Student housing: a cautionary tale of one city

Abstract

The provision of student housing since the post-Robbins expansion of higher education has followed no easily discernible policy path. With the post-1992 continued expansion of the sector, many questions are now being asked about student accommodation; not least as to by whom it should be provided and what the tenurial status of its occupants should be. However, central government policy on this issue seems unformulated or, at best, uncoordinated and recent statutory instruments granting exempt landlord status to two commercial providers of student housing give cause for concern. Rather than policy being translated into law, are we now facing a situation where, on an incremental and pragmatic basis, law will determine policy--and that on an issue which touches the lives of an increasing number of this nation's young people?

Keywords:

• Student
• Accommodation
• University
• Landlord
• Housing Association
• Exempt Status