Rent crisis: the university student housing system is broken

[@Channel4News]

Good news - Angus finally found a house. If you have a story about renting you’d like to share, please contact us at [e-mail] You can also watch the first episode in this series on renting here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKOXYmiepseBfa8 And stay tuned for the next episode coming soon.

[@alexandermills9965]

When I was at Uni I lived in a house with 10 people but it was only a 4 bedroom house. This is how bad it's gotten.

[@alexandermills9965]

And p0eople wonder why students are having to get a part or full time job whilst doing full time education, Let alone people turning to drug dealing and/or prostitution. We need the money at the end of the day just to get by.

[@truth.speaker]

​@@alexandermills9965if you disagree, reach into your pocket and directly hand money to a student Be the change you want to see

[@TranquiloTrev]

There used to be laws against rented property being in this condition. I used to enforce them and make sure repairs were done. By the 1990's rented property in this condition weren't seen any more in Brixton, in Lambeth. This is Tory government trying to take us back to the times of Charles Dickens.

[@VILL4IN-v6e]

Yes because most of them are landlords themselves.

[@TranquiloTrev]

@@VILL4IN-v6e You're probably right.

[@thebeesnuts777]

Also I would like to add being a tradesman who has worked within social housing, I can confirm the problems especially in UK is that those properties are houses converted into single room let's, now imagine, the width of the houses are a length of a car, imagine 5 people live in one house , and living next door would be a family who have grown adults all with a vehicle each,. Do you see what I'm getting at, yes no parking available for people to come and fix property Landlords are ruthless, they want profits for themselves and a quick return on their investment, regardless of the detrimental effects on the future generations Basically majority have got buy to let mortgages, because of good credit and then dictate to people how brilliant they are

[@jimthompson9370]

None of you know what you’re talking about.

[@francescapowell1538]

Agreed.

[@Titaniapopo]

This should be blamed on the university as well. They have the land to build proper student accommodation on campus. They extort so much money from students , they have a responsibility as well. I studied in a good university in India, we had great student accommodation on campus and it was heavily subsidised. It’s not too much to ask for proper accommodation on campus.

[@anuragchakraborty8766]

What about poverty in India?

[@SUJAMUK]

@@anuragchakraborty8766 yes Mr Chakraborty. Don't you know students in India living in hostels sleeping on pavements, go out in the morning to pick up free food. Just because you are living in UK you don't have to justify UK's problems and demean India. People there are giving the facts. I can't get my head around to see what has poverty of India got to do with the problems students facing in UK. if you are so rich, may be you can give shelter to some of these students. Honestly, students in England talking about accommodation problem, you are saying what about poverty in India. Doesn't make sense. If you see the people of india suffering, will that make you happy. I guess, it's not long that you have emigrated to UK, paying huge amount of money and so trying to justify.

[@anuragchakraborty8766]

@@SUJAMUK 1 Billion Indians are currently living in abject poverty. Just think about that for a second.

[@cinemarxism]

The universities and councils are as much in thrall to property developers as anyone, so most new student blocks you see are astronomically expensive and catering to a specific kind of student.

[@karakurikonnect9572]

A dumpster fire such as India cannot be compared to the UK.

[@subicshathayaparan5131]

Thank you for listening to my story!!

[@atz00m7]

ily bestieeeee

[@Channel4News]

Thank you for sharing it with us, Subicsha!

[@subicshathayaparan5131]

@@atz00m7luv ya ❤

[@wendykendall5017]

Best wishes with your studies, Subicsha!

[@wolf-gang]

Best wishes for your studies and the future!

[@alexgregory5583]

In York, I paid £81 a week for a room in 2016. By the time I left, in 2019, I was paying £120. In the same time, the University has built two new colleges and increased the student population by around 20%. There were already too few houses, so the problem is just compounding now.

[@ifihadfriends437]

Now it'd probably be closer to £200/week.

[@DavidHalverson]

student tent encampments on the playing fields that surround the campuses should be set up for students without housing.

[@joshdawson5850]

York City Council block developments like crazy. Hopefully Labour next year do planning reform as soon as they get in to crush the NIMBY’s

[@paulgibbons2320]

University is about training people to pay rent and live in debt. That's the key thing they want you to learn.

[@nathanschumer9412]

I am currently at Uni, however, I decided to stay at home. I do feel like I am missing out on the "Uni experience" a bit by not moving out, but after speaking with students who did, most of them are in a constant struggle between housing issues, little space, faults, and even when working part-time, living in their overdrafts which I have avoided so I think future me will be glad I stayed at home.

[@dezzy7856]

Yeah, tbh it was something I wanted to do as well, but I didn't have that option considering the uni I went to. Future you will defo be happy, make sure you use extra funds to invest in yourself and your future

[@lightless]

Trust me you are not missing out on anything. I live with 3 others and they are either working or in the house in their bedrooms.

[@emze563]

not missing out on anything, nothing better than coming home to a warm house with freshly cooked meals and bills paid. getting blind drunk every evening and sharing a filthy kitchen that everyone refuses to clean is the only thing you're missing out on

[@chickenmadness1732]

It's only fun in first year when you live on campus. After that when you have to go private it's miserable. You're not missing out.

[@sweetycamy]

You're smart.

[@atz00m7]

this country is honestly an embarassing shambles like uni life is so horrible if ur not filthy rich or if you don't have daddy's and mommy's money if I quit my job I can't afford ANYTHING not even food like we are just teenagers this is so unfair

[@zuzanazuscinova5209]

Yep. It all comes down to having rich parents.

[@tariqbahoussain1442]

It comes down to actually go look for a full time job. Can’t use student loans to cover rent

[@Peacefulnessxxx]

@@SijuMarkose well what about the slums and villages that are the same they were 1k years ago how is that even justified?

[@Peacefulnessxxx]

@@SijuMarkose while I agree then why is there a space programs or nuclear ones apart from energy in India while social housing would be more useful with public hospitals for all and little pensions for the poorest?

[@Peacefulnessxxx]

@@SijuMarkose fair

[@victoriamery9631]

My housemates and I have stayed in the same house for our second and final year because it was one of the cheaper ones, it still went up 300 pounds per person with no improvement on the actual infrastructure. If anything it's got worse: we've had rats for months, mould that is making us ill and not even the front door opens when it's cold. The landlord doesn't care one bit, but only because he can get away with it. The government needs to improve renter's rights, not just for students, but for everyone.

