vent-rent-results by SUSU

THE RESULTS A report on studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; views of housing and halls 2012-2013

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

CONTENTS 3

Chloe’s Introduction The Objectives Vital Statistics

Who Responded? 8

Summary of Key Findings Students’ Comments 19

Appendix

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

OF ALL THE FUN CAMPAIGNS A VP WELFARE COULD RUN, WHY ON EARTH WOULD I OPT FOR A FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, NO FRILLS HOUSING SURVEY? Surveys are boring. Spending hours trawling through data is hardly my idea of a good time. But all too often I hear students’ horror stories about their private rented property. Slugs, exploding ovens, court cases, no hot water, no keys… no rights. And what am I to do about it? As much as I’d love to go to your landlord’s house and bend their ear off, I don’t think that’s all too sustainable (or would yield results). All I can do is encourage fellow students to make the right decisions based upon gaining as much information as you can get your hands on. And that’s where VAYR comes into play. Across the country, the dangerous combination of poor housing

conditions and rogue landlords mix with swaths of students who don’t fully understand their rights as tenants. Surveys like this, often called ‘Rate Your Landlord’ or ‘Rate Your Rent’, have become increasingly popular over the last few years in Students’ Unions and act as a welcome remedy to legal restrictions put on personally naming landlords or letting agencies to reveal the cowboys amongst the pack. I particularly thank the University of Sussex Students’ Union and Aberystwyth University Students’ Union for their excellent work and guidance.

Just over 1 out of every 50 students studying at University of Southampton filled out this survey. For a first time effort, that’s not Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

half bad. It has also been noted that some people answered the survey on behalf of their house, meaning that these results may represent the experiences of entire households. My aspiration is that VAYR becomes a recognised brand and an annual endeavour, which will see our response rates rocket and the political leverage it has also rise. I’d also love to see VAYR extend to Solent University, so that a bigger view of Southampton’s housing market can be recorded annually.

This report does not seek to misinform students, disgrace landlords or scaremonger: it is simply a collection of anonymous student opinions which we can publish and distribute to empower students to make excellent choices. We can also use it to lobby stakeholders: the letting agencies themselves, local councillors and MPs, the university and us here at SUSU too. Students’ Unions are great advocates for fair housing rights; if this information is shared far and wide, the impact it could have is huge. So on that note: share a link to this document on Facebook, pick up a copy and put it through your neighbour’s post box, and ask people you meet in seminars or labs if they’ve seen the results. It’s taken us weeks to compile this bad boy, it’s the least you could do!

Chloe Green VP Welfare and Communities 2012-13

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

OBJECTIVES What was Vent About Your Rent trying to achieve? TO UNDERSTAND HOW HIGHLY STUDENTS RATE THE QUALITY OF THEIR LANDLORD/LETTING AGENCY TO UNDERSTAND HOW HIGHLY STUDENTS RATE THE QUALITY OF THEIR HOUSE TO MONITOR THE AVERAGE RENT PRICES, HOW MUCH STUDENTS PAY IN FEES AND HOW MUCH OF THIS IS REFUNDABLE TO FIND OUT WHETHER STUDENTS FEEL PRESSURE TO SIGN A CONTRACT FOR PRIVATE RENTED PROPERTY AND WHERE THAT PRESSURE COMES FROM TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE ‘DON’T SETTLE’ HOUSING CAMPAIGN HAD BEEN SEEN BY STUDENTS, AND WHETHER IT CHANGED THEIR BEHAVIOURS

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

TARGET AUDIENCE All students, particularly those who have lived in private rented property.

SURVEY DATES 08/02/2013 – 12/03/2013

METHODOLOGY On-line at surveymonkey Facebook event which links to survey

METHOD OF PROMOTION Regular social media updates & Facebook event Welfare committee promoting through social media and word of mouth Feature in residences support monthly newsletter

TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

632 INCENTIVE: Being a part of social change (and £300 towards rent) RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: 22,000 (figures for total student population based on December snapshot 2011. 2012-13 report not yet published).

