With students across the UK being told by the Government that they should
return home in a travel window, some universities are reminding students
about their obligations to their landlords.
One of them, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) says
that students should return home and travel safely for the winter break.
The travel window is open from 3 to 9 December when students will be using
public transport and leaving their accommodation.
However, in a notice to students, the university is warning them that they
cannot cancel their tenancy agreement for a private flat or house, or hall,
before the official end day.
The university adds that they can only do so with the agreement of their
landlord or hall operator.
In a statement, the University states: “This applies even if they do not
intend returning before the end of the academic year to the accommodation.”
The University adds: “Students do not have a legal right to receive a
rebate when they are not living in the accommodation.”
Students are being reminded that landlords and hall operators may choose to
offer their tenants the option of cancelling a tenancy early, and some may
offer a partial refund for the winter break.
The students at Liverpool John Moores University have also been told that
the university is unaware of any of their official accommodation partners
planning to offer a concession to their student tenants.
Like most universities, LJMU says it will switch to online tuition only
until 18 December.
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon
Thompson, said: “During the first lockdown, it was a controversial issue
that most landlords would not cancel tenancy agreements.
“Student landlords are running a business and most have gone out of their
way to help tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic and we all hope that
students travel home safely and return to their studies in the New Year.”
New student accommodation could be banned
Meanwhile, Glasgow City Council has revealed that it could
ban new student accommodation from being built in parts of the city.
A public consultation is now underway to see whether the number of
purpose-built student accommodation blocks should be limited.
The consultation is also asking about other future developments too.
The council says they want to ensure that parts of Glasgow do not become
saturated with student accommodation and any proposed purpose-built
accommodation will benefit the wider community and its surroundings.
The planned new guidance looks set to restrict any new purpose-built
student accommodation in Yorkhill and South Partick.
The council says that any more student developments in these areas would
‘likely undermine residential amenity.’