[@systemsouth]

Tell em Victoria!!

[@fishgodeep204]

Why would I as a landlord make the house nice when u ruin it lol 😆 🙃 😂

[@Channel4News]

Hi Victoria - it's Fran one of the producers for this film here, thank you for sharing your experience. Would you be interested for sending some more info to us at [e-mail]? Thanks

[@victoriamery9631]

@@fishgodeep204 why rent your house if you're not gonna keep it in living conditions?

[@fishgodeep204]

@@victoriamery9631 it was before we rent it out, and they ruin it people would no rent an old mouldy house woukd rhey when they view it they would not take it tenants do it not the landlord we give it nice you give it back ruined fact I don't care your paying for me to get a free house at the end of it

[@Tazza81]

I really feel for the young people today. It's exactly the same over here in Australia. 21 years ago when I was at Uni I lived in a student share house which was $67 a week per room (£35). There were a total of 4 of us living there with a large backyard and pool. Found out the other day that the same place now costs students $250 a week per room and the swimming pool has been filled in.

[@DrJams]

The young wanted mass migration so this is the effects they caused

[@blu7878]

How sad. I relate to the girl in York University so much. Both my parents are immigrants. I got accepted in the top art uni in london. I decided to move there even though I knew it would be extremely tough. My dad and sister helped me move 3 suitcases with all my belongings to a dodgy apartment I found an hour away from campus. It ended up being so horrible and unaffordable that I dropped out a week after and moved back home. It was the most stressful experience of my life so far and really heartbreaking. I loved the course I was studying and it was a dream come true that I was able to study there. I'm on a gap year now and I'll be applying for a uni close to home this year so I can stay with my parents whilst I study. That's what you have to do when you're financially struggling. I feel their struggle and pain.

[@Rumade]

Art school is the hardest if you're not rich. I studied ceramics at Central St Martins, graduated 2013. The majority of people who got a 1st class degree in my class were working from a private studio rather than the uni studio. Many were mature students and had spouses who had very good jobs, or they had bought a house in London in 1985 so had little housing cost. My flat in Kentish Town was £250 a week and when I left they put it up to £300 a week.

[@blu7878]

@Rumade it really is difficult. The things you mentioned are insane and that was 2010s. Imagine now... I got in ual at London College of Communication, and it was the most amazing thing that happened to me. I have friends who also got in St Martins and also dropped out because it was too expensive. We'll probably remember it for the rest of our lives that we had to drop out after a week because we're poor. It's not the end of the world, but for 18 yr old artists, being accepted at one of the best art schools in Europe is such an accomplishment. It's tough

[@AdvocateOfJamaica]

When one door closes, another one is opened. Have faith and don't give up--you will make it.

[@daisymoon4004]

So many universities are over subscribing students to courses while not having enough accommodation to support them. I’ve worked at two universities and in the last two years, they’ve had to make deals to provide accommodation that is in a completely different city or town, then arranging for a daily shuttle to the actual campus - which for some unis has been over an hour’s ride 1 way. In my city, all they do is build student accommodation, and yet even with the over abundance, they’re still charging over £200 a week!! It’s impossible to be a student right now.

[@truth.speaker]

GUYS!!! WE ARE HERE TO LANDLORD BASH! STOP BLAMING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY MAKING THE CHOICES, FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR OWN DECISIONS ITS ALL SOMEONE ELSES FAULT. STOP BLAMING ME WHEN MY BAD CHOICES AFFECT ME NEGATIVELY! People should be able to randomly turn up in a city and live there for 9 months. If there aren't enough homes for tens of thousands of students who just randomly turn up then the city is to blame. There should be investors with empty homes, rows upon rows of empty homes, ready and waiting to be cheaply rented by people who will soon move out and contribute nothing within a few years I refuse to commute from cheaper areas or consider that maybe I should not move to areas where there's no availability

[@lq3552]

@@truth.speaker 🤨 didn't know landlords have bots now

[@lq3552]

I feel so lucky that I decided to study in a smaller town, bigger cities seem quite awful

[@truth.speaker]

@@lq3552 like I say, there should be rows upon rows of high quality city center houses sat empty for me and my friends so we can study (and party) then leave and contribute nothing to the local area. The locals should all accept this and not try to actually live in those houses. The locals can go live in the difficult to commute areas of the city. After all, I need the good areas and I think I deserve it more If there is a shortage, I know who to blame. Not me for choosing to live where other people already want to live. Not the Uni for oversubscribing students. No. I know I need to blame the people who actually do the very thing I want them to do. I blame the landlords who actually put in the work and effort to obtain local houses for me. It's their fault there's nothing available. It's not the fact that lots of people just want to live there. It's the fault of landlords And you honestly don't see the fault in that reasoning?

[@lq3552]

@@truth.speaker How's that boot taste bro? more salt on that leather?

[@metalfortanks]

Would like to point out that many students do not receive maximum maintenance loan and also do not have financial assistance from parents. I do not get the maximum loan and my parents cannot afford to financially support me. My student finance leaves me with a -£6 deficit every month, that's without accounting for food, bus tickets, emergencies, medicine costs, and any form of social life. I've had to work about 20 hours per week on top of my degree to stay afloat and not go into additional debt and be able to save a little money in case of an emergency. Students also aren't usually eligible for benefits, either, I looked into it and the only way I could receive any grants or benefits from the University or government is if I get pregnant.

[@kathyg8535]

My daughter is at Royal Holloway and no 2nd & 3rd year students are allowed on-campus accommodation. British universities are taking more & more students without providing enough accommodation. All students should be allowed to live on-campus for the duration of their studies like I did in the 1980s

[@arianalovelace1133]

International students

[@karakurikonnect9572]

Universities are a business first and an educational institute second.

[@alelectric2767]

@@karakurikonnect9572 They are now yes

[@benlawrence309]

The lack of student housing can be contributed to many factors. Firstly, University's taking on far too many students without future proofing student services. Secondly, City Councils not approving more high-density student housing. And lastly, a lack of government initiative to regulate student housing quality and affordability in the private sector. I lived in Southampton during my university years, and I don't remember housing ever being a big issue.

