The BCC conducted research into the lack of student accommodation around the UK. They have found that in some cases the lack of student accommodation supplied by universities has left some students sharing the personal living space they had intended to have to themselves.
Students have been forced to share single rooms, arriving at their new home to find they have a room-mate they knew nothing about. The reason for this sudden shortage of student housing is due to the number of people achieving top grades and universities lack of preparation for the volume of students they have offered places to.
The situation has even left some universities, such as Bristol, with the only option to pay for their students to live in hotels for the first few weeks of the academic year while they refurbished 700 rooms. Understandably students feel let down. They have been promised a room for the year and in most cases this deal isn’t being met.
One student was let down by their university and is now having to share their single room with another first year student. They told the BBC, “I wasn’t expecting to have another person to come home to, I was expecting to have my own space and everyone needs their own space. It’s a bit strange, I’m never on my own.”
Conditions are only set to get worse. From the 2015/2016 academic year, the restriction on the number of students universities can offer places to is to be lifted, resulting in possibly even more students being let down by universities around the UK due to the lack of reliable accommodation.
Students will be forced to look for alternative solutions. Private student accommodation is becoming a popular choice for students who are looking for suitable accommodation for the duration of the academic year.
This is good news for student property investors! Acting now and acquiring a rental property for the student market in time for the 2015/2016 academic year will give investors an advantage over universities. Rooms should not go empty with the current accommodation crisis.
Mistoria are student property investment specialists offering a range of investment types, whether you are in search of a HMO or a Buy-to-Let property our investment experts will be able to find something that meets your requirements. For more information on the properties we have available in the North West contact us by calling 0800 500 3015 or email us at info@mistoriagroup.com.