Ministers Need To Support All Renters Not Just Students

Responding to today’s announcement of an extra £50 million of financial support for students in England including to help them with accommodation costs, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said:

“Whilst we welcome the news of further financial support, it begs the question why student renters are being treated differently to all others.

“Given students are continuing to receive maintenance loans alongside this new funding, Ministers need to explain why the same support is not being provided to  other renters struggling as a result of the pandemic.

“Our figures suggest that seven per cent of private renters have built arrears due to coronavirus whilst the government has admitted that private renters have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 

“The Chancellor needs urgently to develop a package to help tenants pay off arrears built since lockdown measures started last March just as is happening for students. This is the only way that tenants and landlords can sustain tenancies and ensure renters do not face the damaging consequences of their credit scores being severely impacted.” 

Notes

• Details of the research commissioned by the NRLA on the impact of the pandemic on renters can be accessed at: https://www.nrla.org.uk/research/deep-insight/tenant-survey-nov2020.
• The Government’s English Housing Survey Household Resilience Study, Wave 1 June-July 2020 report can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/955337/Household_Resilience_Study_Wave_1_June-July_2020_Report.pdf. Page 2 notes that: “Private renters report being hardest hit by the pandemic.”