Introduction
Students’ Union UCL represents 40,000 students at University College London. The issues raised in the Renters Reform Bill white paper are of great relevance to our members as an estimated 38% of students live in a privately rented house, flat or room. We know from years of research, consultations and focus groups that many students in the private rental sector are facing a wide range of issues that have huge impacts on their mental and social wellbeing, and this is exacerbated for our students living in an increasingly competitive London rental market. In the context of a wider cost of living crisis, where 92% of students nationally are concerned about their ability to manage financially, the need for legislative change to strengthen the rights of renters has never been more urgent. This response is informed by evidence available to us from prior consultations and focus groups, and consultation with a range of member groups and student officers. We echo policy proposals from the Renters Reform Coalition, of which the National Union of Students’ is a member group, that would ensure the reforms are effective in rebalancing the rights and responsibilities between landlords and renters and ensuring every renter has a safe and secure home.
We strongly support the proposed reforms to the private rented sector outlined in the Renters Reform Bill white paper and stress the crucial importance of the proposed reforms applying to students alongside all other private renters. Nationally, the NUS Homes Fit for Study research found that 40% of students live with damp and mould, 20% with vermin infestations, and 16% with electrical safety hazards. Within UCL we know through focus groups and cases in our advice service that issues with students dealing with unsuitable living conditions are widespread, and many do not know how to where to seek advice and guidance when facing these issues.
Abolishing Section 21 Evictions: response
The proposal to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions would make a crucial difference in protecting tenants from unliveable conditions. As well as giving tenants security in knowing they will not be unfairly evicted from their homes, the reform would give tenants more power in being able to challenge poor and illegal practices without being at risk of eviction. Once Section 21 is abolished, however, the risk of landlords using other methods to attempt to force renters out will greatly increase. For example, landlords might unfairly increase rents to force a tenant to leave. The proposal that rent can only be increased once per year, and that the notice period for any increase will be increased to two months, is important but will not entirely prevent the possibility of rent increases acting as de facto unfair evictions. It is therefore crucial that the government ensures rent increases are not used to force renters out by introducing rent controls, for example by limiting rent increases to the lowest of either inflation or real median income growth.
Case study 1
This case comes from a UCL student who came to our advice service in the past year. They were a tenant on an assured shorthold tenancy agreement in the private rented sector who had no rent arrears or any other issues. They were given a Section 21 notice by their landlord who offered no reason for why they were being asked to leave. The notice turned out to be invalid, but this caused the student significant alarm and confusion due to the uncertainty and ability of the landlord to later serve a valid Section 21 notice. The student previously suffered from depression, which was worsened by the situation, and faced been forced to move away from their support networks.
A new decent homes standard: response
The introduction of the Decent Homes Standard would represent a major improvement for student renters. Across England 21% of privately rented homes in England do not meet the Decent Homes Standard and the situation for student renters is no different. In fact, students are often particularly vulnerable as renters due to many not understanding or knowing their legal rights. A recent survey of UCL students found that nearly 2 in 5 (39%) of undergraduate students do not feel confident in their legal rights as a tenant. Over half (52%) had experiences at least 3 different issues in their accommodation, including damaged furniture, leaks, mould, pests and boiler or central heating malfunction. It is crucial that the new standard includes legal requirements for homes to be free from serious health and safety hazards, such as fall risks, fire risks, or carbon monoxide poisoning, that kitchens and bathrooms are adequate, located correctly, not be too old, and that homes have decent noise insulation.
A national register of landlords, which requires evidence that landlords are meeting these minimum standards as a condition of registration and with registration removed from landlords who break the law, is crucial in ensuring that the Decent Homes Standard is effectively enforced. It is also important that adequate funding is made available to local authorities to be able to undertake targeted enforcement work. Local authorities should also closely monitor the fees charged to international students upon arrival; many of our students report having to pay 6 months to a years rent upfront, which not only is a huge financial burden but also means that if there are safety issues with the accommodation there is often little incentive for landlords to sort these issues quickly and efficiently, and international students can feel trapped in unsafe and unsuitable living conditions. The following case study demonstrates the impact that issues with deposits can have on our students.
We also consider it important that the Decent Homes Standard includes provisions for improved energy efficiency standards. As it stands there is little incentive for landlords to invest in improved energy efficiency as it is tenants who pay the bills. A register which helps enforce the Decent Homes Standard would be effective in improving energy efficiency standards and helping achieve the government’s aim to ensure all privately rented homes meet EPC rating C by 2028.
Case Study 2
This case study also comes from a student who came to our advice service in the past year. The student rented twice from the same private landlord who did not hold their deposit in an approved deposit protection scheme and both times withheld their full deposit at the end of the tenancy. The student was faced with needing to make multiple court applications to enforce their rights, potentially incurring costs of application and legal advice.
Right to Rent checks: response
We call on the government to scrap Right to Rent checks, which require private landlords to check the immigration status of tenants. Research by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants found that the Right to Rent scheme ‘has resulted in racial discrimination by landlords based on a tenant’s nationality and ethnicity’, contravening legal requirements under the Equality Act 2010. 51% of landlords stated they are less likely to consider letting to foreign nationals from outside the EU and 42% said they were less likely to let to anyone who does not have a British passport, regardless of their citizenship status. Research by Houserasmus found that 17% of students responding to an Erasmus+ study mobility report perceived discrimination when looking for accommodation, with xenophobia and legal restrictions reported as typical. 37.48% of students at UCL are international students from outside the EU and so this is an important issue for our members.
August 2022