Durham University students protest over 'abhorrent' housing

Students have protested at “abhorrent” conditions they have faced for signing up to housing, after hundreds queued outside lettings agents overnight.

Durham University undergraduates camped out for several hours to secure a home for next year, amid claims of rising rents and a lack of available property.

Demands included an end to “over subscription” and more college housing.

The university said it has “reassured” students it will support them “in finding a suitable home”.

A demonstration on Friday lunchtime was held outside the Bill Bryson Library.

Organisers claimed the university had “failed to address” the cost-of-living crisis facing students, which it branded a “ludicrous charade”.

It said the conditions for signing student housing “have been abhorrent”, paired with some rent increasing by 150% and students “being forced” to camp outside estate agents.

Among the placards seen at the protest was one that read “house hunting isn’t my degree” and another said “face truth we need a roof”.

Second year Rachel Lawrence was among those who took part in the demo, organised by Durham University Labour Club, Durham Against Rough Sleeping and Durham Tenants’ Union.

“I am currently living in a house that we are paying £145 a week – originally they tried to put it up to £209 which is ridiculous,” she said.

“My room is mouldy, has damp, so we are here today out to protest trying to show the university, and show the estate agents that we are not having it.”

One of those who queued up overnight was 20-year-old Maddie Turner, a second year psychology student, from Winchester, Hampshire.

Several days ago she joined a queue at 02:00 BST in a bid to secure a home for her third year.

“I heard with the prices increasing this year that was just sort of what you had to do,” she said.

“I do think that the university are letting in too many students, but I think the bigger issue is with the landlords.

“They know that students need this accommodation in certain areas and they have this captive audience.”

Jake Roberts, 20, a second year English literature student from Halifax, West Yorkshire, receives a grant.

He told BBC Newsbeat’s cost-of-living reporter, Sam Gruet, that he and his housemates were moving out of their property because the rent was rising.

“It’s already at the top of what we can afford – we are still worried about how we are going to pay for it next year,” he said.

“I have got a job on the side, I don’t know if that’s going to cover it and if you are paying almost all of your weekly budget into your rent, or for your bills, you are not going to be able to get the same experience as someone who has got that kind of money.”

Durham University said it was offering financial support to help students but it could not “exert control” over the private rental market.

It also blamed having to take in more students after grade boundaries were changed during Covid.

“We have seen some deplorable behaviour by letting agents and landlords in Durham, putting up prices above inflation and releasing properties much earlier than usual,” a spokesperson said.

“Like many other UK universities we were obliged by the late change in A-level grade boundaries to take in a larger than usual student cohort in 2021. We reduced our intake this academic year.”

One city centre lettings agent, Harringtons told the BBC that it and all other agents in Durham “are perplexed” as to why this year’s students had been sleeping on the streets overnight.

“No agent would ask, or expect, anyone to do this, we have families ourselves, therefore it is totally out of our control if students choose to do this,” a spokesperson said.

It added that staff were “dismayed at the scenes they witnessed” when they turned up to work at 06:30 BST, thinking they were “giving themselves a head start” to the day.

It said all enquires received at its office over the last few weeks were informed that houses and application forms were online, and advised people not to come to its office.

A spokesperson added it would prefer that all agents released their houses in January, but “due to the vast number” of student enquiries from the start of October, agents “have been pushed” to release properties much sooner.

“Yes, rents have risen this year as with everything in the current climate,” it added.

“The majority of our properties are ‘bills included’ so we are sure you can appreciate rents must increase to cover the increase in gas/electric prices which are affecting everyone countrywide as well as a big increase in mortgage interest rates.”

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