"Finding the right accommodation is about more than having a roof over your head. It's about feeling safe, supported and being able to focus on your studies knowing you have a home you can rely on"
- Here! Students
Private landlords operating in the student rental market face growing scrutiny over safety standards, after new research revealed a significant gap between private rentals and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) on both security features and overall resident experience.
A survey of 600 students across the UK, commissioned by Here! Students, a UK-wide provider of student accommodation, found that 75% of PBSA residents said they feel safe in their accommodation, compared with just 56% of those renting privately. Two-thirds of PBSA residents rated their overall experience positively, against 51% for those in private rentals.
The security gap private landlords need to close
The survey identified concrete differences in the physical safety features available to students depending on where they live. PBSA rooms were nearly twice as likely to have a lock on the bedroom door compared to private rentals (59% vs 31%). Secure, lockable windows were present in 48% of PBSA rooms against 30% in private lets, while CCTV coverage stood at 27% versus 12%.
The disparity extended to basic amenities. PBSAs were far more likely to provide essentials such as a desk and chair (58% vs 32%), suggesting that private landlords are falling short not only on security but on the fundamental requirements of student living.
For many students, particularly first-years, moving into rented accommodation represents their first experience of living independently. The gap in provision between PBSA and private rentals, therefore, carries real implications for wellbeing, not just physical safety.
Which student cities are falling furthest behind
The research identified notable regional variation in how safe students feel, with some of the UK's largest student cities recording the weakest results for private rentals specifically.
The three cities where students reported feeling least safe in their accommodation overall were:
Sheffield, where 69% said they felt unsafe
Manchester at 66%
Birmingham at 73%
When the data was filtered to private rentals only, the picture for landlords in certain cities was starker still. Students in private rentals felt least safe in:
Sheffield, where only 44% felt safe
Leeds at 48%
Liverpool at 50%
Oxford ranked as the safest student city overall, with 88% of students saying they felt safe, followed by Liverpool at 80% and Leeds at 78% across all accommodation types. Among private rentals specifically, Nottingham topped the list, with 65% of students reporting they felt safe.
What this means for private landlords
Despite the safety concerns, private renting remains the choice of 36% of students, largely driven by affordability, according to the National Student Accommodation Survey. That means demand for private student lets is unlikely to fall sharply in the near term, but landlords operating without adequate security features risk reputational and regulatory exposure as scrutiny of student housing standards increases.
"Finding the right accommodation is about more than having a roof over your head," said a spokesperson for Here! Students. "It's about feeling safe, supported and being able to focus on your studies knowing you have a home you can rely on. For parents, universities, and policymakers, the data serve as a reminder that high-quality student housing isn't a luxury. It's a vital component for safe and healthy students, which is completely invaluable when navigating new independence and the challenges of settling into university life."
For private landlords with student lets, the research points to a straightforward opportunity: investing in basic security upgrades, bedroom door locks, window restrictors, and CCTV coverage could meaningfully close the gap with PBSA and improve both occupancy and reputation in an increasingly competitive market.
As universities and local authorities pay closer attention to the quality of off-campus housing, landlords who treat student safety as a minimum standard rather than an added extra are likely to find themselves better positioned in the years ahead.
