Glasgow University to increase rents by nearly 10%

The University of Glasgow has proposed a 9.5% rent rise on its student accommodation, a move termed “outrageous” by the institution’s student council.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) put forward an open letter to senior management, encouraging them to pause the proposed increase “to allow time for further meaningful consultation”.

The SRC criticised the university for failing to consult them adequately, claiming that it was first told about the plans last month, and it warned that some students would spend around 87% of their student loan on rent if the proposals go ahead.

A spokesman for the University of Glasgow said that the proposed rent after the rise was below inflation, and had been for the past five years.

The open letter read: “It is our understanding that the university is currently benchmarking its accommodation fees against other private halls providers in the city.

“We believe this is a flawed approach which disregards the social responsibilities of the university to provide adequate and affordable accommodation.”

The news follows an accommodation crisis among students at the institution last year. In September 2022, it was reported that Glasgow students were advised to consider deferring or withdrawing from their studies because of a lack of assured places for them to live.

We will do whatever we can to block this from happening and we feel it’s important that students know about these plans before they’re pushed through

– Rinna Väre, SRC President

At the time, the university attributed this to a shortage of private accommodation and stated that it was taking steps to increase the provision for future years.

SRC president Rinna Väre said the council was “extremely disappointed” by the proposal.

She said: “Students in Glasgow have already had an incredibly difficult year, what with the cost-of-living crisis, massive energy bills, an accommodation crisis, and now this.

“There is already a lack of affordable accommodation in the city, which led to us running our campaign for the university to put a cap on student numbers, so for them to now propose raising rents by almost 10% – it’s hard to believe.

“We will do whatever we can to block this from happening and we feel it’s important that students know about these plans before they’re pushed through.”

A spokesman for the university said that student welfare, as well as providing high standards of accommodation, was its priority.

He said: “A proposed increase in rent is below the rate of inflation, as it has been for five consecutive years.

“The university is always seeking to improve the accommodation it provides and a rent increase is required to allow for continued maintenance and refurbishment of rooms as well as increased staffing costs.”