Just one in six university campus rooms are affordable for students

Just 17% of on-campus university rooms in the UK are classed as affordable for students – that’s one in six available rooms, Generation Rent reveals.

It says the research highlights a severe shortage of budget-friendly accommodation.

And universities are accused of ‘raking it in’ as landlords despite claiming to care for their students’ ‘wellbeing’.

The study analysed 49,161 rooms across nine universities: University College London, Birmingham, Leeds, Warwick, Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Queen’s Belfast.

To qualify as ‘affordable’, rooms had to cost 55% or less of the maximum student loan – a widely accepted affordability threshold.

‘University is an exciting time’

The organisation’s chief executive, Ben Twomey, said: “University is an exciting time for people, especially young people embarking on the next stage of their lives.

“It should not be a time mired by money problems and difficulties covering the rent, as too many universities claim to look out for their students’ well-being while raking it in as their landlords.”

He added: “Our homes are the foundation from which we build our lives, relationships and aspirations.

“Student accommodation is no different.

“Universities must offer their students enough affordable accommodation so that every person undertaking their degrees and qualifications is able to thrive and to reach their full potential.”

Research looked at university rooms

The research looked at university rooms including those with shared facilities, ensuite rooms, and self-catered and catered offerings.

It didn’t include larger-scale rooms such as studios and family suites.

The National Union of Students (NUS) believes that 35% of rooms should be offered at 55% of the maximum student loan, meaning that UK universities are offering only about half the quantity of affordable on-campus accommodation needed for students.