“It’s completely ruined my excitement to start university” — Why The Student Housing Crisis Could Be Even Worse This Year

Reports suggest that Unite Properties are already 98% full ahead of the new student year.

The cost of living crisis has impacted students in a lot of ways, but one of the most noticeable is the impact on student housing. The steadily rising rent prices across the UK has made student housing 10 times more competitive and more and more students are struggling to secure somewhere to live.

Our housing insecurity report revealed that 31% of students admitted to facing housing insecurity with 46% saying there weren’t suitable options within their budget. 1 in 10 students have also faced homelessness and been forced to find alternative arrangements, from couch surfing to staying in hotels or Airbnbs.

While the student housing crisis has already been impacting students over the last year, it appears that things aren’t set to get any better for the 2023/2024 academic year thanks to new reports that Unite Properties are already full for the year ahead.

Last December, we even discovered that sofa surfing and living miles away from uni had become the norm for many students when we took to the streets in Manchester:

What’s happening with the student housing crisis now?

Unite Properties is a chain of private student accommodation across the UK, providing accommodation blocks for most major UK unis. With 157 properties across the UK, Unite let to over 70,000 students a year who opt to live in purpose-built student accommodation over renting a house.

While many students do choose to move into student houses with private landlords or agencies, Unite Properties are normally a great option for students who want to continue living in halls after their first year.

Unite Properties are for students only, who can choose to reserve a room to live in ahead of the academic year. The properties typically have a reception and security and are a very similar layout to uni halls, but are owned and operated by Unite rather than the uni itself.

The issue is that before the 2023/2024 academic year has even begun, reports are suggesting that Unite’s properties are already 98% full and they expect every room to be fully booked before the end of the summer. While many students do secure their room in Unite’s properties ahead of the new academic year, last year the properties were reportedly only 91% full, giving students who were unsure of their plans for the year ahead a chance to score last-minute accommodation if necessary.

For students that may accept an offer to study at a university last minute, choose to resit their final year, or students who didn’t secure a placement year in time, Unite Properties offers an affordable and easy safety net over renting with a private landlord.

However, with tough competition in the rental market due to rising rental costs, and the proposed renter’s reform bill which could make renting as students a lot harder, more and more students are opting to stay in Unite properties.

The demand is so high that there is simply not enough space in Unite’s properties to house every student who is struggling to find somewhere to live. As a result of this surge in reservations, Unite has increased their rental prices by 7% on average for the academic year ahead only adding further to the problem of students being unable to find somewhere affordable to live.

How is the student housing crisis impacting students?

For students who are already stressed with university deadlines or exams, the student housing crisis is only adding to the mounting pressure.

Bunmi, a student at Birmingham City University studying for an international Master’s degree in Business Administration shared her struggles with us in trying to find somewhere to live which left her second-guessing her decision to choose to study in the UK.

“It was one thing to search endlessly for befitting accommodation, it was another for letting agencies or landlords to accept the offer. I was required to provide a guarantor who earns over £30,000 to secure accommodation in a country where I had no family or relatives. My finances were stretched because I was paying a daily rate for temporary accommodation…I even had to leave my lectures sometimes to attend viewings”

We also asked our Instagram followers if they’d had any struggles with trying to secure student accommodation. One of our followers shared:

“Me and my partner have been looking for a home since May. We currently live in Durham and are faced with the reality that I might have to give up my place at York to study midwifery because we cannot find a place that accepts students, is below £800 a month and is close enough to not cost loads to get to uni on public transport. It’s completely ruined my excitement about starting university and I really feel like giving up.”

Alternatively, one of our followers suggested that Unite may not be telling the truth about their rooms being 98% full already, as there’s always some space available for students who need last-minute accommodation. So, perhaps this could be a scare tactic from them to try and get students to sign a contract to live with them and agree to pay more rent than they would if they were renting with a private landlord.

What advice do students have for other students who are struggling?

Bunmi suggested that international students who are potentially facing housing insecurity this school year should start searching for accommodation before arriving in the UK. Outside of specific university housing websites and Unite’s properties, Rightmove, Zoopla, Openrent and Spareroom can be a good place to start. She also suggested seeing if your university has a group for international students to help you network and find a group to search with.

For students who are struggling, it’s best to talk to your university directly as they may have a dedicated team who can help you to secure somewhere to live or find a place in uni halls. Citizen’s Advice or your uni’s students’ union can also be a good place to look for help and advice when it comes to securing somewhere to live.

Find out more about the student housing crisis and where you can get help as well as our guide on finding somewhere to live.