LBSU contributed to the National Union of Students campaign to improve students’ housing experiences, and we’re pleased to announce that we achieved TWO wins!
Recently, Leeds Beckett Students’ Union has contributed to the National Union of Students (NUS) campaign to improve students’ housing experiences, and we’re pleased to announce that we achieved TWO wins!
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Landlords will no longer be able to demand multiple months of rent up front.
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There is a proposed amendment which stops students from being locked into rental contracts more than 6 months in advance.
These changes in law will positively benefit every student across the country. For international students, this means it will be illegal for landlords to demand that you pay several months of rent in exchange for not providing a UK-based guarantor. It also means that students cannot be pressured into signing a house in October for a July 1st move in date, and you can take your time finding the right house for you!
NUS acknowledges they still have a long way to go on their journey to advocate for students’ housing needs, especially when it comes to guarantors. Their ongoing ‘No More Guarantors’ campaign aims to eradicate guarantors all together. Landlords requiring prospective student tenants to provide a guarantor disproportionately impacts international, estranged, care leaver, and low-income students. This limits the suitable housing options for these students, often making their house-hunting and living experience far more stressful.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students relaunched at the end of January, and they discussed the detrimental impact of guarantors on students nationally. Your SU President, Dhruv Dev, attended the meeting in parliament to lobby on behalf of LBU students who have had negative experiences with guarantors, raising your voices at the highest level.