Kingston students are being hit by rent rises as private landlords increase their charges to cover higher mortgage costs. 

Landlady Katerina Hudspeth said: “Initially I charged maximum £85 per week per room.  Now my largest room is £95 per week. Last year I made a loss of £7000, each flat is mortgaged and the rent covers the mortgage payments.  With renovations and maintenance, I target to break even – this is not always the case.”

Increasing rents are forcing some students to take out more loans to enable them to live in the Kingston area.

Masters Chemistry student Jason Cranfield took out another loan to enable him to pay for the rent on his flat, which he shares with two friends to help cover the cost.

Jason said: “I live too far away to commute. I wouldn’t have to pay rent at home but getting trains all the time would be expensive.”

According to Carringtons estate agents, students’s reactions are ‘very negative’ when they realise how much they will have to pay to rent in the Kingston area.

The University’s Property Management and Development communications officer Deirdre Ferrier said: “The housing market in Kingston has historically been, and remains, expensive and oversubscribed so providing affordable student accommodation is therefore a challenge.”

Many students are choosing to live with family whilst studying, a University Spokesperson explained,   “Given the current financial crisis, it may be that students will seek to save money by studying close to home as a way of reducing their expenditure.”  Often this means students are taking long commutes to get to their lectures.

The high demand for places in halls also makes it difficult for students to live close to university.
The University’s Property Management and Development communications officer Deirdre Ferrier said: “The University recognises that students’ living arrangements are a key aspect of their experience while completing a degree and is actively looking to increase its stock of halls accommodation. This would not only enable us to satisfy the demand for halls places but also allow us to manage the quality of what students are getting for their money as far as accommodation is concerned.”

The university advised students to look at a wide number of properties to make sure they get the best deal.

Kristian Drane, Head of Accommodation said: “We always recommend that students look at a range of accommodation before deciding to rent a property. This enables them to compare facilities and costs to ensure they get value for money.”