Nationwide Pupil Lodging Survey 2023 – Outcomes

With the power disaster, scholar housing scarcity and extortionate rents, this yr’s Nationwide Pupil Lodging Survey reveals the immense challenges college students are dealing with.

Now in its seventh yr, our 2023 survey obtained over 1,800 responses and paints a grim image of the present state of scholar lodging within the UK.

Power payments are at an all-time excessive, but the federal government continues to supply shockingly little monetary help to college students.

Of these within the survey that believed they need to have been entitled to the £400 low cost on power payments, over half mentioned they have not obtained it. That is regardless of 95% of scholars with payments worrying about maintaining with the funds.

The federal government urgently wants to handle this case. Till college students are supplied efficient help to assist with lodging prices, they are going to proceed to battle all through the price of residing disaster.

Key findings

Here is an outline of the important thing findings from the Nationwide Pupil Lodging Survey 2023:

Professional remark

Save the Pupil’s cash knowledgeable, Tom Allingham, says:

The influence of report power costs on college students’ payments is evident. However what’s much more alarming is simply what number of have been unable to learn from the federal government’s £400 power invoice low cost.

The federal government repeatedly claimed that each family within the nation would obtain this funding from one among its schemes. However, evidently, this has not been the case.

Whereas many individuals in related types of lodging, resembling care houses, have obtained the funding, 82% of scholars in college halls haven’t.

On condition that hire in at the very least some halls will inevitably have elevated to cowl rising power prices, it is regarding that many college students have not obtained the mandatory help in return.

Issue within the wider value of residing disaster, plus the truth that practically half of scholars in privately rented houses additionally missed out on the power grant, and it’s sadly no shock that 63% now say they’re battling hire.

We’re calling on the federal government to cease overlooking college students, and as a substitute make sure that they will profit from all power invoice help – each now and sooner or later.

The place do college students stay throughout time period time?

There was a noticeable shift in college students’ lodging decisions in comparison with the 2022 survey.

For starters, we have seen a rise within the proportion of scholars renting from personal landlords. Within the 2022 survey, 40% of scholars mentioned they rented from personal landlords, however this has elevated to 46% this yr.

Alongside this, there was an increase within the proportion of scholars residing with mother and father or guardians, up from 13% final yr to fifteen% this yr.

And, not solely are we seeing a change in the kind of properties college students select to stay in, however there has additionally been a slight improve within the common time it takes college students to get to campus.

Within the earlier three lodging surveys, we discovered it took college students a mean of 21 minutes to get to campus from their term-time houses. Nonetheless, this has elevated to 24 minutes on this yr’s survey.

The modifications in lodging decisions are notably noticeable amongst first years, as this desk reveals:

The place first-year college students stay	2022 survey	2023 survey	Distinction (share factors)
College halls	53%	41%	– 12
Non-public landlord	13%	19%	+ 6
With mother and father/guardians	12%	18%	+ 6
Non-public halls	13%	15%	+ 2
Different	5%	3%	– 2
Personal property	4%	4%	+ 0

As we’ll talk about in additional element later, properties with personal landlords usually have decrease rents than scholar halls (both personal or university-run).

The homes and flats are additionally more likely to be cheaper in the event that they’re additional away from campus, maybe explaining why the common time it takes college students to get to uni from their houses has elevated.

And, for college kids who’ve the choice to stay with their mother and father or guardians, this may normally be the most cost effective choice.

As such, the rise within the proportions of scholars selecting to hire from personal landlords or commute from house could possibly be reflective of the rising monetary challenges college students are dealing with in the price of residing disaster.

The scholar housing scarcity disaster

It has been broadly lined within the media that the UK is dealing with a scholar housing scarcity, notably in cities resembling Durham, Glasgow and York.

And it is clearly a priority that is on the minds of lots of college students. 50% of scholars within the survey mentioned they’re nervous in regards to the housing scarcity.