[@antlerman7644]

I go to uni in Bangor. If it wasn't for my dad being an electrical engineer and knowing how housing companies work I'd be boned, my house this year has been a nightmare from day 1, if it wasn't for the fuss I kicked up it wouldn't of been sorted. Housing quality is poor here, rents sky rocketed and many houses are old, neglected and in poor quality. Many landlords from England who hardly visit. Halls is extortionate but well managed. It's crazy how companies can get away with it. We have almost 0 protection. I'm lucky who have well educated supported family. The UK really is in a state.

[@masseffect8294]

Lived in Bangor for a while, you're spot on about the housing situation there mate.

[@dambrooks7578]

I went to UEL and was subject to the private rented property market, while I was in Goodmayes the house was at least sound, but when I moved to East Ham the houses progressively got worse, yet that was twenty years ago and this problem still exists 9 to a house 🏡 😡

[@teddypicker8799]

There should be a limit on how many houses you can own. Land "lords" have put house prices through the roof and more often than not don't even do their job

[@DJLalr]

Mate, you got that right...there should be a limit but then we wont have a place to rent if everyone owns their home and nobody is renting out houses...but Land Lords have finally realized that everyone should own their homes and have started selling their rental houses so that everyone can own their homes - finally after all this while...and we can thank the former Chancellor George Osborne who brought in Section 24 Tax for small landlords (who own only 1 or 2 rental homes) who make up a huge portion of the rental market...now, this Tax means Landlords - (i mean the small guys with 1 or 2 homes)are being taxed on their mortgage loans....every business would normally take off the loan as a cost of doing business (after all the Banks are making the profit and should be paying the tax) but the small landlords are forced to pay taxes on their loans...this has increased the cost to the little guy who then started selling up their homes - 265, 000 homes have been sold and no longer available for rental and more are leaving the rental market....which is brilliant because people should only own 1 home and not be greedy....so now more people can own their homes while the supply of rental homes go down....that means less places available for rent - precisely what George Osborne wanted and the Goverment has been drastically increasing rental regulations that means the little guy is not able to keep up and is forced to sell - thats what we want---> a limit on how many houses you can own...surely the Government has Taxed the sh!t out of small landlords and regulated them out if existence ..but the Large Corporate landlords are having a field day with rents - the little guys are out of the rental market, so big boys (the Corporate Lanlords are not Taxed on their loan/mortgages and have favourable regulations and tax breaks) will increase rents as there is limited supply of rental homes as more people are chasing for rental homes.....we can thank the Govt for helping renters out by ensuring there is less supply which is pricing houses through the roof....and grateful that the little guys are leaving the rental market...petition.parliament.uk/petitions/627785

[@ToxCcc]

Landlord can only put up prices if people are willing to pay. Landlords can put prices up to £100,000 a month but no one will pay it. They're charging the maximum people would pay to get a house, because people don't have any other choice. If there was a lot of supply of housing out there, people would have choice. Government won't incentives to build more house because it'll lower existing house prices.

[@teddypicker8799]

@@ToxCcc What causes rent to go up? Housing shortages. What caused housing shortages? Landlords.

[@DJLalr]

@@ToxCcc yes, mate...nobody will pay 100,000 for rent, so true. The only option is to sell rental homes instead of renting it out. The Bank-sters who are causing rents to shoot up -- how ? By increasing interest rates they are forcing people who rent out homes to increase rents. The Govt increase Taxes for people who rent out homes to force rents to go up. The Govt increase regulations on people who rent out homes and heavily fine them (Article 4 for HMO) so that the rents will increase. The little guy is selling up - cant handle all this sh!t, and reducing supply of rental homes. We need more supply to bring rents down where landlords are desperately seeking for tenants instead if tenants desperately seeking rental homes. This could be easily done overnight if Govt 1. Scrap Section 24 Tax immediately 2.suspend all regulations 3. Suspend Article 4 HMO Do this temporarily to help increase supply that will drive dont rents drastically...

[@DJLalr]

@@teddypicker8799 Rents go up - why ?1. Interest rates going up drastically 2. Section 24 Tax, 3. Overregulation. 4. Inflation (prices of everything is going up) 5. Council Tax going up. 4. Electric, Gas prices going up. Cause of housing shortage - Why ? Not enough supply... Landlords selling up especially those affected by everything above. Cost of living crisis cos - nobody in power is controlling 1.food prices in supermarkets - imagine 1 litre cooking oil was 90p last year, today its £2.25 2. Electric, gas prices - Energy cartels cashing in on this 3. Diesel/petrol prices - Oil cartels cashing in on this 4. Council Tax - can you believe this in cost of living crisis - councils cashing in on this 5. Interest rates - this the biggest killer especially at the rate they are hiking the rates - the banks cashing in on this 6. Wages have not increased to the same level - interesting init... 7. Water rates - this is about to increase. It is not an isolated rental problem - its all connected. We feel the impact more simply due to knock on effects of all the price hikes above which are forcing many to abandon the rental market thus reducing supply which means pressure for rents to move up. We are being squeezed from every angle possible - people need to realise this.....

[@fiofreddy7201]

I remember being in this situation throughout my whole uni life. It’s not the best, I was in an house in my second year where I’m the rainy season I had slugs coming up the pipping through the bottom of the sink (I had a sink in my room). And this happened to the point where the slugs started to crawl out the cupboard and into my room on my bed🤢 there was over 300 slugs at one point (I’m not exaggerating). The landlord didn’t do anything for weeks until I said I’d call the council. I’d never forget this story, it grossed me out to the max. I was scared to sleep there on some days esp on them days I had exams in uni too😬

[@MbisonBalrog]

When life hands you slugs you make escargot or is that a different species.

[@CheekyCultured]

Many student landlords would make dodgy contracts for innocent students to sign, unaware that they would never get their deposits back as landlords would try to frame previous damages and blame it on current and future tenants! I had to deal with a nasty landlord in my final year of uni who ignored the 24-hour notice, forced her way into the property and tried to gaslight everyone for previous scratches and broken furniture! Wish I knew more about the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, I could've sued her to shut her up!