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

WHO ANSWERED THE SURVEY?*

Number of respondents

Percentage of participants

Overall

632

100%

Percentage total of student area against entire student population (22,000) N/A

Female

374

59%

53.90%

Male

258

41%

46.10%

5th year

2.89%

4th year

8.17%

3rd year

208

32%

22.45%

2nd year

245

39%

27.69%

1st year

121

20%

36.76%

551

87%

69.32%

Europe

5.50%

6.97%

Overseas

5.50%

3.35%

*See appendix for validity of statistics

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS RESPONDENTS WHO CURRENTLY LIVE IN HALLS 47% had started looking for a house by November â&#x20AC;&#x153;The large letting agencies start letting early deliberatly to put pressure on students, particularly first yearsâ&#x20AC;? Over 85% of respondents had already signed a contract for a house next year having only been at University for 5 months. 86% 70% % of people committed to a contract

14%

36% 3% October

Chose to wait

17%

November

December

January

February

6% of those are staying in halls next year

58% went with a letting agency over a private landlord

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

26%

28%

55%

paid a holding fee

paid a deposit protection fee

paid admin fees

with highest being £200

with the highest being £420

with the highest being £150

59% saw the housing campaign “DON’T SETTLE”

“leafleting to halls from letting agents definitely has to stop! We were sucked into the “housing rush” and signed for a house for 84 quid a week with no double glazing” 40% of those who had not signed a contract yet said they intended on looking for a house in February

36.4% of those who have not signed for a house yet wanted to take their time over making the decision. “i learnt from last year not to rush!”

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

RESPONDENTS WHO CURRENTLY LIVE IN PRIVATE RENTED ACCOMMODATION 53.9% went with a letting agency over a private landlord

TOP 10 LOWEST SCORING LETTING AGENCIES (AVERAGE SCORES OUT OF 10):

£79

Private landlords

£73

The average price charged for rent

5/10

7.5/10

The average score of service

5.5/10

7.5/10

The average score of home quality

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

The average score of home quality

HAVE YOU FELT PRESSURED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, TO SIGN A CONTRACT ON YOUR RESIDENCE NEXT YEAR?

40.2% said YES THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS PROVIDED BY RESPONDENTS.

“Very happy with what I’ve got, we found this place in April” “Its terrible the way they (letting agents) panic students in october, especially freshers” “Never rush into signing anything! All students should know by now not to sign or rush, anything before January” Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

We were asked to confirm we wanted to live in the same house next year in early November and given about 2 weeks to confirm

We felt pressured and slightly bullied into buying as soon as we had viewed the house

The large lettings agencies start letting early deliberately to put pressure on students, particularly first years.

They said all the good houses will be gone after Christmas! How ridiculous.

WHERE DID THIS PRESSURE COME FROM? Multiple choice question

Letting agencies

Private landlords

Friends

Family Halls

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Know your rights. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a coward and speak up if your landlord is messing you around!" 12

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS “It’s common for landlords/letting agencies to say things like ‘This house goes very quickly so you’ll have to sign a contract soon’ which pressures you into choosing a house instead of looking around more.” “We felt pressured and slightly bullied into buying as soon as we had viewed the house” “We were asked to confirm we wanted to live in the same house next year in early November and given about 2 weeks to confirm” “They said all the good houses will be gone after Christmas! How ridiculous.” “The large lettings agencies start letting early deliberately to put pressure on students, particularly 1st years.” “Seriously great landlords, everything is sorted right away (on the rare occasion we have a small issue). The house is top quality, no damp, and at a great price” “I think SUSU should do more to ensure that students are not being ripped off. The advice centre and SASSH is very good but I would like to see these services expanded.”

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS “Know your rights. Don’t be a coward and speak up if your landlord is messing you around.” “In October just after uni had started they were already pressurizing us to resign for next year. Wouldn’t even hold our house for a week while we got money together, 100 pounds is a lot of money for admin which we won’t get back. Still showed people around our house when we had resigned !” “Many letting agencies used pressurising tactics, such as calling us up and saying unless we decided to sign for a house that day it would be taken off the market.” “I pay £78 a week for a house that had damp when we moved in and wasn’t cleaned. We had 2 months with no washing machine (despite it included on the contract). When our back door was smashed open it took the landlord 2 weeks to come and take a look and get his men to take measurements, by January nothing had still been fixed, despite his son promising he was chasing the fitters daily. When we called the landlord again he said that he wasn’t fixing it and that we knew it was our responsibility all along. This was not the case, we knew we would pay for the repair but not have to organise it.” “The housing campaign helped us to make our decision to leave our current house (first year rushed mistake) and we waited for the SASSH list and got this loooovely house for next year :)”

