While the Renters' Rights Bill in England aims to improve conditions for renters by introducing stronger safeguards against unfair evictions and banning rent bidding wars, one organisation says that student tenants will lose out.
Generation Rent claims that the bill will leave many students vulnerable and that 300,000 students in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) can be evicted between June and September, disrupting those who work over summer.
Evictions will also affect those who are estranged from family or want to stay post-graduation, it claims.
Students won't see benefits
A spokesperson said: "Students stand to benefit from the tenancy reforms in the same way as private tenants in wider society.
"However, many of those living with other students won't be seeing the benefits of the Bill when it passes."
They add: "The kicker is that the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) wants even more students to be at risk of eviction.
"They've been pushing for this new eviction ground to apply to those in two-student house-shares, as well as those living on their own."
Student properties won't be lost
Generation Rent highlights that the new eviction rule stems from concerns that periodic tenancies could disrupt the student rental market.
It says the fear is that if students remain in their homes after graduating, those properties might be unavailable for new students.
Even if tenants leave later, it says, the property could fall outside the typical student letting cycle and reduce available stock.
The organisation says that data shows only 30% of students want to stay in their rental for another year.
Most students in private rentals live in HMOs, where it's rare for entire households to stay post-graduation, making the loss of properties 'highly unlikely', the organisation said.
No protections for PBSA
The spokesperson said: "Many people want to move during the academic year anyway, meaning there will always be a need for homes mid-year.
"Another group that is set to miss out on new protections is those in student halls.
"Most university-owned halls are already exempt as the students living in them do so with licence agreements, rather than assured shorthold tenancies.
"While universities should be signed up to a national code of practice for how these halls are run, students in them are afforded far less security."
Bill should protect students
However, Generation Rent appears to appreciate the difference for students in PBSA because they 'will be locked into fixed terms'.
And there won't be a restriction on the amount of rent they'll need to pay upfront.
The spokesperson said: "We need to be strengthening the rights of renters and stopping landlords profiting from cold, mouldy homes, not eroding protections.
"The Renters’ Rights Bill recognises this and is set to make things better for many tenants; it should be doing the same for students."
Bill is a shift for landlords
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "The Renters' Rights Bill marks a pivotal shift for student landlords, replacing assured shorthold tenancies with periodic ones and sparking concerns about the student accommodation sector's stability.
"While the bill enhances tenant protections, it introduces challenges for student landlords which Generation Rent doesn't appear to appreciate."
He added: "Periodic tenancies are a double-edged sword, so while tenants gain freedom, landlords risk losing control over their rental cycles.
"That could lead to fewer student properties as landlords sell - which is an issue Generation Rent should be focusing on."
