Third of students in Scotland struggling to pay rent, survey suggests

More than a third of students in Scotland are struggling to pay their rent, a survey suggests.

The poll, commissioned by the National Union of Students (NUS), reported 34% of respondents in Scotland had experienced difficulties paying rent in full.

The number is higher than the overall level for the UK at just over a quarter (26%).

Nine out of every 10 (91%) of those who had issues paying rent sought financial support.

The poll found that nearly one in five (19%) students in Scotland have used a food bank, just ahead of the UK average of 17%.

According to the research, 61% of student renters in Scotland required a guarantor to secure their accommodation – two-fifths of which (41%) found either somewhat or very difficult. The levels were similar to those seen elsewhere in the UK.

A total of 3,163 students and apprentices from across the UK were consulted through an online survey for the research.

Of the 649 respondents who were from Scotland, 93% experienced some sort of issue in their accommodation.

More than two-fifths (42%) said they had issues with mould or mildew, 41% said they had problems with heating or cooling and 37% said they had plumbing issues.

Students and apprentices will hold a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday to call for changes to the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

Protesters will push for stronger rent controls and for student accommodation to face the same regulations as the rest of the private sector.

Campaigners also want to make it illegal for landlords to require tenants to have a UK-based guarantor who either owns property or earns over a certain amount of money.

NUS Scotland president Sai Shraddha S Viswanathan said: “Today myself, students and apprentices from across Scotland will be rallying outside the Parliament in Holyrood to ensure that the Scottish Government doesn’t leave us out in the cold.

“The Housing Bill being debated is a strong first step to tackling Scotland’s housing emergency but there are currently loopholes and blind spots which disadvantage students and apprentices and risk undermining the Bill’s effectiveness.”

Ms Viswanathan urged the Scottish Government to “take heed of the harm failing to abolish guarantors or to regulate student accommodation will have”.

She added: “If the Scottish Government wants to demonstrate that they truly care about the wellbeing of students and apprentices, they must listen to our calls and fix student housing.

“When rent and housing costs are so unaffordable that after paying them almost a fifth of students are having to resort to using food banks, there is no excuse for us to be treated as an afterthought.”

Housing Secretary Paul McLennan said: “I am aware of the difficulties some students have faced in accessing suitable accommodation.

“I recently chaired a meeting which brought together universities, local authorities and accommodation providers to discuss supply and affordability, and encourage more collaborative working to resolve these issues. Further meetings will be held in due course.

“The rent control provisions in the Housing Bill, which will provide certainty for all those renting in the private rented sector, do not apply to purpose-built student accommodation, with rental costs in both university-owned student accommodation and private PBSA a matter solely for those organisations.

“However, we would expect institutions to take affordability into account when setting rents.”