[@SUJAMUK]

I blame the universities. They can't provide accommodation but keep giving student visas to the foreign students as they pay huge amount of fees which keeps the universities survive and pay the teachers's salaries.

[@nish663]

Landlords are the worst section of the population in society.

[@billygnasher]

Well said and many are MPs landlords as a sideline no wonder no fault evictions keeps getting kicked into the grass, I’ve even found councillors involved in the property game and they are part of the planning process??

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Then time to build council housing again. It's mainly because of Thatcher that the government stopped building new ones. Meanwhile, Japan, Singapore, and Austria never stopped building new government housing alongside private developments.

[@Rumade]

In Japan private rents are surprisingly affordable outside of Tokyo too. I lived in a city with a University called Kochi and rented a dump of a place, but it was thr equivalent of about £250 a month including bills. I had money to eat out, go out drinking, and shop; all on a bartender wage. The same space in the UK would be £500 plus another £150 in bills easily.

[@kristinapaxton9686]

In my 3rd year I lived in a tiny room that only had 50cm sq of walking room in order to only pay £250 with £30 for bills. It was like a broom cupboard but I did for the savings and because I would be doing coursework from 8am-10.30pm on campus.

[@Jonpoo1]

Hang in there homie.

[@zuzanazuscinova5209]

Same. I didn't even have a phone or the internet. Thank god those days are over.

[@dezzy7856]

Mate that is smart cause you only in the house to sleep pretty much then. I'm paying almost 500£ month for all those things and the house was in shambles/ health hazard and they still demanded we pay them despite them voiding the tenancy agreement we left but we brought the court into it

[@nax1807]

this is the type of brains they don't teach you at uni, well done for using your head mate, you pay £9K a year for uni so might as well make the most of their facilities and cheap out on your actual housing which you'll mostly be using for eating and sleeping, In my third year i didn't rent a house for the first semester and used my loan to buy a car and would drive to uni one day a week for practicals during the day, and would sleep in the boiler room during the night and drive back the following morning.

[@summerholiday9224]

I’m a student in Scotland in my final year. I moved out 2 years ago into a 2 bedroom flat with a friend for £1200 a month, we quickly realised it was mould ridden and I mean destroyed all of our furniture and clothes and made us so sick that we couldn’t work. We contacted the landlord who contacted environmental health and he ended our tenancy with 28 days notice. We had to move out 2 days after New Year’s Day this year and we were made homeless in the middle of our exam season. I was couch surfing for months until I moved in with my partner to a private rent for much cheaper, however it’s also mould ridden and has a bug infestation. It feels like we can’t win no matter what happens :(

[@SoniaSGrant]

We need to introduce 35-week lease tenure for student accommodations. The 44 week tenure is not suited for many students whose classes end in April each year. The 44-week tenure means that students are paying for 9 week for accommodations they do not need. Please write your Member of Parliment to help change this trend.

[@Rinas_diary623]

Exams happen in May and June so students would be in an extremely tight spot if contracts were shortened. Also for many students, home isn't safe and so those extra few weeks after exams help with finding summer accommodation too.

[@rory887]

Good to see channel 4 bringing light to this. It's really disgusting that we've arrived at this point.

[@eoghanmorris3136]

In Glasgow its pretty poor with no change in sight - most students are being offloaded to places like Paisley and beyond while the University has expressed that 30miles is a commutable distance (essentially for the base £10k or so). Meanwhile, private accommodations in Glasgow only accommodate for the wealthiest, typically international students, who already pay ridiculous fees and still have enough to buy 55” Oled tv’s and the latest Gucci handbags. Then UofG have the cheek to say there’s nothing to be done while building million pound flashy buildings for students to gaze at with their bank accounts.

[@TH3YGXNE]

A certain communist country is laundering a lot in the UK I’m not surprised this is the new norm

[@mrmrmrcaf7801]

I don't see this as a problem, there are already a lot of students...those who can't afford it, please commute or go to university in your city or nearby.... I used to commute 1-2 hours a day for work and I didn't complain...

[@ascgazz]

The louder the tories scream LEVELLING UP, The louder everybody else’s problems become. The tories have been the last straw for this country. It’s going to take quite some effort to rebuild after the last decade.

[@francescapowell1538]

Sure is, this country is clearly in some serious decline. Not sure if it’s ever gonna get better again to be honest. Can’t see gas and electric ever going back down to the £40 a month I used to pay a few yeasts ago for both.

[@PeacockRhino]

Unfortunately their policies are virtually identical to Labour. Until we vote for a third party (not the Lib Dems) in massive numbers nothing will ever change.

[@ascgazz]

@@PeacockRhino well, it seems you don’t follow politics AT ALL mate, if you can type that in any seriousness. 😂 You’ve been brainwashed. …or you’re trying to brainwash others. Your bullshit won’t wash here unless you can prove it.

[@PeacockRhino]

@@ascgazz Ok fundamentally what is Starmer promising to do differently? All I see are platitudes about building more housing but nothing specific that I think will be deliverable. Neither of the two big parties are the answer.

[@teresarodriguezmoran5784]

Not a student myself but my landlord has increased my rent from £525 to £650 in just three years. A 3 bedroom house and mine is ensuite in Sheffield.

[@squidge125]

We are rapidly heading towards the US situation where low income students have to work 2 jobs and stealth camp in their cars to get through college.

[@JhanduBhai-lc3lp]

Graduation rate in us is 50% lol that too held up because of Indian students if not coz of them it would've been to 40% or 35%

[@nicholasthompson7690]

This is heartbreaking. There needs to be a long term solution.

[@W1NGM4N007]

Take a look at Durham, houses are gone by mid October and have gone up £50 per person per week just this year alone. Most places that were £110/120 3/4 years ago (or cheaper) are pushing £210 a week per person as the new normal.

[@Jonpoo1]

Bet the landlord will take the price of that collapsed ceiling out of their deposit haha. Feel for the girl. I don’t think I ever got the moldy smell out of my clothes from my student flats.

[@simongigney2138]

Something needs to be done about this. My ex's house has a bedroom her son's expected to sleep in where it's been leaking constantly when rains. Swear down it looks like the rooms slowly changing like it down in silent hill when sirens Blaise. It's bleak, an it's A COUNCIL property and their doing nothing. Sticking plaster rubbish

[@chrysalis4126]

Complain to the housing ombudsman.

