University students offered 50% rent reduction

The UK’s largest student accommodation provider has offered its tenants a 50% discount if coronavirus restrictions have stopped them returning for their studies, as a growing number of universities have announced a suspension of all rent payments for rooms they own.

Unite Students, which operates 177 properties in the UK, said it expected about 50,000 students, or two-thirds of its tenants, who are unable to return between January 18 and February 14 to claim the partial refund for the period.

The company said it was “the right thing to do” following the imposition of the third lockdown in England which has pushed back most on-campus teaching until February, leaving the majority of students who had travelled home for the Christmas unable to return to university.

Some universities, including Cambridge, LSE, Warwick and Sheffield, have announced they would not require students living in accommodation they own to pay any rent while they are not in halls. Other institutions have offered partial rebates for the period students need to stay away.

However, the majority of students who rent from private landlords on the open market or other speciality providers are still having to pay full rent.

The National Union of Students called for government-led action and financial support for all student tenants to receive full rent refunds and be given the option to break their contracts. Students at more than 40 institutions are staging rent strikes in protest.

Universities, under growing pressure to offer relief to student tenants, have called on the government to act by partially forgiving loans for this academic year.