Affordable student homes 'disappearing' - union

Affordable campus accommodation options are "completely disappearing", according to the University of York Students' Union.

In a new report, it claimed the number of university-owned rooms costing less than £200 per week was set to drop next year from 47% to just 15%, adding that rent had gone up by 45% in five years.

Head of the union, Lewis Parrey, said rent was "one of the biggest issues" for students and called on the university to outline its efforts to keep prices down.

The university - which disputes the SU figure and says accommodation prices have risen by 34% - said it offered a range of accommodation at a "fair and competitive" cost, and had offered to sit down with the union to "talk through the numbers".

The Student Union (SU) report said the average rent students paid for on-campus accommodation had increased from £143.57 in 2021-22 to £209.14 in 2026-27.

It also claimed that while maintenance loans grew by just 1.8% between 2021-22 and 2024-25, the average annual price of a room on-campus increased by 31% over the same period.

According to the website StudentCrowd, York is one of the least affordable cities for private and university rent combined with an average of £237 a week, ranking 63rd out of 80.

However, it is the 11th most affordable among the Russell Group - a 24-strong group of the most prestigious universities in the UK.

Prices on the University of York website show accommodation weekly rent for undergraduates for the next academic year ranges from £149 for a room with a shared bathroom for 40 weeks to £269 for a catered en-suite room for 38 weeks.

The SU has called for more transparency about historic rent increases, how rents are set and how the income is spent - with Parrey alleging some universities were using income from rent to subsidise teaching, as the higher education funding model was "broken" - a claim the University of York has denied.

"I think these are really reasonable asks from a university and I think students deserve that as a bare minimum to be honest," Parrey said.

"They'll claim that they're doing the best they can to keep accommodation rent low. If that's the case, show us."

Among the students struggling with the cost of accommodation is Fabian Fransz.

The 19-year-old, originally from Swanley in Kent, said he paid £157 per week for a bedroom with shared bathroom, with catering included in the cost.

Fransz said the cost took into account a £1,000 bursary he received because he was from a lower-income background.

He said: "Paying so high for what we got is almost unheard of.

"They're pricing us out of the accommodation that we can afford."

While some students move out of university-owned accommodation after their first year and into shared housing in the private rental sector, which is often cheaper, Lou, who uses a wheelchair, said they needed to stay on campus as they need an accessible room.

"My options are fairly small as well, because often disability can go further than just being a wheelchair user," said Lou, who has just finished their second year.

Between first and second year, Lou had to move to a larger room because of changes in their disability.

"So, I was both having a room price increase due to the increase they put on every year, but also because I was moving to a room type that was more expensive."

After an official complaint, Lou's rent was brought down to be in line with their previous room type, with a shorter 40-week contract, but is still more than their maintenance loan.

"I literally would not have been able to afford a 44-week contract," Lou said.

"It often comes down to words like stress, but it's a lot more than that because it's your actual choice of whether you stay in university and your future."

The University of York said disabled students should not pay more for their housing needs, with rent capped at the price of a standard room.

Geena Patel, who has just completed her history and politics degree, moved back into accommodation on campus after a placement year.

In her first year, 2022-23, she paid £170 per week in a newly-built block.

This year, for a similar room type in a much older building, she paid £193 per week and said she had not received "value for money".

A lack of hot water and heating in the winter forced her to shower at the gym.

"If I'm paying £193 a week, I would like to get what I pay for," she said, adding that she had lived with her parents in London during her placement year to save money.

"I basically used up all my savings from my placement year to pay for university accommodation."

The 22-year-old is part of the Student Think Tank Society, which has also studied housing in York.

She said a "lack of cohesion" between the university, private rental providers and local services were causing the "student experience" to change.

"You're no longer socialising and studying, you're spending a lot of time on working to afford rent."

The University of York said it was "understandable" that students would like to know where their money went, and that it shared concerns about the financial challenges students faced, with a range of support, including bursaries and hardship funding, available.

It added that rents included energy bills, wi-fi and contents insurance, and said the rises reflected the increased running, heating and maintenance costs.

Responding to the SU report, Jayne Conboye, the university's assistant director of accommodation, said: "We do not use accommodation fees to fund teaching or make a profit, and any surplus generated is reinvested directly back into maintaining and managing University and partner accommodation.

"While our overall accounts are public, we understand why campaigners want a more detailed breakdown.

"We've shared everything we can, but we track spending on a broader scale and working with third-party partners means there are some details we cannot provide as they are commercially sensitive.

"We've offered to sit down with the campaigners to talk through the numbers - that invitation remains open."

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