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS “Should be a warning about signing up to houses without knowing the landlord. Vibe signed us into a deal with a shocking landlord.” “Leafleting to halls from letting agents definitely needs to stop! We were sucked into the ‘housing rush’, and signed for a house for £84 a week, with no double glazing. My room is the smallest, 6ft by 11ft, and was advertised as a double room when it really shouldn’t have been. I’ve had mould on and off all year round in it (bed is against two outside walls and a bathroom) and each time I’ve rung posh pads they’ve told me to move the bed away from the wall, when there is absolutely no space to do this. They also take on average 3-5 days to come and sort out a problem.” “On the “Student No Fees” right outside university, they present on the window by saying that we need to “beat the rush” which is completely untrue. I remember first to second year completely falling for the hype about houses and getting a really skanky one!” “Letting Agencies take absolute liberties with students. We found a house for next year and asked if we could pay the deposit in January when our student loan came through, it was November at the time. This time we went with Tenant Direct and they said it was absolutely fine, the lady who saw to us even asked her supervisor who said it was fine. We all signed the contract on the basis that we could pay after our loans came through and were then told we had 2 weeks to pay the first months rent. We challenged the same people that said we could pay in January and they said to us “That’s what it says in the contract”. Absolutely disgusting! Safer, easier, cheaper to go with Private landlords rather than agencies.” Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS “Many more student rooms than students, no rush necessary” “I’ve had a broken window for 3 months now of which the letting agency have been aware of and reminded several times. The landlords themselves are lovely people but the letting agencies seem to not communicate greatly unless they want something (i.e. to allow viewings to our house)” “Last year student, very happy with landlord, always sorts out any issues we have right away, wouldn’t hesitate in recommending him to anyone.” “Very happy with what I’ve got, we found this place in April” “No issues with my landlord at all. No fees charged, same house two years and no increase in rent. All problems such as broken boiler, mould, flooring were fixed promptly.” “Felt if we didnt sign of this house it would be let to someone else before we really had a lot of chance to look at other properties” “Learnt from last year not to rush!” “I would give the landloard a rating of 10, and the agency a rating of 1” “We are very very happy with the house we have found, and the landlord is excellent!”

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS “Everyone seems to be renting earlier and earlier every year and if you haven’t found people to move in with it puts a massive stress on you to find a place some people i know signed houses in October and November and i hadn’t really found a group of people i would be willing to share a house with.” “We have had serious issues with our landlord, who seems to be a very devious character. For 18 months we were paying the electricity bill of an adjoining property (owned by the same landlord) as their electricity supply was connected to our meter, whilst the landlord charged them £20 a week for bills - none of which reached us.” “Think its disgusting that most houses in Southampton are let through estate agents that in my experience have constantly lets us down promising us houses that have already gone, not showing up to meetings or viewings, lying about price and rooms/ size and at an extortionate price. They only get away with it because we are students, at the bottom of the housing food chain.” “I know the freshers seem to always want to sign for houses in sem1 which is ridiculously early. This then puts pressure on other students to sign. Ideally I would not want to be thinking about housing until after Jan exams.” “Housing signs go up way too early and many landlords or letting agents sign contracts in halls bars/backs of cars- random places because they

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS convince you that it must be done asap. Letting agent this year never notifies us about anything (your move) and we end up hearing things straight from the landlord when he asks “have the letting agents told you this?”. Presumably this is because the letting agents don’t regard students as high priority and so just don’t bother giving us any decent service.” “Its terrible the way they panic students in October, especially freshers.” “Thanks to SUSU for their amazing campaign :)” “Some lettings agents can be incredibly pushy. One agent told us that another group he was showing round had already signed a contract that same day. I am fairly certain he was lying. He was incredibly rude to us, and attempted to make us feel as though all the good housing in Southampton was being snapped up already. This was NOT the agency we eventually went through. The fees we paid were ridiculously high. Students need to be reassured that they DON’T have to sign up for the first house that they see, that there is an abundance of housing in Southampton, and that they should be able to get their deposits back (advice on this & on landlords delaying this should be given by SUSU, I think.)” “MOULD! I didn’t realise my student house would have so much. They definitely hid that well when I signed my contract!” “In the first year of finding private rented accommodation, there was a lot

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS of emphasis to get a house as quickly as possible (before Christmas), but since then I have realised that was not necessary and we were too hasty in finding a house - there are still plenty of houses available later in the year.” “Some of the letting agencies are terribly unprofessional . There a terrible notion of houses that are acceptable for students but not normal tenants. Whilst looking at houses some are at an unacceptable standard for anyone to live in.” “This year I felt somewhat pressured as there was so much ‘THIS HOUSE GOES SO QUICKLY’ talk that made us panic and sign without taking time to look at other, perhaps better options.” “Sassh list was very helpful”

APPENDIX *’Who answered the survey’ Confidence in sample: ±1.6 at 95% (so we can be 95% sure that any percentages given in the summary are within ±1.6% of the true figure for entire student population) N.B. Respondents living in halls have a confidence in sample of 90% due to a smaller population.

Vent About Your Rent: The Results 2012 - 2013