[@purplemenace8819]

I found a home to rent for my 2020-2021 academic year in November of 2019. After signing the contract and finalising everything, covid and lockdowns were announced soon after and I was now locked into a contract I couldn't break and lived in a house I didn't have to during "distance learning" which was equivalent or less than just watching youtube videos on the topics. Paying 90% of my student finance towards housing for a small room and a house shared with 3 friends, made living needlessly tough, especially during a lockdown. Had there not been a need to scramble for housing so soon before I started my academic year, I would have been able to avoid paying the astronomical price I did for a house I didn't even have to live in. I could have kept my job where I lived previously, I could have kept my support network but instead was forced to move. Not to mention our "nice" student home was right next door to a few drug dealers who repeatedly had sketchy people around, banging on our windows and trying to open our front door at 4am. I feel the mindset of the older generation that students are "spongers" is also part of this problem. The older generation thinks students don't have it as hard as they have in the past so they have to "make it right" by treating students like second-class citizens. I'd love for our country to support education and students, as they are the future however everyone is, and probably always will be too concerned with their own place in life and what they feel they deserve.

[@emm_arr]

Ending FPTP would have prevented Thatcherism and Brexit. The UK would have be a large EU state with affordable housing and a domestic economy that did not need grubby global money for sustainance. Instead we got policies that shafted the young.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Been to Dublin lately ? Last I heard Ireland was EU member state .? Sorry to spoil your little Remainer rant . !! Rentals are f**k all to do with Brexit .

[@emm_arr]

@@2msvalkyrie529 Dublin?

[@danielcrafter9349]

​@@2msvalkyrie529- wtaf does Dublin or anything you've said got to do with *anything at all* Brexiteers: proof the common sense isn't common

[@blank2707]

Honestly these kids shouldn't be going to uni. The student loan interest rates are absolutely ridiculous. "best loan offer you'll get for the rest of your life", ignoring the fact for many they will actually be repaying for the rest of their lives. It's an awful deal, and one that's only met by the promise of a better paying job after you graduate but when you can't even stay at the university you landed in because of BS like this it becomes even more untenable. I don't know what these kids can really do. They can just not go to uni but good luck in a job market that's already full with graduates failing to land anywhere. The system is broken and we just keep pushing people into it expecting it to fix the problem when it's just ruining more lives.

[@tomf4087]

Greedy landlords only interested in money. Allowing landlords to buy as many properties as they want is utterly stupid. Maintaining one house is a fair bit of work. So they get to a point where just impossible to maintain properly. They won't pay for someone to maintain them. Many property management companies are a disgrace too. They take money but will not do their job. Then the landlord thinks its not their responsibility and can blame the management company. Don't forget these houses take a beating off these students so always need repairs. Even more so in these huge old Victorian houses. How do they decide how much to charge? They look at how much other landlords charge, then say to themselves, oh, I can get away with charging a bit more. This is one reason that rents have been going so high. Yes, there is a housing crisis, lack of building homes, but are they taking full advantage of people's desperation. I have seen this type of " make it up as u go along" rent pricing where I live. It's quite a nice area, but I've watched rents DOUBLE in under 7 years. But I've paid attention, and it's not going up every year which is bad enough and rarely happened when I was a younger person renting. I had lived in rentals that didn't rise for years. Here it's every time a house comes up for rent, it's a bit more than the last causing this snowball effect. I don't agreed letting people own 30, 40, or 100 house. The landlords buy up so many of these smaller houses that would be first time buyers house, because it's adding to the problem of younger first buyers not being able too. The landlords are profiting of a massive problem they are part the cause of. Don't get me started on hmo's.

[@tigerlilydaley1134]

I am in York and a single bedroom in a 5 bed shared house with 1 bathroom is now £180 minimum. Let alone how expensive food is in the city, we have no money left after paying rent!

[@stephen9609]

1.6 million needed. 700k available... umm did everyone forget how supply and demand works? If you continuously increase the demand (aka more students) but don't build more units, this is what happens...

[@seanrm]

In a report that seeks to illustrate the crisis students are facing finding affordable accommodation, it might have been a good idea to offer up some actual examples of what people are being asked to pay, and what they get for that money e.g. how much was Sophie's flat? Similarly, chatting to Subicsha she mentions, "179, 181 and 15 pounds left for the entire term" but I have no idea what this actually means, especially when related to an unspecified maintenance loan. Everything here is really rather vague - simply stating that prices are "very expensive" or "extortionate" doesn't really tell us anything.

[@Jane-rc2rk]

For my daughter, her rent of £169 a week for 51 weeks equates to £8619; the maximum she can borrow is £9250, leaving her little more than £12.50 a week for everything else. I have no choice but to support her. She works in the holidays but for her to have a holiday, run a car, abut new clothes … I have to help her out a lot.

[@seanrm]

@@Jane-rc2rk Thanks jane - you explained it clearer than Channel 4 did.

[@Jane-rc2rk]

@@seanrm I think landlords have looked at the loan, divided it by 12 and declared that to be the rent. It is galling to know my daughter is in debt to become a paramedic and is paying someone else’s mortgage…she’s in debt to pay someone else debt; feel like sharp practise.

[@seanrm]

@@Jane-rc2rk There is a real student loan bubble here, if most of the 1.6 million are paying so much borrowed money. That's close on 13 billion quid a year created out of thin air - and most of it just to pay for accommodation. This won't end well.

[@Jane-rc2rk]

@@seanrm no it won’t especially if/when the housing market crashes.

[@johnnyknows692]

It's simple, just agree to whatever price they want and just don't pay. It's going to take them months before they can throw you out. Desperate times need desperate measures. You are welcome.

[@julianaylor4351]

This is what happens when a university doesn't have its own campus space. Why aren't the expensive foreign students fees, being used to build or buy accommodation? Being pocketed by university management. 🙄😠

[@sarahjames927]

Sounds like staying home and doing online course might be the way to go.

