New tenancy rules give students more freedom, but landlords warn of higher rents

Students renting from private landlords in England can now leave a tenancy with two months’ notice, giving them more freedom to move or return home during the summer. But landlords say the change could leave properties empty and prompt some to raise rents or leave the student market.

The change came into force in May under the Renters’ Rights Act, which ended fixed-term tenancies for private renters in England. Student tenants now rent on a rolling basis, rather than being tied to a contract for the full academic year. University halls and purpose-built student accommodation are exempt and can still use fixed-term contracts.

Eddie Lever, 20, used the new rules after deciding to leave the University of Exeter following his first year and transfer to the University of York. He had already signed a joint tenancy for the coming year, but gave two months’ notice and stopped paying rent. A friend took his room, allowing his housemates to sign a new agreement.

“If the Renters’ Rights Act wasn’t a thing, I don’t think I would have been able to move universities because I would have been locked into the full [year] contract,” he said. He added that the contract would have made the move unaffordable.

Lewis Wilson, vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, says tenants can also save money by moving home when their course ends instead of paying rent through the summer. He says the act’s wider protections, including limits on evictions without a reason, may give renters more confidence to ask for repairs.

Landlords say the flexibility creates uncertainty about how long tenants will stay and whether homes will be available to let again in the autumn. The act allows landlords to seek possession of a property let to a group of students at the end of the academic year if they plan to rent it to new students, but it does not guarantee that tenants will remain until then.

Chris Norris, chief policy officer at the National Residential Landlords Association, says landlords may raise monthly rents to cover the risk of empty periods. Some, he warns, could sell their properties or stop renting to students, reducing supply and pushing prices up. He says it is too early to know how the new rules will work in practice, and that some landlords are treating this year as a test.

Sue Lawes, who rents three shared houses to students in Norwich, says she has moved the start of tenancies forward from September to August to reduce the chance of homes being empty over the summer. If tenants leave earlier in the year, she says, mortgage payments, council tax and utility standing charges could make it difficult to cover costs.

Lawes says she supports giving tenants greater security, including the ability to leave if repairs are not carried out. But she argues landlords should be allowed to offer student contracts aligned with the academic year. She says higher rents would increase upfront costs for students and the total cost for those who stay over the summer.