall within this bracket. 

That means there's a huge shortfall of affordable on-campus accommodation. 

Generation Rent calculates that only half the required amount of first year university accommodation is being provided for students.  

Challenges in the student housing market 

The organisation also highlights a report by PwC published last year which also uses the same 55% measure and it also focuses on the broader challenges in the student housing market.  

It found that increasing student numbers coupled with escalating rental costs have created a perfect storm, particularly in cities like Manchester and Glasgow. 

Crucially, the cost of first-year student accommodation is acting as a 'barrier' to many young people to access higher education. 

The PwC also revealed a scarcity of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in key locations, with Durham, Southampton and Glasgow among those with the lowest availability for the last academic year. 

UK student landlords 

Simon Thompson, the managing director of Accommodation for Students, said: "For the UK's student landlords, this research offers both challenges and opportunities. 

"The shortage of affordable on-campus student accommodation creates a demand for quality, reasonably priced rental properties.  

"However, it's crucial to remember that students are facing financial pressures." 

He adds: "By offering fair rents and quality living conditions, student landlords can build trust and loyalty, securing long-term tenants."