The average university student has spent £1,621 on unused accommodation due to Covid-19 restrictions, according to a recent Save the Student survey.
This is estimated to be £930,270,890, nearly £1 billion, which has been spent on empty rooms across the UK student population.
University of Sheffield student Jess Knee-Robinson is having to pay £4,000 over a year for a room which she never moved into.
Knee-Robinson is in her fourth year of a French and German degree and was first asked to shield in March 2020 due to having asthma.
“Around June 2020 I realised quite seriously that I wasn’t going to be able to live in my shared accommodation because I would be having to follow different advice to other students”, she said.
“But with rising cases and as some of my household had jobs, and even without having to shield back in September, I still couldn’t have a job and I couldn’t live in a house with other people going out to all these different places.”
Knee-Robinson informed her landlord of her situation but they told her they could not release her from the contract she had signed in December 2019.
“There was nothing I could do. I was feeling really helpless with it”, she said.
“I even said: I’ve been asked to shield by the Council and by NHS England. It’s not just because there’s travel restrictions. Legally, I am not suitable for this contract.”
She said the University supported her to advertise the room for a replacement tenant which, so far, has been unsuccessful.
Staff at the Student Advice Centre read through the clauses in her tenancy agreement but concluded that legally, she could not be released from it.
According to the National Student Accommodation Survey, 43 percent of students had spent three months or less in their university accommodation. Two in five students said they would have chosen their accommodation differently if they knew what would happen this year.
“The Government legislation doesn’t cover anything to do with Covid-19 and housing. My landlord doesn’t have to let me out of the contract and as a result it’s a very sticky situation”, Knee-Robinson explained.
“I’m just really stressed thinking about this four grand that I’m just putting down the drain.”
“I wish there could have been something from the Government, at least for students who are shielding or who can’t be in Sheffield as a result of Covid impacting their safety.”
Holly Ellis, SU Welfare Officer, said: “The amount of money that students are having to spend on empty private student accommodation is appalling and extremely unfair.
“My advice for all students who are unable to use their accommodation is to use the template emails we have created for students and their parents or guardians to send to their MPs and build nationwide support for private rent refunds, which can be accessed on the SU website. We need this to reach as many constituencies around the country as possible, and need as much help as possible help to do it. So far, over 150 letters have been sent to local MPs.
“For students struggling to get financial help, my advice is to apply for the Covid Support Fund for whatever you can. The Covid Support Fund has been helpful for many students and there is still money left, so we strongly encourage those who haven’t already to apply for any Covid induced financial hardship they have experienced, especially after the university received about £260,000 extra from the government’s £50million grant. This could be for technology or connectivity issues, a desk to study at, part time work that has been lost.
“The Student Advice Centre staff are on hand to help with applications, so I also encourage students to get in touch with them if they feel like they need any support with their application or reapplication, as you can apply again even if you were rejected the first time round.”
