STUDENT ACCOMMODATION SURVEY 2015 Acknowledgements We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the institutions who took part in our online survey and to both UPP and Cass and Claredale for sponsoring the survey. CONTENTS Introduction ......................................2 Key Findings and background .......................3 Methodology . 4 Profile of students polled ...........................5 Students living in the Private Rented Sector ..........7 Satisfaction ratings for shared flats/houses . 8 Rents – in private rented sector .....................9 Areas and rents ..................................10 Students living in Halls of Residence ................11 Satisfaction ratings for Student Halls of Residence....12 Satisfaction ratings by type of provider .............13 Expectations.....................................14 Notes on Data Analysis ...........................18 1 INTRODUCTION With over 6,000 completed responses, this is the largest survey of student housing in London ever conducted. We would like to thank both UPP and Cass and Claredale for their sponsorship. Without their assistance we would not have been able to receive such an excellent response. Student housing is a subject that has attracted press coverage and competing visions of what is necessary to meet student needs. It is a subject of political debate with local authorities, the NUS, the HE sector and private developers debating the way forward to encourage both investment in, and delivery of, appropriate student housing. The Mayor of London has facilitated this debate through the London Academic Forum. The result has been that, in principle, the latest iteration of the London Plan will require private developers to either work in partnership with an HE Institution or deliver an element of their housing at rents affordable to the majority of students. We hope that these survey results will inform the further development and implementation of this policy. There are a number of questions that the survey addresses and one, in particular, which it cannot: » It assesses the overall level of demand for rooms in Purpose Built Student Accommodation. » It addresses the likely level of demand for rooms at different price points, by reference to the budget expectations of students already in London. » It assesses the experience and expectations of students looking for or living in the private rented sector. » It assesses the experience and expectations of students living in Halls of Residence. The survey was directed at students who had already chosen to come to London and not those who were considering whether to do so. Consequently, the question that we could not address was whether a lack of affordable housing was affecting students’ choices about whether to study in the capital or not. Although the survey could not directly answer this question, there are indications that it is a concern. For example, although the majority of students we surveyed were happy with their housing and the support provided to them by their University, by reference to our previous survey in 2012, it appears that dissatisfaction is increasing. The most common student complaints were either about the overall cost of housing or the lack of University rooms available. The HE sector in London generates a regional Gross Value Added (GVA) of over £7.9billion per annum. If students are being discouraged from attending our Universities because of the cost of housing, this is not just a threat to the ambitions of talented young people it is also a threat to the continued prosperity of our capital. 2 KEY FINDINGS AND BACKGROUND A number of statistics are referred to here as background to the survey findings. For details of sources for the numbers of bed-spaces by category of provider and numbers of students by category (1st year undergraduate, taught Masters etc.), please refer to page 18. » Within the survey 70% of students living in shared flats/houses in the private rented sector were paying less than £150 per week in 2014. The overall average rent paid by students (including an estimated £12 per week for utility bills) was £148 per week. The rent paid by students living in the private rented sector is an indication of what students consider to be within their budget. As such, it should help guide decisions on the pricing of affordable accommodation within Halls of Residence. » The survey and other data, shows demand from over 120,000 students for Purpose Built Student Accommodation. » This consists of demand for over 40,000 bed-spaces from students already living in London and demand for 80,000 bed-spaces from students coming to London for the first time. » In total, in January 2015, there were less than 74,000 bed-spaces available in Halls of Residence across London. The majority of these are almost evenly split between private developers (36,000 bed-spaces) and Universities (34,000), with a number of charitable Halls offering an estimated 3,750 bed-spaces. » Universities can only accommodate 34,000 students within their own Halls. As a result, many Universities now rely on nominations agreements with private providers to house students that are coming to London for the first time. However, many students who have not previously lived in London, are still left to find their own housing in the private rented sector. » Within the survey, the average rent paid by students living in Halls of Residence, owned by private providers but with nominations agree- ments with an HEI, was £183 per week. » The average rent paid by students living in direct let Halls of Residence, within the survey, was £233 per week. Of those students in London looking for housing for next year, just 14% budgeted for rents over £200 per week. » Within the survey, the average rent paid by students living in non-catered University Halls of Residence was £162.66. » Although the majority of students remain happy with their housing, both within Halls of Residence and the private rented sector, dissatis- faction is increasing. » The University of London Intercollegiate Halls of Residence and charitable Halls scored highest with regard to satisfaction ratings. 3 METHODOLOGY 21% The aim was to encourage as wide a participation as possible. By collecting mass data it was hoped 8% that this could then be filtered in a variety of ways to uncover the diversity of the student experience in London. The survey was publicised to 7% students through block emails from College Accommodation staff 22% Profile of students polled and directly to students registered on the University of London Housing 5% Services (ULHS) database. It was an online routing survey, designed to only ask students 1% about their direct experience. For example, 2% students living in the private rented sector were 2% 5% not asked about Halls of Residence. The profile of those sampled is not an accurate 4% reflection of the overall student body in London. For 8% example in the survey 73% of students are studying at a 4% College of the University of London. If this was a 3% representative sample then the figure would be closer to 32%. 8% However, with over 1,900 responses from post 92 Universities; we have enough data to explore whether there are significant differences in the needs and experiences of these students, when compared to those students studying at University of London Colleges. Similarly, both overseas and postgraduate students are over-represented in the survey sample. However, with 2,563 responses from UK University College London undergraduates we have sufficient data to examine this demographic. King’s College London The data has been filtered in a number of ways to ensure that bias University of the Arts London emerging from the profile of the students polled has been removed or, at least, mitigated. Queen Mary University of London Information from other sources has also been used in order to further The City University analyse survey responses. For example we have used data provided by London South Bank University Accreditation Network UK (ANUK) and Universities UK (UUK) to assess the number of bed-spaces currently being provided in London in purpose Kingston Universityp built student accommodation. This has then been cross-referenced London School of Economics & Political Science against demand data from the survey, to assess the supply shortfall. St George’s Hospital Medical School Pages 18-19 cover the ways in which we have analysed the data and where we have used alternative sources of information. Courtauld Institute of Art If there are any further questions regarding the methodology used to Goldsmiths College arrive at figures quoted, please contact [email protected] Royal Academy of Music Other UOL Colleges Other non UOL Colleges 4 PROFILE OF STUDENTS POLLED Shared Flat or House Level of study and origin of student 28% of students in the survey were living in a shared flat/house rented from either a landlord 3000 or letting agent. If this was a representative 2500 sample, the figure would be higher than this. Most estimates consider that over 40% of 2000 students rent from private landlords. 1500 Hall of Residence 1000 The majority of students polled (57%) were living in student Halls of Residence. There is less 500 than one bed-space in Halls of Residence for every four full time students in London. This group of students is, therefore, overrepresented in the survey sample. Studio or one bed flat Undergraduate Postgraduate Over 5% of students in the survey were living in either studios or one bed flats (on their own or UK 2,563 508 with a partner). The average rent paid by these students was £204 per week, excluding bills. Overseas 1,527 1,496 This is considerably higher than the average of £136 per week for students living in shared flats/houses. It was unfortunately not clear Type of housing from the questions asked, how many students were living with a partner and how many were living on their own.