Rogue landlords must stop exploiting students, says universities minister
Rogue landlords who provide poor living conditions to students will be censured by the universities minister today as part of a crackdown on ‘squalid’ student housing.
Chris Skidmore will slam private landlords who do not fulfil their responsibilities to tenants amid growing reports of student housing lacking basic amenities such as heating or hot water.
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A study published by the National Union of Students earlier this year revealed 40 per cent of UK students renting from private landlords live with damp and mould on their walls.
In addition, one in five students reported issues with infestations from insects and vermin such as slugs and mice, according to the study.
“While there are many landlords who do take their responsibilities seriously, for too long rogue private landlords have been exploiting vulnerable students by failing to provide even basic standards of living,” said Skidmore.
“Now the time is up for these landlords making a profit from shoddy accommodation.”
Last week the government rolled out new regulations granting students greater powers to take landlords to court if they fail to address serious issues such as mould, damp and safety hazards.
Meanwhile, student housing charity Unipol and campaign group Universities UK have created codes to set standards for practice and conduct.
Skidmore will hail the new regulations as a “milestone” for student renters, and will urge all private landlords renting to students to sign up to the new codes.
The minister will also encourage universities to consider contracting out its accommodation services.
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Minister for housing Heather Wheeler said: “For the last year, we have worked tirelessly to ensure all tenants, including students, have access to a fairer private rented market across the country.
“Now, these changes are set to have a real impact. Students must use these powers to crackdown on poor quality accommodation and opportunistic landlords profiting from tenants’ misery.”