Nationwide Scholar Lodging Survey 2022 – Outcomes

With power payments on the rise, our newest lodging survey arrives at a time when scholar renters are going through vital and instant monetary challenges.

Now in its sixth 12 months, the Nationwide Scholar Lodging Survey 2022 requested over 1,200 college students concerning the realities of coping with scholar lodging issues – significantly when confronted with hovering power costs on high of month-to-month hire.

Amongst college students within the survey who pay payments, 4 in 5 stated they’re apprehensive concerning the rising prices. However, sadly, the federal government’s assist bundle has did not successfully take an enormous variety of college students’ residing conditions under consideration.

In reality, from our calculations, we estimate that present college students may find yourself being over £100 million worse off in comparison with these eligible for the total assist bundle.

We’ll discover this, and way more, beneath.

Key findings

Earlier than we unpack the ends in extra element, here is a fast overview of the important thing findings from the Nationwide Scholar Lodging Survey 2022:

• We estimate that full-time college students will miss out on over £40 million of assist as they don’t seem to be eligible for the £150 council tax rebates. To make issues worse, we predict that they are going to find yourself repaying about £60 million greater than they’re going to save from the £200 payments credit score in October.
• These mixed could lead on present college students to expertise a £100 million shortfall in comparison with these eligible for the federal government’s full assist bundle.
• 4 in 5 college students who’ve power payments are apprehensive concerning the rising prices, whereas three in 5 have already seen their payments enhance because of the power disaster.
• Because of the rising value of power, college students within the survey who haven’t got payments included in hire anticipate chopping again on socialising (54%), groceries (43%), journey (42%) and extra.
• College students spend a mean of £148 per week on hire. Worryingly, one in 10 that pay hire describe maintaining with the price of it as a continuing battle.
• Dad and mom contribute a mean of £2,288 a 12 months in the direction of their kid’s hire at college.
• £285 is the common rental deposit for college kids, however one in 5 have struggled to get their full deposit again.
• The most typical housing challenge for college kids is a scarcity of water or heating, which has affected 30% of these within the survey.
• A 3rd of scholars view their lodging as poor worth for cash.

The place do college students stay throughout time period time?

With the coronavirus restrictions now not having fairly the identical influence on college students’ residing conditions as they did final 12 months, we have seemed into whether or not there have been any noticeable modifications in the place college students select to stay.

Within the 2020/21 tutorial 12 months, we noticed a big shift in additional college students transferring in with their dad and mom because of the pandemic. As many as 35% of scholars within the Nationwide Scholar Lodging Survey 2021 stated they moved again in with their dad and mom or guardians in the course of the 12 months.

This 12 months, nearly all of college students within the survey stay in properties with a non-public landlord or in college lodging. Nonetheless, we’ve recognized a slight shift within the proportion of scholars selecting to stay with their dad and mom or guardians.

At first look, it seems as if there has solely been a slight change within the proportion of scholars residing with their dad and mom or guardians this 12 months in contrast with final 12 months. At first of 2020/21 (earlier than lockdowns led many to maneuver again house), solely 10% of scholars had been residing with their dad and mom. This has elevated barely to 13% this 12 months.

It is actually once we break down the figures by college 12 months teams that the change is most noticeable. Second- and third-year college students, particularly, usually tend to stay at house with their dad and mom this 12 months in comparison with final 12 months.

There may be nonetheless a change amongst first-year college students, however the enhance isn’t fairly as marked.

It could possibly be that some second- and third-year college students moved again in with their dad and mom or guardians because of the COVID restrictions final 12 months and found the advantages of it in comparison with renting. There’s additionally the potential that some had been involved about transferring to uni, solely to find nearly all of their courses could be taught on-line once more.

When do college students search for lodging?

For individuals who are planning to maneuver to a brand new home or flat subsequent 12 months, the autumn and winter months are the most typical instances to view properties.

This is an outline of when college students within the survey have seemed, or plan to look, for brand new lodging:

Have college students signed rental contracts for 2022/23 but?

30% of scholars within the survey stated that they’d began on the lookout for lodging by December 2021. Nonetheless, not all of them had but signed their subsequent rental contract on the time of answering the survey in January – February.

