One in three students have thought about dropping out due to rent costs – survey

David Fell, lead analyst at Hamptons, said: “Most students have seen rents rise faster than inflation, with average prices up 31 per cent over the last five years.

“While these rises partly reflect strong demand in the rental market, student accommodation prices are often inclusive of utility bills, which have risen even faster than rents.

“Large institutional investors are increasingly big players in the student rental market, and have built hundreds of new purpose-built student accommodation schemes over the last decade.

“While these new schemes have pushed up standards and squeezed out some landlords who have let more traditional student digs, they tend to come at a price, commanding rents which can be 50-100 per cent higher.

“This squeeze is set to intensify in May when the Renters’ Rights Act will ban handing over rent upfront or signing a fixed-term contract.

“Landlords will be increasingly wary of letting to anyone without a regular income or a history of renting in the UK, which is often the case for many students.”