Drastic new measures to curb landlords scamming students and creating student ‘ghettos’ were introduced by the government last Wednesday.
The Housing and Planning Minister John Healey revealed a range of new powers for local authorities aimed at tackling unsafe and substandard rented accommodation.
The plans include a new National Landlords Register, giving local government the power to set up a landlord licensing scheme and making it harder for landlords to set up new shared homes.
The proposals come in a week which has seen an outpouring of complaints about landlords from Oxford students.
The anger was shown in Cherwell’s report last week on the North Oxford Property Service (NOPS). The letting agents were criticised for allowing 36-hour queues in the lead up to the release time for student houses, and other concerns about their practices were raised.
Since then, a Cherwell survey has revealed that 70% of Oxford students living out of college accommodation were unhappy with their properties, and saw that they needed repairs once they arrived. Less than half of these believed that repairs were dealt with sufficiently by their landlords.
Over 70% of those surveyed found that their property was in need of repairs on the first day of their tenancy. Only half believed that letting agents were dealing with repairs quickly enough.
Some complained of mould and rats as long-standing problems which had even required the attention of Oxford City Council.
Over a quarter of Oxford’s colleges cannot house undergraduates for the entirety of their course. Students with no choice but to rent alternative property pay between £300 and £450 per month for a single room in a shared house.
Ben Stevens, together with his house mates, paid £1,660 per month for a property during his second year at Somerville College. His experience with NOPS was not positive. “When we moved in to the house the garden was strewn with rubbish – signs, a trolley, broken barbecue – and some bricks and rubble.
“The conservatory where the shower was wasn’t properly insulated so it was freezing most of the time and there was some sort of bush growing in from outside…The path in the front garden was also broken and uneven, so pretty unsafe.”
Other bad experiences include a house so unclean it was unfit for habitation for a month.
Health and safety questions were also raised by problems with mould and gas leaks. A third year student said, “We discovered a gas leak a few weeks after we moved in and the gas man told us we should not have been living in the house at all.”
Problems occurred despite nearly all respondents having visited their houses prior to signing a contract. Some suggested that although they did view their rented property, with hindsight they regret that they had not inspected it properly. “We didn’t ask the right questions. This is the most important thing,” a current tenant of a Lyttons’ property said
Dani Quinn, OUSU welfare officer, urges students to “take their time when selecting an agency, selecting a house, and signing the tenancy agreement. Agencies have made efforts to create panic and give the impression there is a shortage of housing – this is completely untrue, and causes people to rush decisions and pay too much.”
All letting agents spoken to reiterated that they dealt with complaints as quickly as possible. A spokesperson for Hutten Parker added, “once we hear a complaint we contact the landlord and should be able to respond within a few hours”.
Julia Koskella, a third year student and previous NOPS tenant, explained, “What angered me is that there were tonnes of hidden charges – you get back some of your ‘holding deposit’, but half of it is taken as a holding fee, and most of the rest of it is a ‘check-out charge’ even if your property was left spotless at the end, as ours was.”
NOPS were keen to point out that “all our charges are clearly explained to prospective tenants (students or otherwise) at the application stage before they agree to let a property from us.
“They are standard charges within the industry and are largely related to issues that protect both the landlord and tenant.”
However, Koskella insists, “NOPS attempted to retain all of our £550 deposit on leaving the house in the summer, and it was only after a real effort that we managed to keep the majority of it. Many students, however, will not have the ability or the inclination to stand up to them.”
Before the new letting laws come into effect, Jo Holland, JCR welfare officer at Somerville College, advised students to “go and talk to a letting agent before signing anything with them, preferably on a day when you have time.
“Let them explain to you all the fees and deposits they will need and note them down, question which will be returned to you and under what premises.”
It is hoped that Wednesday’s plans will help students living out by making the rights and responsibilities of their landlords clearer. Oxford Council further hopes to improve standards by requiring all landlords to register with them.
In order to register, they will have to sign up to universal quality standards.
Charlotte Carnegie, OUSU Rents and Accommodation officer and OULC co-chairwoman, welcomed the plans. She commented, “I am really excited about the landlord licensing scheme as I think it will make student tenants feel more confident about living out, knowing that they will be renting a property which meets recognised standards.
“For most students the first time they rent is at or directly after university. The National Landlord Register will provide quick and easy access to information, bolstering students’ ability to know their rights and ensure they are protected.”
Oxford East’s Liberal Democrats parliamentary spokesperson, Steve Goddard added, “I welcome this Labour U-turn… 70% of local people want mandatory licensing, and I am pleased to hear that Labour are finally paying attention. The Liberal Democrats will keep putting pressure on Labour to introduce mandatory licensing in Oxford as soon as possible.”
However, some landlords have been angered by the news. Steven Hilton of the National Landlords Association argues, “By making it more difficult and costly for landlords to provide this type of accommodation, these measures will reduce choice for tenants and increase pressure on local authority housing lists.”