Here is what college students informed us about how the disaster is impacting them:

• Proper now, discovering second yr housing is extraordinarily troublesome. Every little thing is simply too costly and there aren’t lots of properties obtainable. (Uni lodging)
• Leeds housing hire marketplace for college students has extra homes than college students so I feel we have now not and won’t see the loopy hikes seen not too long ago in Durham or different locations. (Non-public landlord)
• [I’m] struggling to search out reasonably priced lodging for subsequent yr and do not know if I will be capable of discover any I can afford to proceed my research. (Non-public landlord)
• I’ve been fortunate sufficient to increase my tenency for the following yr however I have been on the telephone with associates in different cities having panic assaults as a result of homes they apply for hold getting purchased out and so they’re scared they are going to need to drop out. (Non-public halls)
• I’m affected by the crises, so I’ve needed to journey three hours to highschool and three hours again day by day. I’ve lastly gotten lodging for the following time period but it surely has actually impacted my bodily and psychological well being. (With mother and father/guardians)
• I am graduating this yr, which I am very glad about within the context of the housing disaster in Durham. This yr individuals had been signing homes in October, usually with out having checked out them first. And the housing costs have risen to unreasonable quantities. (Non-public landlord)

When do college students search for lodging?

Here is an outline of when college students begin on the lookout for lodging:

* College students who answered ‘earlier than November’.
** College students who answered ‘after August’.

As a result of scholar housing scarcity, we appeared into whether or not college students had been on the lookout for lodging sooner than regular. However, on the entire, this does not appear to be the case.

25% of scholars within the survey mentioned that they had began wanting earlier than December. This compares to 24% who mentioned the identical within the 2022 survey and 25% in 2021, so there hasn’t been a noticeable change.

Have college students signed rental contracts for 2023/24 but?

After we requested college students within the survey whether or not they have signed their subsequent rental contract but, that is what they mentioned:

• 42% – Have not signed their subsequent contract, however will do
• 32% – Have not signed their subsequent contract, and are not planning to
• 26% – Have signed their subsequent contract.

Simply as we’ve not seen a noticeable change in when college students are on the lookout for lodging because of the housing scarcity, there has additionally been little or no distinction in when college students are signing their subsequent tenancy contract.

Within the 2022 survey, 41% mentioned they hadn’t signed their subsequent contract however deliberate to, 33% mentioned they hadn’t and did not plan to, and 26% mentioned that they had signed it. That is nearly an identical to this yr’s outcomes.

How a lot does scholar lodging value?

Amongst college students that pay hire, it prices them a mean of £535 per thirty days.

However, as can be anticipated, the quantity college students spend on hire can range broadly relying on the place within the UK they examine.

Pupil hire in every area of the UK

London has the most costly scholar hire within the UK by far, costing a mean of £663 per thirty days. That is over £100 extra a month than the following most costly area, which is Yorkshire (£550 per thirty days).

Northern Eire, then again, has considerably cheaper hire for college kids, costing a mean of £319 per thirty days.

As hire is normally the largest month-to-month expense for college kids, the excessive value – particularly in areas like London – could be immensely difficult for a lot of to maintain up with.

In reality, 10% of scholars within the survey mentioned they had been in hire arrears, owing a mean of £409.

Listed here are among the feedback we obtained from college students within the survey about renting:

• Lease is pricey and I can not afford it. I really feel just like the lodging is not the identical as marketed and it is overvalued. This has precipitated my well being to endure. I’ve thought of dropping out of uni so I could be launched from my contract. (Non-public halls)
• My arrears make me take into consideration leaving the college so I can seek for jobs. (Uni lodging)
• I am at the moment staying with associates while looking for lodging. I can not stick with them ceaselessly however nowhere reasonably priced has come up and that is earlier than you even contemplate payments on prime of the rents marketed. It is my closing yr which is why I pushed to remain in uni quite than drop out. (Different)
• Pupil lodging is means too costly for what you get. It makes uni extra anxious than it already is. (Non-public landlord)
• Lease takes up most of my Upkeep Mortgage and I am on placement yr working full time at no cost for the NHS so it is very troublesome to work a aspect job on prime of that to have the ability to afford residing prices on prime of hire, so I am consistently questioning if it is value it to remain at uni. (Uni lodging)
• I’ve been struggling to maintain up with residing prices and have been lacking weeks of uni to work on a constructing website simply so I can afford hire and meals. (Non-public landlord)
• The price of hire is extortionate. I deliberate for this after I thought of going to uni, it is budgeted for me and I understand how a lot I have to work to maintain up cash but it surely’s nonetheless hanging over me. (Non-public halls)
• Subsequent yr I’m shifting house and commuting as I can’t afford hire. (Uni lodging)

Which lodging is the most cost effective?

