Issue 1435 Monday 28th Nov 2022
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thecourieronline.co.uk
Let Ozzie solve all your woes!
There’s a new cat on Campus! Get to know Ozzie, the cure to all your catrelated needs
Gen-Z or La-Z?
What impact has technology had on our generation? Lifestyle | page 15
The battle of the Christmas movies! Which Christmas film comes out on top?
Campus Comment | page 7
Film | page 25
Newcastle students impacted by nation-wide housing crisis Katie Siddall - Head of Sport
on estate agents’ websites are solely for rent but an inclusive bills package is often offered by estate agents.
Jessican McKeown - Film sub-editor ver the last few months, students have been struggling to find accommodation; from undergraduates looking for a studio flat to international postgraduates looking for a house to live in with their family. Newcastle has become a city with a housing crisis. Through conducting an investigation into the housing crisis, The Courier found that students often found the same struggles and were looking for many similar properties. This could be the start of the end as if everyone is looking for a studio, for example, then there will definitely not be enough studios for everyone in Newcastle. Saying this, those who answered our survey said that they were looking for a house/flat with a private landlord all in the Jesmond area, with a couple saying they would extend their searches to Sandyford. The reasoning behind the Jesmond superiority is the fact it is a studentpopulated area and due to the convenience of shops, like Tesco, and there being a metro at either end of Osborne Road. Those who mentioned Sandyford spoke of how it is still a “student-y area”, even though there are less bars and pubs around. Yet, what they were looking at the most were the prices. Sandyford appears cheaper than Jesmond for similar properties. Back in 2018, Prem-Lets advertised Sandyford as £65 to £75 cheaper per person, per week to help those “with a tighter budget”. 86% of survey takers have already started looking at properties with 50% already having gone to house viewings. Two participants have already gone to over five house viewings in a bid to claim a cheap but nice property, where they can spend their next academic year. Unlike the halls that students tend to live in during first year, bills are an important factor when looking for a private house or flat. The prices listed
Our survey asked if inclusive bills packages were something that students are considering whilst they search. 57% of respondents said yes to inclusive bills, with 29% saying maybe but are considering sorting bills independently as they may find a cheaper option. The appeal of inclusive bills is the ease of them being sorted for students rather than sorting separately. The payment process is often easier as students pay their own portion separately rather than transfer the money to one person’s bank account to pay as a lump sum. However, students are not getting a good deal through inclusive bills packages as the cap on bills is something students are not aware about. With the bills packages from the estate agents, students are paying for convenience. Students who have no experience with estate agents do not know which are considered unreliable. The respondents of our survey are currently looking with Walton Robinson, Bricks & Mortar and Student Cribs. They are also using Uni Homes which acts a central database of all the houses and flats available rather than students looking on each estate agents’ website. When asked which estate agents they are avoiding, one respondent claimed Bricks & Mortar showed “terrible service” in which the respondent was shown around a house with people “sleeping in the bedrooms”. Another respondent refuses to look with Walton Robinson and Pat Robson describing them as “absolute cowboys and scammers [who] refused to give a deposit back for the last tenancy” and had previous issues with maintenance issues not being dealt with promptly. The final section of the survey conducted an investigation into people’s worries and concerns of house hunting. Within this, it was surprising to see that
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Students are not getting a good deal through inclusive bills packages
only 29% have gone to NUSU’s housing advisor in the Student Advice Centre. With the crisis due to get worse before it improves, many students face the daunting prospect of having to sign for a rental property without being sure they will remain in Newcastle. One student stated that they are not wanting to sign onto a house they will not need but feel the pressure to sign in case they don’t get onto a placement year. Most students do not find out whether they have been accepted onto their placement year until the summer, leaving them with the fear that the majority of Newcastle properties, if not all, will be rented, leaving them without a house for the next academic year.
“It is as though [landlords] don’t care about us because we are students” Meanwhile, another student is worried about the financial side of the housing crisis. They spoke of how English landlords are not doing enough to support their tenants, “it is as though they don’t care about us because we are students”. This student suggested that landlords follow in the footsteps of Scotland - Scotland has an ongoing rent freeze. This means that tenants do not have to pay their rent until they are able to afford it, they will not be chased up when they are struggling. Project Student Housing, has been following the crisis since it started and has released the following statement: “[W]e foresaw this being an issue 18 months ago and set about thinking how we could help solve the issue. For us, it was thinking of a way to benefit both landlords and students, and work in cohesion.” Despite the crisis, Newcastle University are “delighted to confirm that all students have been accommodated.” A Newcastle University spokes person stated: “We work hard to support students and, along with Newcastle City Council, we are monitoring the housing situation closely.”
They continued: “Our accommodation service, NUSU Student Advice Centre and University Customer Service team endeavour to ensure students have a place to stay when they arrive in Newcastle. We would advise students, particularly from overseas, not to travel unless they have secured suitable accommodation as the city has limited availability. It is important to note, Accommodation Services would urge students to accept an offer of accommodation from the University, in preference to declining an offer and then looking for an alternative, as students who did this struggled to find suitable accommodation. The Student Advice Centre in the Student Union can assist students and will refer those with immediate need, if
Image: Katie Siddall
appropriate, for emergency temporary accommodation.” There are plans to refurbish Castle Leazes, housing over 900 students in the next academic year. There is the fear of a knock-on effect that this refurbishment could have on the wider housing market for students in stage two and above. Newcastle University “recognises the importance of an accommodation guarantee for all first-year students” so they are “working in partnership with the City and Northumbria University to address the current and future housing market for students in Newcastle. There are multiple factors contributing to the availability of accommodation for students in years two and above and these are being considered in full as part of [their] decision-making process.”