Xiaohongshu
Rents in UCL halls to rise by an average of 3.69%
UCL Accommodation have announced that rents will rise by 3.69% on average across all rooms from 2026/27, with the price of rooms being raised between 2.71% and 4.08%.
We pushed hard for a rent freeze across all UCL accommodation and secured a real terms freeze on 55% of rooms (where any increase is matched to the maintenance loan increase of 2.71%), however 27% of rooms are rising by 3.8%, and 19% by 4.08%. Overall, we’re disappointed with the outcome of this year’s negotiation, and despite some impact – the average cost of accommodation as a percentage of students’ loans keeps going up. It’s unsustainable – the cost of living crisis for students has not ended.
Between 2021-22 and 2025-26 the average UCL rent as a percentage of the maximum maintenance loan increased from 72% to 91%. International students face further challenges in securing affordable accommodation, as they’re not eligible to receive maintenance support.
| Year | UCL Rent (£) | Maintenance Loan (£) | Rent as % of Loan |
| 2021–2022 | £8,948.33 | £12,382 | 72.27% |
| 2022–2023 | £10,037.50 | £12,667 | 79.24% |
| 2023–2024 | £11,443.21 | £13,022 | 87.88% |
| 2024–2025 | £12,656.74 | £13,348 | 94.82% |
| 2025–2026 | £12,502.54 | £13,762 | 90.85% |
Help us tackle this, put students views across to UCL, and ease the huge burden students face with the cost of living. The Leadership Race is happening now and you can make real change happen by representing the student interest at the top of UCL.
Leadership roles include the Welfare & Community Officer (which is full-time paid position) and Accommodation & Housing Officer (which is a voluntary part-time role) - together, they represent the collective interests and needs of students relating to affordable, accessible, and good quality living environments.
Be the 2026-7 Welfare & Community Officer or the Accommodation & Housing Officer, or vote to choose who you want representing your during vote week in March.
There is some good news
UCL has also committed to a significant uplift in the accommodation bursary and announced 572 new affordable rooms at urbanest Canary Wharf.
Whilst we welcome uplifts to the accommodation bursary and the decision to limit rent increases for the majority of UCL’s rooms, we’re disappointed that the vast majority of UCL’s rooms continue to be below the affordable rate, consuming a large share of the maintenance support students receive.
We’ll continue to advocate for UCL to expand its provision of genuinely affordable accommodation. That means freezing or reducing rents to ensure students still have money from their maintenance loan to pay for essentials after paying for accommodation.