‘Student Ghettos’ debate

The British Property Federation (BPF) has criticised government plans to stop the ‘studentification’ of university towns. Ministers recently announced a review of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs), which would introduce measures hindering students from renting family homes.

The BPF believes this goes against government policies to support communities and might impact on the wider market, potentially damaging a wide cross-section of the population relying on the private rented sector for affordable accommodation. The government aims to prevent the ghost-town effect in university towns during n student vacations.

Ian Fletcher, director of residential policy at the federation, said: "The private rented sector has enabled successive governments to rapidly expand Higher Education numbers. It's provided places for students to live, making the private rental landlord the hero of the government's policy, not the villain.

He continues: “There's been little other public funding or government policy to provide student accommodation. This support has predominantly come from the private sector, giving kids who might otherwise not have got the opportunity to go to university the chance to, through affordable rented housing. Clearly, 'studentification' is an issue in some areas, but the private rented sector provides far more than student accommodation and any interventions need to be balanced against the impact they could have across the wider sector. Many people are choosing to live in rented accommodation, and for many more it is the only choice they have."