Student accommodation rents static, says state-of-the-sector report

A new report into student accommodation has found that private student rent remains at an average of £100 to £119 a week for the second year running.

The fourth annual What Students Seek report, compiled by Glide Utilities, found that 72 per cent of students pay between £80 and £139 per week. 

University locality creates some variance with 15 per cent of London students paying over £200 a week, and 69 per cent of students in the North East paying less than £90 a week.

Some 45 per cent of students surveyed said their accommodation offers good value for money, but 36 per cent disagree, suggesting that while rents remain static, landlords need to understand students better to attract and retain the best tenants; a growing concern given the continued increase of modern student developments on the market.

The report also shows that on average students live with four other people, with 39 per cent actually sharing with five people or more. However, when asked how many people they’d ideally like to live with, almost half, 48 per cent, indicated they’d like to share with just two or fewer people in their next property.

Some 60 per cent rated having a TV as the least important factor when choosing accommodation. After cost, a fast broadband connection is by far the most important factor for students, followed by good storage space, bills inclusive and double beds.

The majority of students are positive when it comes to the way their property is managed; 57 per cent shared this view but some 23 per cent felt negatively citing a lack of response on maintenance issues, poor upkeep of the property and a lack of communication as major problems.