New survey data from Save the Student shows growing dissatisfaction with the student rentals market, as 2 in 5 students consider dropping out of university due to the cost of rent in the UK
The National Student Accommodation Survey 2024, published earlier this month, has reported that two in five students have considered dropping out of university altogether because of the cost of renting.
This year has seen a 2.8 per cent increase on last year’s monthly average rent, rising to £550 in 2024.
Alongside high rental prices, students reported dissatisfaction with the standards of rental properties on the student lettings market, with primary complaints including damp, lack of water/heating, and disruptive building work (reported by 37 per cent, 29 per cent and 18 percent of respondents respectively).
Respondents also raised issues with flatmates, reporting dirty dishes, not changing the loo roll, and stealing food, with one student even citing their “flatmate’s destruction of the kitchen” as a reason for losing their deposit.
The survey also expanded on the impact that increased rent and frequent poor living conditions is having on the lives of students affected.
It claims that half of students worry about the housing shortage with 52 per cent saying that concerns regarding rental costs negatively impacted their mental health.
Worries about expenses had more material consequences when it came to household bills, with 73 per cent of respondents not putting the heating on in a bid to save energy, and 62 per cent staying in bed longer to stay warm.
Tom Allingham, deputy director of Save the Student, said that:
“The results of this year’s survey are deeply concerning, and highlight how life in a cost of living crisis is at risk of becoming the new normal for students”
Kellie McAlonan, Chair of the National Association of Student Money Advisers, claimed that this evidences the need for a “revamp” of student maintenance loans.
“Students can’t be expected to plug the gap between basic living costs and the student funding they receive.”
“Overwhelming life.” by DukeYeh is licensed under CC BY 2.0.