SAPRS concerned Renters Rights Bill will irreparably damage student housing sector

The Renters Rights Bill and the Government has been widely criticised for numerous reasons, however now the SAPRS, the Student Accredited Private Rental Sector has released a statement warning that the RRB could irreparably damage the higher education system, as student housing has always relied on fixed term tenancy agreements, and the Renters Rights Bill is looking to remove fixed term contracts from the sector. This, SAPRS state, will massively hurt the student sector, as it will potentially reduce the amount of available housing stock, and will disrupt the market.

Calum MacInnes, chair at SAPRS, said: “The Government continues to ignore warnings from the higher education sector about the risks the Renters’ Rights Bill poses to UK student housing. Students are already bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis, facing rising expenses for both accommodation and tuition fees.

“Yet a straightforward solution remains – retaining the fixed-term tenancy system for the private student housing sector. This approach offers security to student renters and ensures landlords can make their properties available to new students at the start of each academic year.

“If the Bill remains unchanged, the student housing system – and with it, access to higher education – faces the risk of being irreparably damaged.”

StuRents, the UK's leading student accommodation search, property management and data platform, predicts a 490,000-bed student housing shortfall by 2026.

A SAPRS spokesperson commented: “The Government must amend the Bill to avoid further dismantling the student housing sector and deliver a better and more secure deal for students across the country”