[@alelectric2767]

Or learn a trade

[@Stringbean421]

@@alelectric2767 Lol,..learn a trade?? There's nothing left, unless you want to be a plumber and even that area is over saturated. Being a car mechanic these days isn't even worth it because it's all electronic, unless you want to learn how to change wheels and tyres. Artificial Intelligence is also taking many jobs people once did. The only thing left is digital technology in the form of programming.

[@Jane-rc2rk]

The massive increase in numbers of students has and is contributing to the housing crisis. Universities used to provide accommodation… now it’s in the hands of private landlords and rents are taking up so much of student loans that we parents have no option but to help our children to live. I don’t what the answer is…but expanding the uni market isn’t it.

[@jabberjaw84]

The answer is that the students should work for a year (at least) before joining uni. That would give them a financial buffer to protect them from rising rents and also means they don't end up in crazy debt. When I was at uni I would always work in the holidays so that I wouldn't be debt laden or completely broke. People need a more responsible attitude towards uni commitments given the current state of things. I do feel for them though if they're living in unhealthy housing.

[@Jane-rc2rk]

@@jabberjaw84 for my own daughters they both did and do work every holiday…it’s not enough when the rents are so high sadly

[@mattiafrancescobruni8318]

@@jabberjaw84 meh, working people are struggling with full time job (there is social unresting about fair pay as we write) how a student can even stand a chance? With 10% inflation, and all of that? No it's just impossible....but hey if they keep up like this probably there will be less students than ever in just a few years....maybe then the landlords will realize that, after bursting the rent bubble, without demand they are pretty much done

[@jabberjaw84]

@@mattiafrancescobruni8318most of these uni students (featured on the video) previously live at home with their parents and are not paying rent. So working for a year or two before joining uni ensures they have a financial buffer and not end up in a financial mess

[@jabberjaw84]

@@Jane-rc2rk sure but hopefully they're not on national TV crying about it. I wonder about that poor girls family support and the expectations placed on her! It's not healthy. When I was at uni I knew people who did 1 or 2 year gap years before joining to work and self fund their study rather than getting full loans for 3 years etc. Smart idea really.

[@jasondevon481]

This is a problem made by BOTH Labour and Conservative. We need to stop letting so many people in, build more homes and take care of the people already here.

[@emm_arr]

^^Ruaaian. Bleeeve all this account zhitpoztz at you.

[@emm_arr]

@@Cruzeoc101 ^^Same Ruaaian.

[@Cruzeoc101]

@@emm_arr Beep boop must protect Brandon and the war machine run protocol troll bot MR

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Then time to build council housing again. It's because of Thatcher that the government stopped building new ones. Meanwhile, Japan, Singapore, and Austria never stopped building new government housing alongside private developments

[@lexm17]

Labour haven’t be3 in charge for 13 years. The Conservatives own every crisis that has occurred in this country. They’ve funnelled so much money to their wealthy donors and abandoned towns and cities in the process? Immigrants aren’t the problem, they pay more in tax and support the economy

[@fayestevenson7685]

unfortunately this is what happens when this gov and education system puts so much pressure on going to uni and not exploring other routes. we have oversubscribed uni’s, terrible standard of higher education for a completely unreasonable price, all for a degree that is pretty much becoming more and more useless because it’s a norm to have it. it’s honestly a scam and i won’t be jumping to tell my sixth form students to go to uni, but telling them to consider other options too. higher education is a business, nothing more.

[@TessaAvonlea]

Not going to uni doesn't mean you can avoid the problem. Young professionals have exactly the same problem with extortionate housing prices.

[@fayestevenson7685]

@@TessaAvonlea agreed - everything is a sham

[@mahir8126]

Are you American? Because university degrees are crazy expensive only in the US, and probably in Canada, not anywhere else in the world. And university education is very valuable and useful in life usually. Again I have only seen American complaining about university degrees.

[@alexbonenfant6936]

It's like this in Canada as well. 1K a month in many university cities gets you a room in a shared house with 5 other students.

[@minstrelofMir]

i bought a house for between £55-25 a week and £9 a week life insurance,,27 years later the 40k house now worth 200-250k

[@SolidSonicTH]

What's happening to Sophie is inexcusable. The other two -- it's not ideal but I get it, there's a shortfall of housing and demand drives prices to be difficult or unobtainable/unsustainable for the people who need it. But if you've got a place to live that means you're paying the price to dwell there and that money NEEDS to go to making it livable. Once you're in a rental that landlord is responsible for the upkeep and to just brush them along like they don't matter is disgraceful. Business revenue is not profit first, capital second. The money that goes in first covers operational costs of that business and whatever is leftover then becomes profit so there should be no reason someone taking in money to let someone live on their property isn't spending that money to serve their tenant.

[@ip3931]

Nobody ever takes responsibility. I had to suspend studies. Neither the accommodation staff nor the connected university staff helped me. I’m literally penniless and still a victim of ASB here.

[@sadiemoon7182]

This is nothing new, I graduated 2008 and we queued all night for flats and we didn’t even get one. In my second year the only house we could get was completely full of mould and we got broken in to constantly.

[@SatabdiKundu07]

I live in 3rd world country. My university experience was way better than what was shown in video.

[@PS-Straya_M8]

This was exactly the situation in Dunedin NZ for Otago University students. Recent tenancy laws have hopefully changed things! ..

[@fauxamy23]

All those times I have heard the west tell the rest of the world, that we are from a 3rd world country or so, and the truth about them is right here. As an Indian who has studied in India alone, I traveled to places and lived in houses which were built with cement,brick and mortar. These cardboard houses of the 1st world nations which costs in millions at times, shows the reality.

[@mattiafrancescobruni8318]

So sad to see the ugly truth of renting. I have been there both in UK and the Netherlands and I have been treated bad in my life, but never prepared me for the renting wrestling. Letting agent who thinks they are rockstar, price bid like suicidal satanic rituals (why are you asking to pay more? Are you dumb?) and people who treat you like an ATM, you can even be a loan shark as long as you pay no one care. Tenants should unite but instead we do the opposite; bidding for a property should be illegal, and price should be regulated. All of that would imply a fair society, and therefore would probably never be.