Amongst college students within the survey who hire, these with personal landlords are paying much less every month on common in comparison with these in personal or university-run halls.

Lodging kind	Common month-to-month hire
Non-public landlord	£523
Uni lodging	£592
Non-public halls	£596

As we talked about earlier, we have now seen a drop within the proportion of scholars residing in halls (together with first-year college students). If college students are in a position to economize by renting from landlords or residing with their mother and father or guardians, it isn’t shocking that many will select these choices.

What do college students get for his or her cash?

We requested college students what, if something, was included of their hire. Here is what they mentioned:

Over two-thirds of scholars (69%) within the survey have at the very least one of many above issues included of their hire.

Electrical energy and water payments are the commonest extras included in hire, adopted carefully by broadband and gasoline.

What else do college students have to pay for?

With the common scholar spending £273 on a rental deposit, it is worrying that almost one in 5 mentioned they’ve struggled to get a deposit again previously.

Extra worrying nonetheless is that 25% of scholars within the survey did not learn their tenancy settlement earlier than signing it. Damaged down, this contains 8% who mentioned their associates/housemates learn the contract, 11% who mentioned their mother and father did, and 6% who mentioned no person did.

We might at all times encourage college students to learn their very own tenancy settlement earlier than signing it. By doing so, they will guarantee they’re conscious of the total phrases of the contract and scale back the danger of dropping their deposit after shifting out.

Is scholar lodging reasonably priced?

For too many college students, hire is just not reasonably priced.

18% of scholars within the survey who pay hire described maintaining with the funds as a continuing battle, whereas an additional 45% mentioned they battle once in a while. This, mixed, signifies that over three in 5 college students are struggling to maintain up with hire, at the very least among the time.

Impression of lodging prices on college students

Worryingly, 41% mentioned they’ve thought of dropping out of college due to both hire or payments. Lease, specifically, is main a regarding proportion of scholars to surprise if they will proceed with their research.

Here is a breakdown of what college students mentioned once we requested if they’ve thought of dropping out as a consequence of hire or payments:

Have college students thought of dropping out?	Lease	Payments
Sure – thought of it	38%	28%
Sure – have dropped out	4%	3%
No	58%	69%

It is clear that the price of lodging can have a big influence on college students’ lives.

Within the survey, we requested college students whether or not lodging points influence their well being or skills to check.

Amongst college students within the survey who’ve had issues with their lodging, 43% mentioned their research had been impacted.

In addition to this, 72% of scholars mentioned their bodily and/or psychological well being is affected by rental prices.

When it comes to bodily well being, 10% mentioned theirs is drastically affected, and 39% mentioned theirs is considerably affected.

Psychological well being, nevertheless, is extra more likely to be impacted by the price of renting. 17% mentioned theirs is drastically affected, whereas 50% mentioned theirs is considerably affected.

Listed here are some feedback from college students within the survey about how renting impacts their well being and research:

• Couch browsing with a persistent musculoskeletal syndrome impacts my bodily well being, and lack of non-public house has severely affected my psychological well being. Although I’m grateful, as a result of the shelter I lived in had worse residing circumstances, I’m nonetheless discovering it fairly onerous. (Different)
• Discovering a spot yearly that’s in my finances [is] very anxious and I actually hate it. As I do not need to do it anymore [I] have thought of dropping out however will most likely stick with it and do it once more for subsequent yr, I suppose. It is exhausting. (Non-public landlord)
• I’m withdrawing quickly from research as a consequence of psychological well being struggles that are partly worsened by residing prices, however I can’t transfer again in with mother and father so I’ll proceed to pay my hire and payments. (Non-public landlord)
• The cash battle and price of residing has us all confused about persevering with to afford hire. (Non-public landlord)
• My Pupil Mortgage would not cowl the price of my lodging not to mention cash to stay off subsequently I’m consistently working to attempt to get sufficient cash to pay my hire and to purchase meals, and so forth. This then leaves me exhausted and makes specializing in my diploma troublesome as my principal concern is surviving. (Non-public halls)
• Monetary struggles have precipitated me lots of nervousness and have worsened my psychological well being problems. (With mother and father/guardians)

College students and the power disaster

With power costs at an all-time excessive, many individuals within the UK, together with college students, are battling the rising costs.

