Throughout our listening activity we heard many accounts of students living in accommodation that was expensive, run down, not fit for purpose, unsafe, had unfair landlords or management, and sometimes located long distances away from campus as the accommodation closer to work and study was too costly or unavailable.

International students also told us that they were often expected to have a UK-based guarantor or pay up to a year’s worth of rent up-front which they could not reasonably afford, leaving them struggling to find somewhere to live.

Students spoke about the huge impacts this has on their mental and physical health, and their abilities to feel confident and comfortable while studying at Leeds Beckett.

With so many important issues facing students, housing remains a long-term campaign area for us. We are continuing to listen to students’ experiences to identify the priority issues that we can start with to help make Leeds and the surrounding areas a better place to live.