[@mattiafrancescobruni8318]

@@giakolou2876 indeed. It's a dire situation in pretty all Northern Europe big city. Boomers took them all, houses and jobs....and left us none. I mean, Tiny house and company like Boxabl exist for a reason...housing has become unaffordable to the Gen after the boomers

[@Hachiko_459]

We’ve experienced the same thing in Manchester. It sucks 😢

[@jongarside7017]

So nothing changed since I lived in student housing in Lancaster 20 years ago

[@MissimoCat]

I’m a masters student at a top 5 uk uni. I hesitated a lot before doing masters, because it’s really expensive and my parents can’t help, but after not being able to find a job with my bachelors, I decided to do a conversion degree in something that is not my big interest, but pays well. Before I got my offer, all flats had already been rented out. As I dont get financial help from my parents, I couldnt afford uni accommodation which required to pay for the whole year in three instalments, and which is 700 pounds per month. Private accommodation was either sold out or in a really poor condition. After 3 months I found a nice flat in my budget (200 pounds cheaper than uni accommodation), but without my uncle who is also an immigrant I would have to borrow money to pay for the whole year in advance. Prices for the next year for a single room are between 160-190 pounds PER WEEK. Fortunately I’m graduating, but I can’t imagine being able to afford to go to uni if I had been born a few years later

[@DavidHalverson]

And now you are entering the working adult life of high rental accommodations in the UK and wages that just don't cover the basics. Hope your career pays well, make sure you request a salary high enough to cover rent, utilities, and food.

[@soundseeker63]

It would be bad enough if these housing woes were restricted to just students, but they aren't! Far from it. There are millions of young working professionals, especially in big cities, who are really struggling to find suitable and affordable accomodation. And as prices are going up everywhere, standards are falling. It is becoming increasingly impossible to just get by in this country. The entire property market in the UK is broken and younger people in particular are getting well and truly shafted. We seem to be rapidly regressing back towards Victorian era living and working conditions, and our useless inept govenment doesn't care.

[@jamescollins6085]

With how much property is worth in student cities, I can't believe they are being neglected like this. Surely that damage will cost a lot more than the repairs would?

[@BellasLife97]

My house has mould so bad its covering the entire wall, they havent done anything about it for months since we first reported in november. Yet they are raising the rent next year by £50 per person per week..... thank god im graduating because I would have to drop out as I can barely afford it as is.

[@dyskelia]

Maybe spend money on better housing for people instead of lavish coronations and state funerals?

[@Christinebanks11]

Just legalize rent withholding until the landlords make repairs . Like they do it my country.

[@dalskiBo]

Laws need to change - stop exploitation of ordinary people. It's become atrocious.

[@billybobkingston5604]

Too many students these days, big bucks for the University's who should build their own housing for them

[@landlord5552]

Here in Åland/Finland some hotels rent for students during low season with good price. Summer time rented for tourists for almost 10x price.

[@sarahring1947]

My daughters at Bristol has just secured a property £800pm PLUS bills signing a 12 month agreement. How is she meant to live on £9500 when her rent alone is more than that!! 😮

[@Yutappy99]

Soon, looking for a place to live in your second and third year will be the first thing to do after getting the key for your first year accommodation.

[@kathyg8535]

Yes! My daughter started at Royal Holloway in September and at the end of October she started to be bombarded with “helpful tips” about finding next year’s private accommodation (2nd/3rd year students not allowed to live on-campus)

[@TessaAvonlea]

It already is

[@fuchan8063]

@@kathyg8535 My daughter is also at RH in her 1st year and we already paid deposit for the place in 2nd year😭 Some of her course mates commute from London.

[@freedomtrail8255]

Shame on our government

[@Cruzeoc101]

Whats the government got to do with it?

[@emm_arr]

@@Cruzeoc101 ^^same Ruzzian

[@Cruzeoc101]

@@emm_arr Beep boop must protect Brandon and the war machine run protocol troll bot MR

[@emm_arr]

@@Cruzeoc101 ^^same Ruzzian

[@Cruzeoc101]

@@emm_arr Beep boop must protect Brandon and the war machine run protocol troll bot MR

[@sextonblake4258]

Of course. How else will rich people get richer on the backs of the poor.

[@joelchee9308]

Universities are rapidly expanding in the UK because it has become a source of revenue for the country and the university .. but mainly the university

[@muckraker7942]

How much does the Home Office take in on student visas, how much does each foreign student put into the economy over and above the school tuition? Lots of these rich foreign parents buy homes for their kids to live in, cars, etc. All crooked money. Local students suffer.

[@mattiafrancescobruni8318]

I would say it's the opposite. Students spend way more on renting, public transportation/fuels, social life than on tax. On average life in the UK would cost a student probably around roughly 15k-20k a year. And bear in mind the average full time salary in the UK after tax is 12k, 1000£ a month, for a full time job. They don't do admission exams or social discrimination for admitting you to the University but life is so hard nowadays on working people that students, unless born with a silver spoon in their mouth, wouldn't even stand a chance. Not long ago I read an article on Fortune about students titled "not even money for food". Life is tough in the early 00...

[@علي-ش7ث8ب]

*The system is rotten like that flat.*

[@sfatlithewise1276]

Yea my ceiling was caved in too when I moved in, I thought I was lucky just to have half a roof at all. Now I wonder exactly when it got so bad that 500 a month was only worth half a roof.

[@kylewalker6737]

There should be social style housing for students provided by the Council most students work full time alongside their full time course to keep up with rents and living costs whilst landlords keep making profits and neglecting their properties.

[@whatsup4807]

😢 I still can vividly remember my rent fee in my uni student time was just $ 60 USD/ month w/o any problem like UK uni kids suffering in SUCH BAD/ DETERIORATING room condition. Plus, NEVER HAD I EVER TO CHECK UP THE STUDENT # VS THE SURROUNDING HOUSE VACANT RATIO, this issue. Obviously, the school also didn't do the latter issue research before EXPENDING MORE STUDENT QUANTITY. Look at them vs myself, I was/ am luckier vs them w/o the problems they have. Should outcry the government to scrutinise those illful condition rent rooms for their future -- student

[@tigading2177]

If third world is the trajectory UK is well on target.

[@longdragon3]

I am from 3rd world but now live in England and I can confirm that the trajectory is well on target to achieve 3rd world status. This is what happens when gifts are squandered away and actions are taken with little thought to future consequences. :)

[@tomjw7499]

i go to uni and housing is so bad in our town students have resorted to living in a vans. and to be honest i'm jealous.

