Industry News NRLA Communications Team 14/08/2025

MPs must seize final opportunity to protect access to higher education

As thousands of young people across the country receive their A level results and prepare to take their next steps, a coalition of leading student housing organisations is warning MPs to seize the final opportunity to safeguard the student housing market – and with it, future generations’ access to higher education.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), alongside a coalition including Accommodation for Students, and the Young Group is urging MPs to support a House of Lords amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill when it returns to the House of Commons on 8th September. The change would safeguard the annual letting cycle that underpins the student housing market. 

Under the Government’s current proposals, only student landlords letting out houses with three or more tenants will be able to regain their properties to re-let to the next student cohort in line with the academic year.

One- and two-bed student properties are excluded, despite these homes accounting for around a third of off-street student accommodation. 

Without certainty that they can re-let these homes for the next academic year, landlords are likely to move away from renting to students, reducing supply and limiting choice.

The coalition warns that this would have serious consequences for access to higher education and, consequently, social mobility. Research from Knight Frank shows that almost two-thirds (65%) of first-time applicants say the availability of accommodation influences where they apply to study. 

If the student housing cycle is disrupted, where a student can find a home – rather than where they most want to study – could become the deciding factor in their educational journey. 

Nearly half of students already say that they are concerned about a shortage of suitable housing. 

Peers in the House of Lords have recognised the urgency of the situation, voting in favour of an amendment to cover one- and two-bedroom student properties. The coalition is calling on MPs to back this change when the Bill returns to the Commons and has written to the Housing Minister and Higher Education Minister pressing for action.

Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said:
    
“A level results day should be the start of an exciting new chapter for thousands of young people. But unless MPs act, future students could find their ambitions blocked – not by grades, but by a lack of somewhere to live. 

“Without this change, the Renters’ Rights Bill will make it harder for landlords to offer one- and two-bedroom properties to students.

“This would break the student housing cycle, restrict choice, and risk undermining social mobility by limiting opportunities for students from all backgrounds.

“MPs have a final chance in September to protect the homes that make higher education possible – they must take it.”


-ENDS-
 
Notes:

•    The joint letter to the Housing Minister and the Higher Education Minister has been signed by a coalition of student accommodation providers and portals including the NRLA, Accommodation for Students, and the Young Group. 

•    Whilst the Renters’ Rights Bill allows Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) to continue with fixed term tenancy agreements, this will not include ‘off-street’ student housing. The Government has introduced a new ground for possession (Ground 4A) to enable landlords of qualifying Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) with three or more tenants to secure vacant possession so they can be assured that properties will be available to rent at the start of each year.

•    Amendment 5 would remove the restriction of Ground 4A to accommodation with three or more tenants only. The amendment was agreed by the House of Lords at Report Stage by 221 votes to 196. The transcript from the relevant parliamentary session can be accessed here.

•    The joint letter proposes the following compromise, which would meet the Government’s objective to protect part-time students and those with children, while safeguarding the student housing cycle across the whole market:

That possession Ground 4A be modified to apply to “occupants” rather than “tenants”. This would ensure that the Ground could not be used where one of the occupants is a child or dependent, meeting the Government’s objective to protect families and vulnerable individuals. In addition, students with children would still be protected by measures in the Bill designed to protect those with children from discriminatory practices in the rental market.

Alongside the above change, Ground 4A should then be extended to cover one- and two-bedroom student housing. Part-time students would continue to be protected by the Ground’s existing provisions that it can only apply where all the occupants are full-time students. This would therefore continue to meet the Ministry for Housing, Local Government and Communities’ (MHCLG) ‘student test’.

•    According to the most recent National Student Accommodation Survey, 47% of students are worried about a shortage of housing for them.

•    Data from Knight Frank reports that 65% of those applying to university for the first time said that the availability of accommodation had an influence on their decision on where to apply.

•    According to the Higher Education Statistics Authority, 29.5% of students across the UK live in private rented accommodation that is not in purpose-built blocks or rented out by their higher education provider.

•    Accommodation for Students found that that 32% of all off-street student housing listings are one- and two-bedroom properties.

•    Projections by UCAS indicate that by 2030 there could be 30% more higher education applicants relative to 2022. 

•    Further information about the NRLA can be found at www.nrla.org.uk.  It posts on X @NRLAssociation.

•    The NRLA’s press office can be contacted by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0300 131 6363.

  • #highereducation
  • #studentlandlords
  • #privatelandlords
  • #prs
NRLA Communications Team

NRLA Communications Team

The voice of the NRLA

The Communications Team handles all press-related matters, working with journalists and NRLA representatives, to ensure that the voice of landlords is heard in the media.

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