The typical quantity scholar invoice payers spend on power is £85 per thirty days. This can be a 37% improve since final yr, when college students had been paying a mean of £62 per thirty days.

The rise in power payments, which works out as an increase of £276 per yr, is inflicting many to battle to maintain up with payments.

Amongst college students within the survey that pay payments, practically all (95%) fear in regards to the rising value.

On prime of this, 22% of scholar invoice payers describe it as a continuing battle, whereas 42% battle once in a while.

Consequently, college students are making modifications to chop again on power payments:

Methods to make use of much less power	What number of college students have accomplished this?
Not put the heating on	52%
Stayed in mattress longer than regular to remain heat	50%
Had shorter/fewer showers	38%
Spent longer at uni to keep away from utilizing electrical energy/gasoline at house	35%
Requested housemates to make use of much less electrical energy/gasoline	34%
Not cooked as usually	26%
Used an electrical blanket	13%
Requested landlord to enhance insulation	10%

Seemingly because of the rising value of payments, college students are usually utilizing the heating much less. In final yr’s survey, college students saved their heating on for a mean of 9 hours a day. This yr, it has dropped to seven hours a day.

This ties into the second commonest means college students have minimize down on power utilization: staying in mattress longer than regular to remain heat. Half of the scholars within the survey mentioned they’ve accomplished this, giving a sign of what number of have been residing in chilly houses over winter.

In addition to lowering their power utilization at house, many are additionally making cutbacks in different areas of life to afford their payments:

Spending class	What number of in the reduction of on spending?
Garments and purchasing	61%
Takeaways and consuming out	58%
Socialising	56%
Groceries	47%
Holidays and occasions	45%
Journey	39%
Presents and charity	37%
Well being and wellbeing	36%
Research supplies	22%
Cell phone	20%
None	19%

It is worrying to see some college students spending much less on day by day necessities, resembling groceries. The proportion of scholars making cutbacks on this space of spending has elevated since final yr.

Within the 2022 survey, 43% mentioned they in the reduction of on groceries as a consequence of payments. This yr, it has elevated to 47%.

Our newest Nationwide Pupil Cash Survey (revealed September 2022) discovered that one in 10 college students had used a meals financial institution within the earlier tutorial yr. With this in thoughts, it is extraordinarily regarding to think about but extra college students spending much less on meals to take care of the power disaster.

Throughout this financially difficult time, we hoped the federal government would do extra to help college students.

In fact, the federal government has supplied a help package deal to the vast majority of households in Britain – specifically, the £400 low cost on power payments. However, sadly, the residing conditions of many college students imply that not all can entry this assist.

The federal government’s help package deal

Of these within the survey who believed they need to have obtained the £400 low cost on power payments, 56% informed us they hadn’t.

There are two key points which can be stopping college students from accessing the help:

• College students who stay in halls aren’t usually eligible for the £400 low cost.
• When college students hire from personal landlords and have payments included of their hire, their landlord is unlikely to move the low cost on to them.

82% of scholars who stay in college halls and 70% of these in personal halls mentioned they’ve not obtained the £400 low cost.

Amongst college students who hire from landlords, 47% mentioned they have not obtained the low cost. If we glance particularly at college students who hire from landlords and have payments included of their hire, the determine will increase to 78%.

