Student Accomodation

akg1000

Hi Everyone
I have posted this as I'm not sure if things might be slightly different in the current situation with Covid 19.

To sum up :
My son will be going into his 3rd year of uni in September and is currently on the verge of signing up for private rented accommodation with 5 other students. Under normal circumstances, once the contract has been signed, he and the other students would be liable for the rent for the full 12 month term (with parents acting as guarantors).

So here are my questions :
1. In the event that universities do not open at all for the next academic year, will he still be liable for the rent per the contract as normal? Or are there any mitigations allowed as a result of Covid 19 - ie will he be allowed to nullify the contract if it becomes clear that his uni will not open which means he does not need the accommodation?

2. The contract runs from July 1st to June 30th. If the university delays opening (eg until Jan 2021), can we get a discount or even a full refund of the rent for the portion of the contract that the property remained unoccupied?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks