Affordability is the most important issue facing students when renting, according to the latest UK student accommodation survey.
The study, undertaken by Knight Frank, in partnership with UCAS, found that affordability and value for money are the most important factors influencing decisions on where to live.
According to the survey, on average students living in privately rented house shares are paying £6,130 per annum for their accommodation, while those living in university-operated accommodation are paying an average of £7,550 a year.
Students living in private purpose-built student accommodation are paying the most on average at £7,990 per annum for their accommodation.
The single most important factor influencing the choice students make about where they live is value for money, with 98% of respondents rating this as being important to them. Just under half - 49% - said it is “extremely important”.
Some 68% of students identified affordable living costs as being ‘very important’ with regards to their overall wellbeing, whilst the standard of accommodation was also recognised as a key factor, with 82% identifying it as either “important” or "very important".
James Pullan, global head of student property at Knight Frank, commented: “Affordability is, once again, the number one issue facing students, whilst value for money is the most important factor influencing decisions on where to live.”
He added: “The role that student accommodation plays in supporting wellbeing, is also reinforced, with the survey highlighting the importance that students place on the quality and usability of the social and amenity space provided.”
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.jpg)
%20(002).png)
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
In other words, students are far better off renting from traditional private landlords, where affordability is clearly the best. So the Government fetes the large institutions which charge significantly more and slams us with huge taxes so that we are forced to up our rents. My student rents have gone up a lot since Section 24 was announced, so that I can take the extra tax levy from the students to give to the Government. They're not just hammering us; they're hammering the students.
I agree totally. Most students would rather be in the (cheaper) conventional flats we provide, usually in the heart of a real community, than live in cramped purpose built student ghettos with wooden frameworks and compressed cardboard walls etc. - which don't have to conform to "residential building standards" (like the Bolton multi storey building which was engulfed in flames recently) at much higher rents.
The only benefit of the purpose built ghettos is to demonstrate the excellent value for money of conventional flats where students can learn some real life skills - like holding noisy parties, going into arrears with utilities, dodging paying TV licences, getting chased by Councils because the can't be bothered to fill in the Student Council Tax exemption forms easily available online etc. etc. Come to think of it, most of them are tailor made for a career in politics!
The Government favours PBSA owned by big businesses aka Tory party donors. They are exmpt from Sec.24 have fixed period tenancies so do not need Sec.21 amongst many other benefits (no HMO licensing).
So much for a level playing field.
So affordability is the number one issue, why then did Government deliberately make Private Sector Housing unaffordable.
Please login to comment