The UK’s largest landlord body has sent letters to more than 20 university unions representing thousands of students in its drive to get students cut out of new renters’ rights.
In correspondence seen by openDemocracy, the NRLA – which is chaired by a student landlord – told one SU that the banning of fixed-term tenancies through the proposed Renters’ Reform Bill could cause "chaos" and damage students’ mental health.
Britain’s National Union of Students (NUS), which represents about 600 student unions across the UK, has condemned the National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA) for trying to create an “underclass of renters”.
“It is wrong that the NRLA is pushing for exemptions for students which would afford them fewer rights than other renters,” said Chloe Field, the NUS’s higher education chief.
“Our research repeatedly shows that the cost of housing is a key driver impacting student mental health so it is disingenuous for the NRLA to imply that the greater protections secured through the bill will bring harm to students.”
The Renters Reform Bill – first announced in 2019 – is set to introduce multiple changes to the private rented sector, including banning section 21 “no fault” evictions, creating a landlord register, and scrapping fixed-term tenancies.
The government also intends to give tenants – including students – the right to move out early.
Field believes the NRLA’s members are motivated by “rent hikes” and want to retain the power to charge students for the summer months when houses are often left empty – something they can only do using fixed-term tenancies.
Kicking students out each year would also give landlords the ability to hike rents without the risk of tenants appealing under a new disputes system.
Two months notice
The NRLA, formed in 2020, is the largest membership of residential landlords in the UK.
Its letter to students’ unions argues that the government should allow student landlords to evict their tenants with two months’ notice at the end of each academic year.
“The NRLA proposes that the government should enable student landlords to repossess a property with two months’ notice where it is required for use by incoming students,” it read. “To ensure students are protected, the earliest point at which a notice could be served would be at the tenth month of a 12-month tenancy agreement.”
ACORN’s national policy officer Anny Cullum backed the reforms, saying students needed protection from “unpleasant renting situations they have to fight to get out of”.
“Students then find themselves locked into rented properties with a number of issues, from disrepair to bullying and harassment, for the entire year of their studies,” she added. “This significantly affects their mental health, wellbeing and education.”
But speaking to openDemocracy, the NRLA defended its position, saying student housing was a special case.
“The government’s plans to make all student tenancies open-ended or ‘periodic’ would only make it harder to find accommodation,” said a spokesperson. “It would mean no landlord could ever guarantee that housing would be available for students at the start of each academic year.
“This is why we have reached out to 22 student unions across the country to find a solution that recognises the unique nature of the student market.”
Tenants’ rights group Generation Rent said there should be no need for students to be treated differently from any other tenant.
“It would be unfair on households who happen to have a member studying to be at a higher risk of eviction than they would if every adult was in full-time work,” said a spokesperson.
