Student tenancies face lower end-of-tenancy charges than other renters

Students face lower financial penalties at the end of their tenancies compared to other private renters – though the cleaning bill is higher, research reveals.

Data from Reposit shows that in 2024, the average cost for students was £788, which is much less than the £1,131 paid by tenants in the wider private rented sector (PRS).

The figures also highlight specific differences in charges with damage costs for student properties averaging £472.

That’s lower than the £563 seen in non-student rentals.

However, cleaning fees were higher for students at £283, compared to £220 for other tenants.

Student letting agents

The firm’s head of new business, Gurman Bains, said: “Among student letting agents where tenant turnover is high and cleaning charges are often incurred, deposit alternatives help manage these costs efficiently without complex deposit deductions or delays in returning deposits.

“One of the biggest time drains in traditional deposit schemes is negotiating disputed charges.”

The deposit alternative provider also says that despite lower average costs, 63% of student tenancies resulted in charges, compared to 48% in the broader PRS.

Cleaning was the primary cause, affecting 54% of student lets versus 34% of non-student ones, while damage charges were closer, at 29% for students and 24% for others.