Here is what college students say in regards to the realities of maintaining with invoice funds at college:

• The quantity of hours I’ve to check being in closing yr and the amount of cash I’ve to make every month to pay the payments is draining. (Non-public landlord)
• It is ridiculous that I’m consistently unwell as a consequence of the truth that this can be very costly to activate the heating, that hardly works anyway. Moreover my landlord for no matter motive can’t inform me if I’ve overstretched my power allowance and the way a lot it’s going to value if I am going over it so I might owe them no matter quantity they really feel is appropriate and I might haven’t any option to dispute this. (Non-public landlord)
• The price of payments has completely sky rocketed. I went from a home with payments included to the owner turning spherical and stopping bills-included contracts due to the price of residing. (Non-public landlord)
• I really feel just like the payments are extortionate. If I would have recognized, I might have gone to a uni nearer to house and lived there intead. My Upkeep Mortgage nowhere covers the hire, so I’ve no choice aside from for my mother and father to pay for it. (Non-public landlord)
• We have needed to have associates over who cannot afford heating to allow them to keep over for a heat evening’s sleep. (Non-public landlord)

How college students pay for his or her hire

With 63% of scholars struggling to afford hire, the place are they getting the cash from to cowl it?

We requested college students within the survey if they should borrow cash to pay for hire. That is what they mentioned:

Round three in 5 college students do have to borrow cash for hire.

Right here is the place they borrow the cash from:

The most typical means for college kids to borrow cash for hire is from their mother and father, which practically a 3rd of scholars within the survey mentioned they did. On prime of this, 21% borrow from the financial institution, both within the type of an overdraft or a mortgage, whereas 13% borrow from associates.

How a lot do mother and father pay?

As talked about above, just below a 3rd of scholars within the survey borrow cash from their mother and father for hire.

And amongst college students within the survey who pay hire, they obtain a mean of £145.36 per thirty days, or round £34 per week.

Evaluating this to earlier surveys, we have now seen a noticeable drop within the amount of cash college students are receiving from their mother and father for hire.

Somewhat than the £34 per week that we’re seeing this yr, college students had been receiving a mean of £44 per week in each 2022 and 2021, and £49 per week in 2020.

As college students are receiving noticeably much less cash from their mother and father to pay for hire every week, this means the influence of the price of residing disaster on households.

With this added strain on mother and father, we have to contemplate, once more, how little the federal government is doing to help college students.

Not solely are many college students unable to learn from the £400 low cost on power payments, but it surely’s additionally tougher than regular for his or her mother and father to financially help them. And to make issues worse nonetheless, Upkeep Loans in England have fallen in actual phrases.

This leaves many college students struggling to afford hire. For people who do borrow cash from mother and father for hire, we have heard from some that they really feel responsible and nervous in regards to the influence on their households.

Here is what college students within the survey mentioned about borrowing cash from their mother and father:

• I’ve borrowed plenty of cash from my mother and father and really feel extraordinarily responsible about it. (Non-public landlord)
• [My] Upkeep Mortgage would not cowl hire and [my] mother and father are unable to contribute. (Uni lodging)
• My dad is unwell and is working much less and I’ve to work as effectively to assist pay the hire. My Pupil Mortgage would not even cowl half of my hire. (Non-public landlord)
• [I’m] fortunate sufficient to have monetary help. However I do fear about passing that pressure onto my household. (Non-public landlord)
• I’m one among three at the moment at college and really feel terrible when I’ve to ask my mother and father for hire after which when Pupil Finance lastly is available in I ship my mum £1,000 to cowl as a lot as I can. (Non-public halls)
• I do not need to hold counting on my mother and father as a result of they have their very own cash issues. (Uni lodging)

What points do scholar renters face?

In addition to dealing with monetary pressures as renters, lots of college students report having points with their housemates and the properties they stay in.

Largest issues with housemates

Listed here are the issues college students within the survey have had with their housemates:

The most typical problem is housemates leaving out soiled dishes, which round three in 5 have skilled. That is adopted by individuals in the home not serving to with the cleansing, affecting practically half of the scholars within the survey.

And the third commonest drawback is when housemates go away lights or home equipment on. The proportion of scholars battling this has elevated considerably since final yr, up from 33% to 45%.

This might replicate elevated tensions round the usage of power within the house because of the rising value of payments.

