Student Housing Affordability Crisis: Key Findings from the Ten Cities Rent Survey
In the wake of escalating student accommodation costs, we are pleased to support Unipol Student Housing and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) in sharing the findings of the comprehensive Ten Cities Rent Survey, conducted recently by M·E·L Research.
This research provides an authoritative insight into the student housing market, elucidating the pressing issues of affordability and supply, and serves as an interim data set in Unipol’s Accommodation Costs Survey (ACS) study, which is run in full every three years and was last published in 2021.
It is important to note that London and Edinburgh, as large and expensive capital cities, were deliberaterly excluded from this year’s analysis.
Elliot Simmonds, who leads our research in the higher education sector, said:
“The escalating costs of student accommodation are, on the face of it, in stark contrast to the principles of accessibility and widening participation in higher education. This data suggests there is a growing tension between the rising financial burden placed on students and the goal of fostering inclusive educational opportunities for all. The expert opinion of those in the sector, is that this tension underscores an urgent need for systemic change to ensure that higher education remains within reach for every aspiring student, regardless of their economic background.”
Snapshot of the Current Landscape
The study unveils a worrying trend: student rents have surged by an average of 14.6% over the past two academic years, consuming nearly the entirety of the average maintenance loan.
In the academic year 2021/22, the average annual rent across ten major regional university cities was £6,520, escalating to £7,475 in 2023/24. Contrastingly, the average maintenance loan for English students in 2023/24 is a mere £7,590, leaving a nominal £24 for other living essentials.
City
Annual Average Rent 2023/24
Average % Increase since 2021/22
Bournemouth
£7,396
11.2%
Bristol
£9,200
9.0%
Cardiff
£6,632
11.1%
Exeter
£8,559
16.1%
Glasgow
£7,548
20.4%
Leeds
£7,627
14.7%
Liverpool
£6,467
6.7%
Nottingham
£8,427
15.5%
Portsmouth
£7,183
9.4%
Sheffield
£6,451
10.2%
10 Cities
£7,475
14.6%
Regional Rental Trends
The research covers ten significant regional cities: Bristol, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Portsmouth, and Sheffield. The data reveals stark disparities:
Bristol now boasts the UK’s highest average annual rent of among the ten cities included, at £9,200.
Glasgow experienced the steepest rental growth at 20.4% over two years.
Conversely, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Sheffield emerge as the most affordable options due to healthier supply levels.
Responses, gathered from 34 leading student accommodation providers and covering each of the markets they are active in, underscore the manifold pressures leading to rent hikes. Predominantly, the escalating costs of energy, construction, staff, and borrowing are pivotal factors. High development costs and planning permission barriers curtail the construction of new, affordable beds, with only 30,000 added to the market in the past two years.
The impending Renters Reform Bill is expected to prompt landlords to further withdraw from the student HMO market, potentially leading to further strain on the supply of university-owned and purpose-built accommodation as students have even less access to this source of accommodation.
Voices From The Sector
Victoria Tolmie-Loverseed from Unipol highlighted the affordability crisis and the risk of undermining progress in higher education accessibility.
“Failing to address the student housing crisis risks undermining decades of progress in widening participation in higher education. We risk excluding those from poorer backgrounds, forcing middle-income students to take on unsustainable debts, and damaging the student experience for all.”
Victoria Tolmie-Loverseed, Assistant Chief Executive at Unipol
Similarly, Nick Hillman from HEPI underscored the urgent need for reform in the student maintenance system and emphasised facilitating the supply of new student housing.
“The Accommodation Costs Survey has been tracking the real costs of student housing for decades. Compared to years gone by, we are now at a crisis point. Across most of the UK, the official levels of maintenance support simply do not cover anything like most students’ actual living costs. In the short term, maintenance support should be increased at least in line with inflation. In the medium term, Ministers should rebase maintenance support using the evidence they’ve gathered as part of the Student Income and Expenditure Survey, which is due to be published soon. For the longer term, we need measures to encourage the supply of new student housing, which is currently restricted by factors such as higher interest rates and confusion over new regulation.”
Nick Hillman, Director at HEPI
Policy Recommendations
The report proposes several measures:
Reform of the Student Maintenance System: The maintenance loan should reflect the actual living costs and emphasise the parental contribution.
Introduction of Affordable Room Options: Partnerships with universities can support private providers in offering affordable accommodation options.
Facilitating More Supply: Active dialogues between universities, providers, and local councils can pave the way for more student accommodation.
In conclusion, the Ten Cities Rent Survey conducted by MEL Research Ltd, in collaboration with Unipol and HEPI, offers an invaluable resource for stakeholders to understand and address the burgeoning student housing crisis. It is hoped that these insights will spur meaningful dialogue and prompt actionable solutions to ensure equitable access to higher education.
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