Student Accommodation News (17/8/11)

Here you can find the latest UK student accommodation news headlines for the week ending the 17th August 2011:

Experts Call for Cheaper Student Accommodation

11th August 2011: Property consultancy firm DTZ has called for property developers to vary the type of student accommodation in London they build. There is a current trend to build expensive apartments in central London to be used as accommodation for international students, meaning less wealthy students cannot afford to move in.

DTZ warned that the increase in living costs and the changes to fees for top London universities will alter the type of housing that students in London will be looking for. DTZ analyst Sarah Jones said:

"We believe that developers must acknowledge the changing landscape of higher education, as increased fees are likely to see demand shift towards more affordable accommodation."

With university funding being cut it is thought that the institutions will start to rely more and more on private halls of accommodation to save money and satisfy the growing number of foreign students.

Student Rental Prices Increase

16th August 2011: A new study has revealed that student rental costs have risen sharply throughout the UK. The research, carried out by Accommodation for Students, shows that students starting in September can expect to pay up to 12% more than last year for accommodation in the cities of some of the top universities in the UK.

Students heading to London will face the highest charges, with the average weekly rent topping £108. Compared to the national average of just £67.11 per week, students will need an extra £40 every week just to pay their rent in the Capital. However, the biggest increase in average rent goes to Manchester. New students looking for Manchester student homes in September will be paying 12% more on average than they were last year- an average of £28 extra a month.

Simon Thompson, co-founder and director of Accommodation for Students, revealed that the increases can be put down to "the changing nature of accommodation coming on the market. The trend is for high-spec, better quality student accommodation, and some locations are leading the way in this area". International student accommodation makes up a large proportion of this ‘high-spec' housing.