[@victoriawalker7792]

Wouldn't be so bad if they were at least cheap. As it is, it's disgustingly expensive. Used to be student digs were disgusting but cheap.

[@tanjo4]

May be a dumb question, but why can't students just keep renting that same property for the remaining couple years at uni??

[@duck6100]

That's what I did but sometimes flatmates move on and they can't find a replacement, sometimes the landlord wants to stop renting and sometimes the rent goes up too high.

[@tanjo4]

@@duck6100 Makes sense 👍🏼 thanks for the answer :)

[@aditopguy9785]

My university prioritises the university accommodation to the international students. So us home students struggle to find accommodation in the private sector, often at very high prices

[@sagittaire_98]

Are there no prosecutions for the landlords who offer such dangerous accommodations and refuse to do maintenance?

[@goldstarsforall]

Same for Durham.... student accommodation there is horrendous. The city is too small

[@debbieanne7962]

Housing is expensive everywhere. Here in Australia there's no student rentals. They have to queue up like everyone else. Don't think of complaining to the landlord. If they fix up a problem in your property you'll be hit with a huge rent increase or you'll be evicted as a problem tenant and black listed. Students here get no monetary help apart from $60 a week in rent assistance, wholly inadequate. If one is lucky and find a home rents are threw the roof like $800 a week. There's no rent control and increases are often $100s of dollars a week. You can be evicted anytime. That's why so many Australians are living in cars. And you can forget about government public housing. My friend has been on the list for 20 years and will probably have to wait another 10 years to get something. If he doesn't die first

[@Brenda-ny1gw]

6:40 She doesn't have money for her housing but has money for her expensive nails. At least look the part lol

[@rononel8046]

Hole in roof & excessive mould should be reported to the local council. You should also withhold rent, if you've got an email chain & notification that you'll be withholding rent there's plenty of evidence in your favour of they decide to take legal action.

[@888ssss]

when you allow bankers to create money from words like a serpent, expect financial repression.

[@uselessoldman7964]

When the UNiversities build (often via third parties) so many freshers first year accommodation they have to live somewhere for the rest of their course. There are far to many Students in our cities to cope but then they pay on the never never - their loans, whilst the locals are priced out having to pay it with their wages. The UNiversities and the student population is what is out of control and its only going to get worse not better..

[@moichi2957]

Forigners are priority and locals are considered lower class, same here in AU

[@lexm17]

@moichi2957 Sorry immigrants are no better off. The only reason why they’re in hotels is because the gov have neglected all responsibility to process applications correctly. Maybe don’t believe everything u read from right wing media

[@moichi2957]

@@lexm17 I shoul've put it better, I'm talking about forign investers that buy land in bulk and then rent it to tourists and students at higher prices. This create a gap in purchase power for locals and globaly it's the same, ask any Italian. Online booking apps have made things far worse, creating a black market for rentals.

[@HughJason]

Most Oxford colleges, I believe, offer reasonably-priced accommodation for all the time they're there. Just in term-time of course, not in vacs.

[@samrobinson117]

I work at Leeds University. One problem is uni’s treat it like a business. More students more money. Education system pushes kids to go to uni as well instead of apprenticeships etc. Leeds has been ruined by the amount of students here and scummy landlords buying up all the properties and creating student ghettos such as Hyde park/Burley

[@justincarter5167]

Go to every uni city and it's the universities that own most the accommodation. To powerful for Shelter and co to take on, just like housing associations and councils, so we seldom hear anything about that.

[@a.sendoh6434]

In 2001, when I went to uni, I used by student loan as a deposit for a tiny house and rented out the 2nd bed room and living room to other students. I lived on potatoes and rice for 4 years of my studies.

[@gillianfinnerty9460]

and how did you get lending for a mortgage being a student exactly?

[@denzel9086]

I was born in 98' so if you were at uni in 01' you're pretty ancient.

[@ifihadfriends437]

You couldn't do this now. There are almost no properties where £9000 would be enough.

[@theeraphatsunthornwit6266]

That is the worst stairs i have seen in a while

[@susanelliott2287]

Where we live its nearly all student flats, very little for anyone else.

[@JoeeyTheeKangaroo]

The solution is simple. The UK needs to be more focused on trades who actually produce things rather than students who wants to live in an ivory tower. Didn't see any office workers being classed as 'essential' during covid.

[@Tom_Samad]

I just wish more landlords in Britain were more kind and considerate. Don't they understand that they can make a healthy rental income as well as better maintain their properties?! It's not like they have to choose one of the either. Also i would highly encourage students to look into becoming self-employed after they graduate. There's nothing more liberating than being your own boss.

[@DavidHalverson]

For sure, university students should invest with their parents into buying real estate homes and converting them into rental units for students. A group of such students could form a corporation of student housing to get renters from the schools in the area.

[@AA-be9rn]

Not the way to treat the future doctors teachers engineers of the country. Maybe they should float into the UK with a dinghy.

[@lexm17]

You do realise refugees are only in hotels because the Conservatives have refused to take responsibility and process applications properly? They don’t have a lavish lifestyle funded by taxpayers, they barely get anything to live on and can’t work until their application is approved. Blame the tories instead of being racist

[@longdragon3]

Lol

[@chrisyoungdesign1342]

My girlfriend is looking for a place to live in Cambridge and while the properties are in bad condition it is a very competitive area. Sofia's situation with the condition of her house is a dire joke, her house mates should call in the council and if that fails just take the estate agent to court this is not acceptable, surely she and her housemates should be compensated they have the right and while the government has failed here the law would be on here side the SU should be helping students to take landlords and estate agents to court. This is not acceptable to pay high rent and not have a livible accommodation

[@EnriquePerezBarahona]

Um, that mold is dangerous. That can’t be legal. Sophie, honey, that’s not worth it. Come to America.

[@danh5637]

Student housing has always been sketchy af. But if you hate that you can always go onto the regular private market and pay more. That’s the trade off.

[@BendrixMc]

i was lucky in my search for housing while being a student in bristol. but bristol uni are rubbish they have been offering flats over the bridge in wales for their students expecting them to commute