Largest issues with properties

When it comes to the properties college students stay in, these are the problems college students within the survey have had:

Damp is the difficulty that college students are almost certainly to have with their home or flat. Within the 2022 survey, 26% of scholars mentioned they’d had points with damp, however this has elevated to 36% on this survey.

As we talked about earlier, college students are utilizing their heating much less on common than that they had been final yr. This could possibly be contributing to the rise within the proportion of scholars coping with damp of their houses.

Alarmingly, there has additionally been a gentle improve within the proportion of scholars residing in harmful circumstances over current years. That is up from 5% in 2021, to 7% in 2022, to 9% this yr.

How lengthy does it take to get issues sorted?

Amongst college students which have had points with their property, round a 3rd mentioned the issues aren’t resolved inside every week.

Damaged down, this contains 17% who mentioned the problems are fastened inside a month, 9% who mentioned they take over a month and 5% who mentioned they are not sorted in any respect.

However, 48% mentioned their property’s issues are handled inside every week, whereas 21% mentioned they’re fastened inside a day.

When college students do face points with lodging, that is the place they flip for assist:

Mostly, college students will flip to their mother and father for lodging recommendation after they want it.

Is scholar housing definitely worth the spend?

As we have now lined, the vast majority of college students are struggling to afford their hire. So do they view their lodging pretty much as good worth for cash?

41% of scholars don’t assume their lodging is nice worth for cash. This proportion has elevated since final yr, when 35% had mentioned the identical.

Here is what some college students mentioned in regards to the worth for cash of their lodging:

• College is pricey and the lodging is a con. I’m purported to be in catered lodging however we do not get sufficient lunch allowance for the entire week and breakfast is just not obtainable for lengthy sufficient within the morning. I’ve mould in my room and may’t management my heating. (Uni lodging)
• My bed room partitions are moist each morning, however we’re informed to maintain home windows open to cease this, however nonetheless hold the heating on too, however do not hold it on too lengthy as we will likely be charged extra. The home is ceaselessly chilly and you may see the condensation in your breath on daily basis. No try to repair the underlying points is being made. (Non-public landlord)
• They make it so not possible to depart your lodging, even if in case you have left your course. Pupil lodging (particularly personal halls) is just not remotely good worth for cash. (Non-public halls)
• The home is just not definitely worth the cash. [There are] so many issues that are not being resolved. (Non-public landlord)
• The price of renting, given the poor worth [for] cash, mixed with the stress of college has made me query if it is value it. (Non-public landlord)

What others say in regards to the survey

A Division for Training spokesperson mentioned:

We recognise the influence that value of residing pressures have had on college students, and are offering £276 million that universities can draw on to make hardship awards to deprived college students.

Kellie McAlonan, Chair of the Nationwide Affiliation of Pupil Cash Advisers (NASMA), mentioned:

With housing prices making up the largest bills for college kids throughout the nation, it’s vitally vital, notably throughout this cost-of-living disaster, that we totally perceive the challenges being confronted by our college students.

The Nationwide Pupil Lodging Survey provides us the information wanted to permit faculties and universities from throughout the nation to raised help college students by understanding the challenges they’re dealing with.

What we’re seeing within the survey outcomes shouldn’t be shocking. It has been evident for a while that college students can usually get the brief finish of the stick with regards to having protected and reasonably priced housing and lots of have misplaced out on among the interventions the federal government has launched to help customers with report breaking power payments.

The federal government want to contemplate that struggling to pay hire is a actuality for a lot of college students, and it is not adequate.

Core funding packages should be adequate to help scholar success, protected and reasonably priced housing should not be a fortunate discover, and college students should not be disregarded within the chilly throughout a cost-of-living disaster.

Pupil housing assets

These guides embody information or recommendation about most of the subjects lined on this report:

In regards to the Nationwide Pupil Lodging Survey 2023

If you would like to know extra in regards to the survey or obtain knowledgeable feedback, please get in contact.

You are welcome to reference or re-use information from the survey with credit score and a hyperlink again to the positioning: “Supply: The Nationwide Pupil Lodging Survey 2023 / www.savethestudent.org”.

The survey polled 1,869 individuals within the UK between 1st December 2022 – twenty third January 2023.