Rogue landlords have been warned that they will face action if they rent unfit properties to students in Britain as new regulations have now come into force to give tenants more power.
Universities Minister Chris Skidmore hit out at landlords who he said exploit students who can end encountering poor conditions such as a lack of heating or hot water in the private rented sector.
Indeed, some figures have even suggested that one in five students live in ‘squalor’ and reported mice, slugs, and other vermin infesting their accommodation.
New regulations give students and all renters across the country, the right to take landlords to court where they fail to address serious defects in homes such as mould, damp and safety hazards.
Skidmore said that the regulations are a ‘milestone’ for student renters, helping to raise standards in student accommodation and hold landlords more accountable for their actions and responsibilities.
‘Students’ time at university should be some of the best days of their lives and yet I have heard appalling stories of students living in terrible conditions, which can affect their studies and even their mental health,’ he explained.
‘While there are many landlords who do take their responsibilities seriously, for too long rogue private landlords have been exploiting vulnerable students by failing to provide even basic standards of living,’ he pointed out.
‘Now the time is up for these landlords making a profit from shoddy accommodation. These new regulations make landlords more accountable, helping to improve standards, and students should use their powers to make sure landlords face justice where they’re not fulfilling their responsibilities,’ he added.
Housing Minister Heather Wheeler said that a lot of work has gone into ensuring that all tenants, including students, have access to a fairer private rented market across the country, including cracking down on unnecessary costs through the Tenant Fees Act, extending HMO regulations to offer protections to more tenants than ever before and giving councils the funding they need to tackle rogue landlords.
‘We are determined to make renting of the standard it should be. Now, these changes are set to have a real impact. Students must use these powers to crackdown on poor quality accommodation and opportunistic landlords profiting from tenants’ misery,’ she added.
A survey by the National Union of Students last year found that 40% of students who rented privately lived with damp and mould on their walls. The same survey found that over a third of students said poor living conditions made them feel anxious or depressed.
To make sure that students receive adequate accommodation when renting privately, Unipol and Universities UK have created codes to set standards for practice and conduct, which landlords can sign up to, to make sure standards are met.
Skidmore believes that all private landlords renting properties to students should sign up to these codes to help to ensure they act responsibly, meet standards of practice and have a clear complaints process.
He is also encouraging all universities to consider the social value of contracting out services, such as accommodation, to help make sure the wider community benefits from these decisions. For example, he is working with the University of Northampton to look at ways in which universities can ensure they are embedding social values in their procurement practices.
