"This is a sector built around predictability and the Renters’ Rights Bill rips that up."
- Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson, CEO of Alto
The UK Government’s Renters’ Rights Bill is set to scrap fixed-term tenancies and replace them with open-ended, rolling contracts which, according to research conducted by property software provider Alto, could negatively impact the student housing market.
Of those surveyed (250), 20% of letting agents said landlords are already pulling out the student market, and a further 10% are actively reconsidering. In the last twelve months, 10% of agents have advised their clients to ditch student lets altogether.
Open-ended, rolling contracts could unintentionally lead to rent increases as landlords look to recover income lost to summer voids; 18% of landlords are concerned about summer voids.
15% of landlords said admin and advertising workloads are rising fast, 12% said academic cycles no longer align with tenancies, and 11% believe it’s getting harder to re-let properties during off-peak months.
“This is a sector built around predictability and the Renters’ Rights Bill rips that up. It’s not just landlords who lose. If student lets become unworkable, people will have fewer affordable options and more uncertainty around their housing.
“We’re hearing the same thing from estate agents again and again: they want to support students and their clients, but they need a system that actually works. Without fixed-term tenancies, that balance is breaking. Removing fixed terms risks fewer housing options and rising prices – neither of which help students,” said Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson, CEO of Alto.
