Landlords association to go 'head-to-head' with Caroline Flint over student housing

The Residential Landlords Association is planning to go ‘head-to-head’ with housing minister Caroline Flint over the future of student communities in the UK’s university and college cities and towns.

According to the RLA, the Government is looking at proposals to end houses being used for privately-rented student accommodation. Instead they would prefer undergraduates to live in commercially-provided, purpose-built, 'halls of residence-style' blocks.

Lee Dribben, chairman of the Residential Landlords Association, said: "In the process the government would destroy student communities as well as the local economies that provide for them.

“Many business – corner shops, food mini-markets and bars included – would collapse. And students, themselves, would be robbed of one of the most valuable social experiences a young person can have between living at home and the outside world.”

The Residential Landlords Association says it is gathering a dossier of evidence and planning a nationwide landlords’ coalition to fight the Government’s plans.

Caroline Flint believes that areas around the country’s universities and colleges are becoming “studentified” with clusters of student housing – referred to as ‘houses in multiple occupation’ – which are said to create pockets of noise, anti-social behaviour and litter.

Instead, she wants “balanced, sustainable communities”. But the RLA argues: “that’s just not a thought-through strategy.”

Government policy to persuade more young people to take up higher education led to the student population rising from 1.8 million in 1997 to 2.5 million last year – which has put pressure on local housing and public services.

At present a ‘use classes order’ allows a domestic property to be changed to a student let, with certain restrictions, while new legislation lays down higher levels of amenity standards, fire safety, gas and electrical requirements.

Lee Dribben added: “Many of these entail expensive modifications to a property, and if future housing trends are going to squeeze out the typical terraced private student let then a lot of that work will have to be reversed.

“Property values will plummet and investments in those areas will start to look shaky. Meanwhile the local economies that sustain student life will systematically fold up.

“And for what reason? Students usually can’t wait to leave ‘halls of residence’ after their first year and an estimated 75 per cent prefer the independence of sharing a house.

“A large part of the university experience is living away from home for the first time and learning self sufficiency – and that’s what the private rented sector provides.

“But Caroline Flint wants to reduce that provision, take away their freedom, and herd students back into purpose-built barracks.

“For all those reasons she cannot be allowed to succeed.”