Wonkhe reports Renters’ Rights Bill causing “an incoherent mess for students”
Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor from Wonkhe, reports that “The Renters' Rights Bill was supposed to improve rights and protections for renters.” Instead, it seems that Dickinson believes the RRB is providing a housing mess for students, who are becoming increasingly unaware of their rights due to so many changes.
Where does the issue lie?
Changes have been proposed by the government for a new Clause 34 of the Bill which suggests that Purpose-Built Student Accommodation adhering to an approved code would fall outside of RRB regulations as they are not classified as ‘Assured Tenancies.’
The change to the bill would put in place an exemption allowing PBSA providers to continue to lock students in for a year in fixed-term tenancies, with the ability to ask for more than a month’s rent upfront.
Complicated Code system
Jim Dickinson recognises that some people may say this split is “inevitable” but he goes on to further describe how complicated the Code system is for rights within the PBSA system itself.
With multiple codes existing, there are further splits and differing rules for similar accommodation types.
Dickinson says, “There’s the ANUK/Unipol National Code for non-educational providers (private halls). There’s the ANUK/Unipol National Code for educational establishments (some university halls). And there’s the Universities UK (UUK)/GuildHE Code of Practice (also for university-managed accommodation).
“And naturally the codes differ in rights, governance, enforcement, and scrutiny, so student protections can vary significantly depending on which code their provider follows.”
Issues for students
Jim Dickinson says that students are becoming increasingly unaware of what their rights are , with these codes “blurring” the line between ‘university halls’ and ‘private halls,’ as well as the risk of students staying trapped within tenancies and no protection against being asked for more rent upfront.
Dickinson says that if different rules are needed for PBSA-type accommodation, then we need to come together to “agree a single, clear, national framework that covers all types of student housing – public and private – and establishes minimum standards that apply universally… Then we can tell students what their rights are, and how to enforce them.”
