Council plans will increase students’ rent, says Union

New plans to charge student landlords for refuse collection could see the additional costs passed on to students.

Following claims that student housing had become a lucrative business in Leamington, Warwick District councillors recently voted to investigate treating owners of student properties as businesses, thus charging business rates and for refuse collection.

However, Warwick Students’ Union (SU) has said the plans will simply result in landlords putting the rent up.

“This is rather unfair and unkind,” said welfare and campaigns officer Ben Sundell. “Given the average age for a first-time home buyer is now in the late thirties, many young working people now live in shared houses and pay rent to a private landlord.

“Would the council consider charging these landlords in the same way? Of course not – there would be an outcry.”

Warwick District Council refused to comment on the motion, as they are still investigating logistical and legislative issues.

The University told the _Boar_ they are watching this with interest but fail to see how such a scheme would be implemented.

“It is difficult to see how such a scheme could be instituted in such a way that it would not be challenged by landlords or students,” said Peter Dunn, head of communications. “It would be hard to legislate in such a way that could easily identify what constituted a student residence as opposed to any other house of multiple occupancy.”

Dunn added that these charges should not be required for Warwick Accommodation properties, as the University already works “very well” with landlords and students to manage and resolve refuse issues.

Residents often complain piles of rubbish are left outside student houses at the end of the academic year, but Sundell insisted the SU does everything it can to encourage recycling and charitable donations when people move out of their accommodation at the end of the year.

“We are aware that there are problems at the end of the year with the amount of refuse, and that there have been complaints about behaviour,” he said. “We at the Student’s Union do everything we can to encourage students to be respectful in their local area and to participate fully in the community.”

As part of this, the SU will this year launch a new campaign called ‘Love Community’, which aims to promote good relationships with neighbours and provide opportunities for Community Action projects to help make Leamington a better place.