Proposed government reforms of the private rented sector threaten to make it harder for students to enter higher education, according to a letter signed by the National Residential Landlords Association and education groups.
The letter has been sent to housing and education ministers and takes exception to the proposal in the White Paper on rental reform that all student housing, with the exception of purpose-built blocks, would be subject to open-ended tenancies.
This means landlords will be unable to guarantee that accommodation will be available for the start of each academic year, unless sitting tenants have handed in their notice to leave. As a result, students looking for housing will be unable to plan in advance where they want to live and with whom.