After we requested college students if they’ve signed their tenancy settlement for subsequent 12 months’s lodging, that is what they stated:

• 41% – Have not signed their subsequent contract, however will do
• 33% – Have not signed their subsequent contract, and are not planning to
• 26% – Have signed their subsequent contract.

How a lot does scholar lodging value?

Amongst college students within the survey who paid hire, the common quantity they paid every week was ever so barely greater than final 12 months, up from £146 to £148.

It could sound like a small enhance, however once we take into account that the common scholar tenancy size is round 10 months, this equates to a rise of about £87 a 12 months.

6% of scholars within the survey stated they’re at the moment in hire arrears. The common quantity owed by these college students is £635, so any enhance is inevitably going to place an additional pressure on their funds and enhance their danger of eviction.

It is very worrying to think about any college students going through eviction, however sadly, 5% of scholars within the survey (up from only one% final 12 months) have beforehand been evicted as a consequence of unpaid hire.

Scholar hire in every area of the UK

Across the UK, common scholar rental costs fluctuate extensively, from £99 per week in Northern Eire to £185 per week in London.

Whereas London is predictably the most costly a part of the UK for college kids to stay in, it is shocking to see that the common value of scholar hire in Scotland is sort of as excessive (£180 per week).

It is price noting that, out of the survey respondents who lived in Scotland, nearly half had been in Edinburgh which can have impacted the common determine.

As hire in Edinburgh is usually greater than elsewhere in Scotland, it will not essentially be reflective of the entire nation. However, it nonetheless highlights that some college students are lacking out on the elevated Upkeep Loans supplied to college students in London, regardless of paying practically as a lot in hire.

We requested college students within the survey whether or not they believed scholar lodging prices needs to be saved in step with Upkeep Loans, and 80% agreed they need to.

For these making an attempt to maintain up with the price of hire, is the Upkeep Mortgage sufficiently big? That is what some college students within the survey advised us:

• As a scholar on the bottom Upkeep Mortgage, it doesn’t cowl my lodging so I’ve to work lots each summer time and holidays [and] part-time at uni to make ends meet, in addition to going into my overdraft. (Uni halls)
• As my Upkeep Mortgage would not cowl my lodging absolutely, I’ve to have a job to pay for meals, and so on. (Non-public halls)
• I’m fortunate sufficient to have sufficient Upkeep Mortgage to cowl my hire. I simply must work to cowl meals and further bills. (Uni halls)
• My Upkeep Mortgage is a LOT much less [than] hire wherever and [I’ve] been turned away from jobs as a result of they stated they do not need uni college students. (Non-public landlord)

Which lodging is most cost-effective?

Primarily based on responses to the survey from college students who stay in college halls, personal halls or in a property that has a non-public landlord, that is how a lot their hire prices on common:

It’s possible you’ll discover that a few the figures within the desk are greater than the common general determine of £148 per week that we talked about above. It’s because the general determine is a mean amongst all college students that pay hire, which may embrace those that stay with dad and mom/guardians or stay in different types of lodging.

What do college students get for his or her cash?

This is what college students have included of their hire:

As we’ll discover in additional element later, the rising value of payments is weighing on the minds of many college students.

It is necessary to notice that round 60% of scholars have electrical energy and/or fuel included of their hire. This leaves the remaining 40% needing to pay at the very least some power payments every month.

What else do college students have to pay for?

With the common rental deposit costing college students £285, it is regarding that round one in 5 within the survey (19%) who’ve had a deposit have discovered it arduous to obtain theirs again in full.

We encourage college students to learn their tenancy agreements intimately to make sure they perceive the contract and might keep away from the danger of shedding their deposit unnecessarily.

28% of scholars within the survey did not personally learn their tenancy settlement earlier than signing it. Nonetheless, this determine is barely down from final 12 months, when 31% hadn’t personally learn theirs.

Amongst those that did not personally learn their tenancy settlement, 14% stated their dad and mom did, whereas 6% stated their pals/housemates did. 8% stated that no one learn the contract earlier than they signed it.

