Matt Western MP calls on Warwick students to share housing issues

Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western says he is “keen to visit several student homes as soon as possible and see firsthand the condition of student housing” and calls on University of Warwick students to contact him about issues they are experiencing in this regard.

The announcement comes as part of a statement on the MP’s Facebook page: “I sit on the Housing Communities and Local Government Select Committee in Parliament and am extremely keen to hear from the student community on housing issues.

“As a committee, we have looked into many of the problems that you may have faced / face with rogue landlords and lettings agencies but I wish to see these problems first hand.

“Of course, there are many excellent landlords in our towns but it is always the exceptions that give the sector a bad name.

“I have long campaigned for better quality housing in the rented sector and continue to do so in Parliament. Your experiences would be invaluable in helping me, but also you and those that follow you.

“With that in mind, I am keen to visit several student homes as soon as possible and see first-hand the condition of student housing: if you are a student in Leamington, and are unhappy with your student home, please send me a direct message or contact my office at matt. western.mp@parliament.uk.”

The Boar has in the past conducted an investigation into student housing in Leamington Spa: a survey asking Warwick student whether they are unhappy with their accommodation revealed that 30% of respondents do not believe that they are getting their “money’s worth” on the rent they pay.

Reasons for this included a lack of adequate space, instances of mould, rust, breakages, lack of insulation, as well as minimal facilities including no bath, small kitchen space, and not enough refrigerator or freezer space.

I have long campaigned for better quality housing in the rented sector and continue to do so in Parliament. Your experiences would be invaluable in helping me, but also you and those that follow you

– Matt Western MP

Students also faced issues such as inconvenient rent structures. For example, one respondent had five months’ rent due within one month of residing in their house and another said that they had been asked to pay 11 months’ rent upfront at the beginning of their tenancy.

In the same survey, 42 respondents also claimed that they had encountered legal, health, and infrastructural issues with their accommodation, including: seven documented accounts of rats, carbon monoxide leaks, no fire escape, broken bannisters, walls crumbling, legally unsafe sole exits, no individual bedroom door locks, breaches of contracts, alleged deposit scams, missing contract clarifications, and unfair accusations regarding inventory.

Despite complaints mentioned above, 75% students said that they have been overall “satisfied” with their student housing thus far.

Matt Western also told The Boar: “I have long campaigned for better quality housing in the rented sector and continue to do so in Parliament. I sit on the Housing Communities and Local Government Select Committee in Parliament and as a committee, we have investigated many of the problems that students face with rogue landlords and lettings agencies across the country.

“It is now a couple of years since I last visited any student properties, pre-dating my election in 2017, and I am keen to visit several homes as soon as possible in order to see first-hand the current conditions of student housing in Leamington.

“Hearing the experiences from the student community would be invaluable in helping inform me of the sort of changes that need to be brought about by Parliament but I am clearly keen to help more directly those students I meet.

“It’s crucial that student tenants understand their rights and know where to seek help when they experience problems.”