Bristol Students Reveal the 'Hellish Experience' of Renting in Bristol
Please see below for a press release following the results of our Housing Report, commissioned by your Student Living Officer, Izzy Rusell.
Students reveal the ‘hellish experience’ of renting in Bristol.
Exploitative landlords, insomnia, and working 20-hour weeks to afford 'horrible' housing: The conditions for students in the most expensive rental city outside of London.
New research by Bristol Students’ Union (Bristol SU) confirms the appalling conditions, lack of availability, and rising costs that Bristol University students face when renting.
The ‘Bristol SU Housing Survey’ was launched on 29 January to gain a deeper insight into the Bristol renting crisis, that around 30,000 students face if renting to attend the University of Bristol. The survey received 570 responses from current students. In 2014-15, similar research by the SU found that 75% of Bristol students had experienced mould and dampness in their accommodation and paid an average monthly rent of £396. Ten years later, only 4% of survey respondents have stated paying below £500 for rent. In 2024, 32% (the largest group) of student survey respondents reported paying between £601 and £700 (without bills) per month – even though housing conditions have not improved and do not reflect the costs. Recent maintenance loan increases have not matched inflation in the UK, so students are struggling more than ever – especially in the most expensive place to rent in Britain outside of London.
This struggle is identified in the report, with 37% of students stating that the cost of their housing has had a ‘significant negative impact’ on their university experience, while 31% state the same regarding their housing conditions. Additionally, 20% of students have had a ‘very negative’ experience with landlords. The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on students across the country, and the cost of privately rented housing in Bristol has increased significantly, as seen in the Bristol Living Rent Commission which found that the average private rent is growing in the city by 12.9% annually. In Bristol SU’s Survey, one student reported working night shifts 20 hours a week, alongside their studies, to be able to afford rent, bills and living costs which severely impacted their health. Another explained that their rent was raised from £600 to £1000 per person per month.
Increasingly, students are having to work longer hours alongside their studies to be able to afford their rent – for housing conditions that don’t reflect the costs due to mould, poor maintenance, landlord negligence, and location. When asked on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being very difficult and 5 being very easy) how the process of finding housing is, the average rating was 1.8 – despite the search for housing being a significant part of the university experience. Those from a low socio-economic background had the lowest average rating for finding housing in Bristol, with that cohort of students responding with an average of 1.61.
The housing search for students can start as early as November, bringing on a multitude of challenges such as not knowing who their housemates will be, not having the finances in place to afford housing for the next academic year, and having to balance the stress of finding housing alongside studies. Further, finding guarantors to secure housing after this search is harder for certain demographics of students. An average rating of 3.8 was found when students were asked, on a scale of 1-5, how they found the process of getting a guarantor for their private rented housing. Home students responded with an average rating of 4.05, whereas International/EU students responded with an average rating of 2.09 and those from a low socio-economic background had an average score of 2.99. A ‘classist and inaccessible’ housing process was highlighted by one student in a subsequent focus group.
Alongside the survey, two focus groups were conducted to provide underrepresented groups with an opportunity to discuss their experiences of housing in Bristol. All students in the focus groups had a negative experience with housing in Bristol. One student in these groups explained that they were unaware of any support for privately rented housing available by the university, another had to call Shelter line as signposted on the University’s website.
The ongoing Renters Reform Bill could have ameliorated the UK’s rental crisis, but currently fails to acknowledge the problems highlighted in this research, and therefore the renting crisis that students face as a whole. Bristol SU looks forward to sharing the results with the University of Bristol, Bristol City Council and the wider Government to show how students are being affected by the rental sector. Please see the Bristol SU Housing Report attached for more information, including recommendations based on this research, and additional insight gained through the two focus groups.
Izzy Russell, Student Living Officer at Bristol SU, commissioned the Housing Survey as part of their My Rent, My Rights campaign.
“This housing research was one of my biggest goals coming into the job – and the results are proof of why. I’ve experienced the awful conditions of student renting, and it's no isolated incident," says Izzy. "It’s disappointing that students continue to pay high prices for bad living conditions and long commutes. Universities, councils, and the Government are detached from the reality of student living, and I commissioned this survey to gather tangible evidence and push for change."
Izzy added: “The University plays a role in the current bed shortage crisis, by continuing to expand student numbers without increasing support. Students fall vulnerable to exploitative landlords and their wellbeing and academic life are detrimentally impacted as a result. Izzy continued: “The national government also hold responsibility – student loans should be raised to reflect rising rent and rent caps should be implemented. As seen in the recent Renters Reform Bill little has been done to support students, and we are in crisis.”
One student responded to an open-ended survey question: “The supply doesn’t meet the demand… Most accommodation in the private sector has problems and should not be let legally but are... The university has also had oversubscription problems in the past and its problems are affecting us now as there’s a lack of housing.”
Another stated: “The condition of student housing is appalling, properties lack maintenance, the majority contain mould which is extremely dangerous. The monthly price that students are paying is not at all reflected in the quality of accommodation. The University of Bristol should offer support in terms of defending the rights of its students to do decent, safe, and affordable housing and not allow landlords to take advantage of its students”.
It was highlighted by a further student that: “The process of securing a rented house is very classist and inaccessible. If you do not have a guarantor, you cannot rent the house. Those from less privileged backgrounds will not have the same opportunity and access to high incomes. Class divides at Uni are very apparent when talking about renting.”
