Student housing in the spotlight

NUS Scotland has launched the results of its wide-ranging survey of student accommodation to a gathering of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

BRICK BY Brick: the state of student housing in Scotland 2007 has surveyed students studying at colleges and universities across Scotland on their experience in private rented accommodation and halls of residence. Despite the introduction of HMO licenses to protect tenants in the private rented sector, this report shows students continue to be exploited by unscrupulous landlords, paying high rents for unsafe and poor quality accommodation.

This report makes many demands on the Scottish Government, and we look forward to working with policy-makers to lay the foundations for a new era of student accommodation.”

Key findings include:

• Average rent across Scotland is £306 per month.
• One third of students in private accommodation have lost part or all of a deposit, the average amount lost being £205.
• Half of students renting an HMO eligible property do not know if it is properly licensed.
• Eight per cent of students in private accommodation do not have a fire alarm.
• One fifth of students feel their landlord has behaved inappropriately towards them.

James Alexander, NUS Scotland President said: “NUS Scotland’s accommodation survey reveals the shocking state of student accommodation today. Average rents of over £300 per month very quickly consume almost all a students annual support payments, leaving Scotland’s students facing huge levels of hardship.

“This report makes many demands on the Scottish Government, and we look forward to working with policy-makers to lay the foundations for a new era of student accommodation.”

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