Students' Union UCL are calling on the UK Government to strengthen students' rights as renters.
On Wednesday 23 October Rachel Lim, our Welfare and Community Officer, will be attending a National Lobby Day at Parliament organised by the National Union of Students.
Together with Students' Unions from across the UK, we will be calling on the Government to ensure students are protected from unfair evictions and that landlords cannot ask for extortionate levels of rent up front.
You can get involved by completing our short survey. By taking part, you will help to strengthen our voice in pushing for change.
By completing the survey, you will be in with a chance of winning one of five £10 one4all vouchers to spend at your favourite stores.
If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, or the topics raised, you can contact the Policy and Research team at [email protected].
What is the Renters' Rights Bill?
Last month the new UK Government brought forward the Renters' Rights Bill to Parliament. The Bill is an updated version of the Renters' Reform Bill that the previous Government first introduced to Parliament in 2023, but which was never passed into law. Labour's Renters' Rights Bill is moving through the parliamentary process and could become law by the summer of 2025.
The Renters' Rights Bill will strengthen protections for tenants, including by outlawing bidding wars, ensuring landlords' can only increase rents in line with 'market rates', and extending the Decent Home Standards to apply to private rentals to help tackle serious health hazards like dampness or mould. The Bill also outlaws Section 21 'no-fault evictions', under which landlords' can evict renters without needing a reason.
Under the current proposals, however, many of these protections will not apply to student renters. Purpose-Built Student Accommodation providers (like Unite, Urbanest and IQ) will be exempt from these changes. Landlords renting to students' in the private rented sector will also continue to be able to evict students ahead of new academic years, as long as they have made their intention to do this clear in advance of students entering the tenancy agreement.
The Bill is an opportunity to strengthen renters' rights and we believe it is crucial students' are included in the strengthened protections other renters will be granted. We also support calls from the National Union of Students', along with housing campaigns and homelessness charities, for the Bill to go further to deliver the protections renters need. In particular, the Bill could better protect renters, including students, who if unable to provide a UK based guarantor are being charged up to 12 months rent upfront to secure accommodation.
Rachel, your Welfare and Community Officer, says:
"Far too many of us have experience of being asked to pay large amounts of money upfront, struggling to find a guarantor, or living in sub-standard conditions with mould and damp. At this point, it almost feels like a ritual to complain with your friends about the frustrating housing situations - and the estate agent troubles - we find ourselves in as we share best practice to stumble out the other end still sane.
It shouldn't be like this.
Your voice and your stories can make a massive difference in the way we push for change in parliament. Through better understanding your experiences and needs, we can make politicians aware of how housing policy impacts our day-to-day lives. We want to use your individual stories to make lasting impact in their decision making.
Our survey only takes five minutes and will help shape how we present our case to your MPs. Let's work together to improve your housing experience whilst studying at UCL!"