Unfair student accommodation rental payments due to Covid

Mv421

Hi, my son is a student at a University in the Midlands and has been studying from home since mid-Dec due to the pandemic.  He has a private accommodation room secured which he hasn't used since early Dec.  The private halls company have taken around £2,000 (second payment) to cover the period over Christmas and up to April.  However, he is not there and we find it unfair from a business perspective that he has to pay rent payments for a room he is not allowed to use.  I am sure there are lots of students in a similar situation and wondered what options there are for students to address this issue and potentially recover costs.

silvercar

The most obvious answer is that he still has his student loan/ grant and that should be used to pay the rent that he contractually signed up for. Many students have returned to their university accommodation, is this an option? At least then he will feel he is getting something for his money.

Indigo_and_Violet

A few useful links:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/01/students-face-rent-rebate-lottery-as-post-xmas-university-return/
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus-student-accommodation/
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/feb/17/uk-university-students-empty-accommodation

The short answer is that (unlike in Scotland, where a specific law has been passed allowing students to end tenancies early for Covid-related reasons) English students are generally stuck paying full rent, particularly if they have rented from a private provider rather than university-owned accommodation. If you son is experiencing financial hardship as a result (e.g. his uni accommodation contract includes bills which he is now paying for both at home and at uni, or he has lost his part-time job) then he can apply to his uni hardship funds for support. 

I'm sorry there's not a better solution. If it's any consolidation, if rent is being paid from student finance then, considering payback rates, it's likely a reasonable proportion of the rent will end up being a government subsidy rather than a personal loss to him.

sarahcross1973

I have joined this forum for the reason of researching if parents have had any luck with the same matter. I find it unfair that we have to pay the rent on private student accommodation when my daughter has not been there since December as all lessons are  online. Its alot of money to pay where we are receiving no benefit 

samhartwell

I had no luck in getting any kind of rebate for my son in uni halls that he has not been able to use but had to pay in full
Its not really fair is it

Sam

Mv421

No its totally unethical and immoral.  I am disgusted by this.

Spendless

Loads of students in this position and I said this as soon as Boris made his speech in early Jan that Uni students shouldn't go back to their digs. Mine had already returned. A private rental, you've got no chance, it's a business and the Landlord may have a mortgage to pay. If it's Uni halls they might part refund, I've heard of some doing so, but not all.

We pay our son's rent due to him getting the min student loan. Last summer i searched and searched for some guidance on what returning Uni students were to do before we signed up to a year's rental agreement. I found precisely nothing. We live 100 miles from son's Uni with no direct train route, otherwise I'd have told him to commute in on his face to face class days, which only happened between late Sept- Xmas Hols and have been 100% on-line since.

The only thing I can say is presumably the student is still receiving the amount for studying away from home rather than the reduced maintenance loan   rate received if you live at home and maybe has reduced costs whilst there and not paying for bills and food. 

sheramber

If he wasn’t  paying for accommodation he would have to advise the Studeny Loan Company that he was no longer living away from home and he would be reassessed  as living at home , with the corresponding reduction n his student loan.

What does his contract say about ending it early?

 If he did end it what would happen when he was told face to face was recommencing?

Mv421

The issue is about why students have to pay for accommodation they are not even using.  Contract aside, this situation is not as a result of the student but external circumstances out of the control of the student.  Businesses can now claim insurance against loss of business as a result of Covid, so why are student accommodation companies not doing this, but instead forcing students to pay.  I'm going to contact Trading Standards about this.

bluecarlady

Hello, Mv241 I have my own son in the same situation at a University in the South east.  I am going to email the University tomorrow to hopefully get the ball rolling.  Did you know there was such a thing as a "waiver declaration"?  These seem to have not been presented to some students to sign.

bluecarlady

Hello again Mv241 did you make any headway taking to trading standards?