We heard from some college students within the survey about how far their hire goes:

• Dwelling with dad and mom as a result of renting and halls had been each horrific experiences and never worth for cash. (With dad and mom/guardians)
• The whole lot is included so there is not any stress. It is also catered (inclusive pre-paid meal card) so needn’t fear about meals or making ready meals both. It is fashionable, clear, WiFi [is] glorious and amenities are excellent. I might not get the identical degree of consolation or worth for cash by way of personal lodging. Plus it is Welsh talking/bilingual too. (Uni halls)
• I adore it [because] it has a fitness center so it saves me on paying fitness center fare and it has 24/7 safety. Additionally proper within the metropolis centre really easy entry to a variety of golf equipment, eating places, supermarkets, and so on. (Non-public halls)
• The hire is affordable and the home is beautiful however it’s riddled with mould and our landlord ignores us. (Non-public landlord)

Is scholar lodging inexpensive?

As we talked about, round one in 20 college students have already confronted eviction previously. However even for college kids who have not reached the purpose of being in hire arrears and/or shedding their scholar lodging, it could nonetheless be an enormous battle.

53% of scholars that pay hire stated that they’ve struggled to maintain up with the price of it. When this stat is damaged down, 11% discovered it a continuing battle, whereas 42% stated they battle on occasion.

For too many college students, worries about lodging prices are affecting their research and their well being.

Specifically, some college students advised us concerning the influence that lodging prices and points have had on their psychological well being:

• Bodily and mentally, my well being has struggled because of the value and never having the ability to have heating or scorching water. It is not a pleasant place to stay and with how COVID has modified the whole lot, we weren’t given any kindness or understanding. I’ve a horrible immune system and having no heating on all day in an affordable home is actually arduous. (Non-public landlord)
• As an estranged scholar, it’s actually troublesome to afford all of the residing prices and socialising on the similar time. It closely impacts my psychological well being and undoubtedly creates a sense of alienation compared to my fortunate friends whose hire is paid by their household. (Uni halls)
• My hire is so low cost for what amenities I’ve. If something, my psychological well being advantages from this. (Non-public halls)
• Fixed fear and anxiousness over means to pay on time if in any respect! (Non-public landlord)

How is the rising value of power payments affecting college students?

With 53% of scholars already battling the price of hire, the rising value of power is including to an already difficult state of affairs for a lot of.

As we talked about earlier, 40% of scholars within the survey have to pay at the very least some power payments on high of their hire. These college students are paying a mean of £62 every per 30 days on power.

From this, we’re in a position to calculate that the common value of power payments per scholar family is £220 per 30 days.

However, as has been extensively lined within the media, the price of power is rising.

The rising power costs have already contributed to some suppliers going out of enterprise. 18% of scholars within the survey which have power payments arrange stated that they have been with an power supplier that has gone bust to date this tutorial 12 months.

4 in 5 college students within the survey who’ve power payments are apprehensive concerning the rising prices. On high of this, round three in 5 have seen their power payments enhance because of the rising costs.

It is already having an influence.

Three-quarters of scholars within the survey who haven’t got power payments included in hire stated they’ve needed to in the reduction of on heating as a consequence of how a lot the payments value.

In addition to this, we had been alarmed to listen to that many college students anticipate needing to spend much less on groceries, socialising, journey and extra because of the rising value of payments.

Amongst college students within the survey who haven’t got payments included in hire, these are the areas of spending they count on to chop again on to pay for payments:

The federal government’s assist bundle

When college students are anticipating spending much less on meals to maintain up with payments, the problem is evidently pressing. But, as we talked about earlier, the federal government’s assist bundle severely overlooks college students’ monetary struggles.

Providing the £150 rebate to households in England in council tax bands A–D excludes full-time college students, as they’re exempt from paying council tax.

The federal government highlights on this article that the rebate is meant to assist households with the rising value of payments. Many full-time college students are confronted with these rising prices. However, as they do not qualify for the £150 rebate, our calculations have led us to estimate that they are lacking out on over £40 million of assist.

This in itself is a large blow to college students. However it’s extra regarding nonetheless that the £200 payments credit score in October may value many college students more cash than it saves them.

For college kids who’ve payments included in hire, the payments credit score will not profit them, however many will nonetheless have to pay it again. This can significantly have an effect on the 92% of scholars in uni halls which have payments included, in addition to the 86% in personal halls that do. Even those that haven’t got payments included in hire may stay with fewer housemates after graduating, and will due to this fact repay greater than they save.

We estimate that, general, present undergraduate college students will find yourself paying round £60 million greater than they’re going to save by way of the £200 credit score.

After all, there may be the discretionary funding of £144 million for susceptible folks and people on low incomes that do not pay council tax, or who pay council tax for properties in bands E–H. Nonetheless, this funding is not at all assured to college students, highlighting that they’ve been left as an afterthought with this assist bundle.

This is what college students say concerning the rising value of payments:

• The rise in power payments is severely affecting our use of belongings. The whole lot must be minimize quick. (Non-public halls)
• Heating payments trigger me a variety of anxiousness. (Non-public landlord)
• Though my payments are included with hire so I needn’t pay for them, I’m nonetheless conscious and anxious [about] power payments rising for after I do must pay sooner or later and it makes me take discover of how a lot I’m utilizing the heating, and so on. (Uni halls)
• Our power payments have elevated from approx. £90 – £95 to over £130 regardless of being constantly beneath our month-to-month estimates for the previous two years. (Non-public landlord)
• I used to be shocked once we needed to pay our payments. The agent advised us an estimate of £25 every month for the every of us. It is actually excessive and that may by the explanation for us transferring to a special accomodation, though the hire is okay, the payments are simply an excessive amount of. (Non-public landlord)

How college students pay for his or her hire

Do college students have to borrow cash to cowl the price of hire?

The proportion of scholars saying they should borrow cash to pay hire has noticeably elevated since our 2021 lodging survey, up from 47% to 56%.

Wanting particularly at the place college students are borrowing cash from, dad and mom are the most typical supply of funding:

Final 12 months, we noticed a dip within the proportion of scholars borrowing cash by way of bank cards to cowl the price of hire, down from 6% in 2020 to three% in 2021. This 12 months, the determine has risen again as much as 6%.

One other noticeable shift has been within the proportion of scholars turning to their college for cash to maintain up with hire. In each our 2020 and 2021 lodging surveys, a constant 7% stated they obtained cash from their uni for hire.

With it now as much as 10%, it is doable {that a} rising proportion of scholars are conscious of the assist accessible from their universities within the type of hardship funding.

In Might 2021, Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan, advised us that the federal government had given universities more cash to go in the direction of hardship funding. This too may have performed a component.

How a lot do dad and mom pay?

Every year, college students are receiving a mean of £44 per week (£2,288 per 12 months) from their dad and mom to go in the direction of rental prices.

Clearly, the price of term-time lodging impacts not solely college students, however typically their households too. As residing prices rise, the burden on each college students and their dad and mom may worsen.

We have heard from plenty of college students within the survey who expressed feeling responsible and apprehensive about counting on their dad and mom’ assist to cowl the price of hire:

• I fear about borrowing cash from my dad and mom. It makes me really feel dangerous about myself. (Uni halls)
• Though my mum pays, I really feel consistently pressured to search for the most cost effective issues to incur much less value for her. I fear about placing monetary pressure on the household and none of my flatmates are accountable sufficient to funds so it falls to me. (Non-public landlord)
• I really feel guilt being indebted to my dad and mom. (Non-public halls)
• My dad and mom pay my hire and though they supplied, I really feel dangerous for not having the ability to contribute. (Non-public landlord)
• My dad and mom pay for it however I’m apprehensive as a result of I do know it is a burden on them, particularly with the trade fee. (Non-public halls)

What points do scholar renters face?

On high of the pressures of maintaining with hire and payments, college students expertise stunning housing points which may take a very long time to get resolved by their landlords. In some circumstances, the problems do not get resolved in any respect.

Within the survey, we requested college students about points they’ve skilled with housemates and with the properties they stay in. This is what they stated.

Greatest issues with housemates

Simply over half of scholars within the survey have had points with their housemates leaving out soiled dishes – round a 3rd have even seen meals being unnoticed to rot of their lodging.

On high of this, 44% have been involved about others of their family not serving to with cleansing, whereas 37% have struggled with loud housemates.

Greatest issues with properties

The 2 commonest housing points for college kids is having no water or heating (30%) or damp (26%).

Nonetheless, it is also very worrying to listen to that 13% of scholars within the survey obtain inappropriate or unannounced landlord visits, whereas 7% have had a break-in or housebreaking.

On high of this, 7% have skilled harmful residing situations, and an equal proportion have additionally had a damaged smoke or carbon monoxide alarm.

