James Maguire, Head of Sales and Business Development, Housing Hand, said: “We’ve not seen a rush like this before. The summer months are always our busiest period for student bookings, as young people arrange their homes for the coming academic year. However, this summer we’ve seen a record number of students leaving things to the very last moment before booking their accommodation. Brexit and Covid have created the perfect storm in terms of delaying decisions around committing to the expense of accommodation for the year ahead.”
As students scramble to find homes ready for the start of term, universities themselves are doing all they can to prepare for an academic year that looks a great deal more normal than the past couple have. Different institutions are taking different measures to keep their staff and students safe, with a number of innovative schemes and incentives in place to ensure that as many young people as possible have been doubled jabbed by the time lectures start.
Terry Mason, Group Operations Director, Housing Hand, concludes: “With the prospect of a more normal academic year finally a reality, students are rushing to find the homes that they need in time for the start of the autumn term. It’s entirely understandable why so many have left it so late, but it certainly adds to the pressure in terms of getting everything done in time for the new academic year.”
