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EXEPOSÉ THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Students hit by record rent rises
19 January 2015 • Issue 633 • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose • Free
• Prices soar on campus and private accommodation • Holland Freshers set to pay £7,000 for a room with a view in 2015/16 • Rising student numbers blamed for increased prices Rachel Gelormini & Laura-Jane Tiley Online News Editors STUDENTS are facing increased rent payments as private and on campus accommodation prices soar ahead of the 2015/16 academic year. Prices of rented student housing in Exeter are rising steeply, with some properties increasing by up to £26 per week. Meanwhile, undergraduates opting to live in catered and non-catered halls on Streatham campus will see an increase in accommodation prices of up to three per cent. Apart from institutions in London, Exeter was ranked the third most expensive university in the UK to live and study at, according to a Huf�ington Post
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report last year. With rent continuing to rise, next year’s intake will spend almost £7,000 for a 32-week letting period in the most expensive rooms on campus: Holland Hall with a view, whose weekly rent has increased by £6.58 to £224.98. Private rental prices have risen more dramatically though, with letting agent Calum MacInnes estimating an increase of at least �ive per cent across Exeter, commenting that this was “a lot to do with supply and demand, con�idence and the economic cycle.” He described how Exeter Council’s decision to not give out “any more HMO licences to protect the local residents against ‘studenti�ication’” coupled with “the continued growth in...
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Uni debt hits £200 million Harrison Jones Editor
UNIVERSITY debt increased by nearly 50 per cent in the last year, with the total now standing at £203.8 million. A Freedom of Information (FOI) Request about debt submitted by Exeposé was rejected because research would exceed the fee limit and “prejudice the commercial interests of the University or a third party” - two grounds for exemption under the FOI Act. However, the institution’s latest �inancial statement shows a 48.1 per cent increase in debt on last year’s £137.6 million total, whilst total income has increased by just 8.7 per cent. Total and net debt has risen steadily over the past few years, though “total cash and cash deposits,” which are subtracted from total debt to �ind net debt, have also risen substantially. Net debt currently stands at £96.9 million, up on £79 million last year and £72.3 million at the end of 2012. The statistics, released at the end of 2014, came amidst signi�icant growth at the University in recent years, with the institution accepting more students and handling larger budgets. The increase also coincides with low national interest rates, though these could change after May’s general election. Meanwhile, net assets at the University are up by nearly £40 million on last year, though capital...
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