Unclear rules and poor planning could disrupt students’ lives, the government has been told in the wake of passing the Renters Rights Act.
Letting agency loc8me is says the Act fails to recognise the unique way student lettings work. Unlike private rented housing, student lettings are often tied to the academic year and depend on shared responsibility among housemates.
Loc8me argues that wholesale changes will lead to confusion, increased disputes, and instability for both students and landlords.
Founder Raffaele Russo comments: “We are still not even sure if the Act will affect students currently living in our properties, but we know it will have a major impact on those signing up now and in the coming months for next year. Many parts of the Act fail to account for the differences between private and student lettings. This is causing real worry for student tenants and our landlords, who we have a duty to protect.”
One major concern is a new rule allowing any tenant in a shared student house to end the joint tenancy with two months’ notice, a change Russo said removes the stability students have long depended on under fixed-term agreements.
Russo continues: “In most shared student houses, small disagreements are part of life and usually get resolved because everyone knows they’re committed until the end of the academic year. Now, a late-night argument could see one housemate serve notice and bring the whole tenancy to an end for everyone, leaving students with nowhere to live in a tight market. That doesn’t help students, landlords, or universities trying to manage accommodation.”
loc8me also warned that the impact could reach beyond individual houses, as the changes could drive more landlords out of the student market, worsening an already tight supply.
Research from Savills earlier this year estimates the UK is short of more than 370,000 student beds, a gap that could grow if landlords leave the sector.
“When similar reforms were introduced in Scotland in 2017, many private landlords, particularly older owners, chose to sell up rather than take on the extra risk” Russo states. “We could see the same pattern here, which would push rents higher for the students left behind.”