Like all tenants, college students should stay someplace that is protected. It is stunning to listen to that, for too many, this is not all the time the case.

We have heard plenty of worrying tales from college students about their lodging. Listed here are some examples:

• [We] had no heating or scorching water and even clear water ([the] filter in [the] boiler wasn’t modified for months) and the home was freezing and we had been all unwell for some time and could not get higher because it was so chilly. [Also] our washing could not dry so it created a humid ambiance which made it worse. (Non-public landlord)
• We won’t request assist over the weekend so had a sink that was slowly flooding our cabinets and kitchen that we could not cease. (Non-public halls)
• My 2nd 12 months home was terrible. I had mattress bugs, like woodlice, in my mattress and had to purchase my very own mattress. Once I moved in, nothing had been cleaned, there [were] pizza slices on the ground. The cellar flooded when it rained, and it was carpet. The owner would not resolve any of the various (many extra) points so we wrote them on the chalk board so when folks got here for viewings, they may see all the problems that hadn’t been resolved. Even then they did not get resolved, so we moved out. (Non-public landlord)
• Mattress bugs, mould, the whole lot is soiled and damaged. (Uni halls)
• Our landlord hasn’t handled our silverfish challenge. (Non-public landlord)

How lengthy does it take to get issues sorted?

For college kids within the survey who’ve skilled points with their lodging, 28% have discovered that it could take over per week for the issues to be resolved. This contains 6% who stated their points aren’t mounted in any respect.

When college students expertise issues with their lodging, that is the place they flip to for recommendation:

Is scholar housing definitely worth the spend?

Given the quite a few points we have explored on this survey, it is disappointing however maybe not shocking that 35% advised us they do not view their lodging pretty much as good worth for cash.

Whereas that is a lot greater than we might hope to see, one constructive discovering from the survey is that this determine has dropped from final 12 months, when 47% of scholars had stated the identical. Because the pandemic is now having a lot much less of an influence on college students’ residing conditions, this has doubtless led extra to view their lodging pretty much as good worth for cash.

Nonetheless, there may be nonetheless a protracted approach to go to make sure that all scholar renters stay in properties which are protected, heat and definitely worth the cash that they spend.

What do the consultants say?

Save the Scholar

Jake Butler, Save the Scholar’s cash knowledgeable, says:

The price of lodging is already an enormous drain on college students’ funds and as we will see from our newest insights, the state of affairs is sadly set to get lots worse.

The federal government has supplied assist however the overwhelming majority of scholars will not be capable of entry it. Within the case of the £200 rebate, it is truly doubtless many will find yourself paying it again over the following 5 years regardless of by no means having the benefit of the saving within the first place. How can that be honest?

That is all on high of the continued challenge that the Upkeep Mortgage, which is meant to assist college students cowl residing prices like this, was not sufficient, even earlier than the spiralling will increase in the price of residing.

Alongside the alarming rise in power costs, we conservatively estimate that the quantity of assist that present college students are set to overlook out on can be over £100 million. I’m calling on Rishi Sunak and the Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan, to stipulate what they plan to supply to, what appears to be, a forgotten sector of our society.

NUS

Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, NUS Vice-President for Greater Training, provides:

This necessary report reveals simply how damaged the coed lodging system is.

NUS know from our personal analysis into scholar lodging prices that rents have elevated by 61% within the final decade. They now take up nearly three quarters of the utmost mortgage accessible to college students and are significantly dearer than the common mortgage.

Save the Scholar have proven clearly that the coed rental system is damaged. We’re previous the purpose the place college students are even near affording this which is why we’re pursuing widespread change each by way of rental reform and supporting grassroots student-led organising. Just like the broader schooling system, nothing about this failing marketized mannequin is inevitable.

Scholar housing sources

These guides embrace data or recommendation about most of the subjects lined on this report:

Concerning the Nationwide Scholar Lodging Survey 2022

Need to know extra concerning the survey, or want case research, feedback or quotes? We’re joyful to assist – simply drop us a line.

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 Scholar Lodging Survey 2022 / www.savethestudent.org”

The survey polled 1,245 college students within the UK between sixth January 2022 and third February 2022.

Our estimate that present college students may find yourself being over £100 million worse off in comparison with these eligible for the total assist bundle is predicated on outcomes from this survey and HESA information.