Tuesday 17-09-2024 - 16:08

We are aware of the roughly 100 freshers looking for beds in the private rented sector due to issues with college accommodation. Durham University is offering comprehensive support for these students, and I’ve raised their cases directly with the Vice-Chancellor, and with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience). Some of these students missed the deadline to request accommodation, for various reasons. It is right that the University is helping them to find accommodation. House hunting in Durham is an anxious and challenging process at the best of times. Undertaking that as a fresher, in a new city, on short notice must be a terrifying prospect. These students need support to do so.

Other students are scrambling for a bed at short notice because the University didn’t get its planning right and, in doing so, displayed an incredible short-sightedness. Student recruitment is almost impossible to get exactly right, but being a collegiate university, and the city’s largest landlord, comes with responsibilities and expectations and students suffer when the University fails to meet them. I expect the University to be transparent about what went wrong here and what they will do in the future to prevent it from happening again.

I’m working to ensure affected students can participate fully in the Durham Collegiate experience.

We've worked hard with the University to tackle the housing crisis over the last few years. Incidents like this threaten to undermine the progress we’ve made, and the confidence of students and residents in us to continue to tackle it. I’ve made my concerns about this clear to the University and I want to reassure all students that there remains no need to rush for housing for the next academic year. There are enough houses available, along with a significant surplus, to accommodate every student in the city.

Relevant Resources Durham SU & Durham University

Any student who wants to know their rights can access free, independent, confidential advice from Durham SU on our website at: www.durhamsu.com/ask
You can also contact Dan directly at su.president@durham.ac.uk
Visit the University Accommodation support page here.

Finding a housemate

Looking for accommodation with other members of your college could be a useful way of meeting new people and getting involved in college life. Durham University can help put you in touch with other members of your college who are also looking for accommodation, and you can join Durham SU's Find A Housemate Facebook page. 

Durham University Online Resources

These provide lots of information about finding accommodation in Durham:

• Online Housing Hub
• Information on the Student Lettings Code of Practice 
• Student Renters’ Guide

Based on information available today (16 September) on www.sturents.com, there is still plenty of private student accommodation available in Durham City for the new academic year. This is being monitored closely.

Financial support

When looking for accommodation, remember that if your private accommodation for 2024/25 costs more than a single standard room in university accommodation (£6,805.50 per annum), Durham University will subsidise the difference up to £1,000. In calculating your accommodation costs, Durham University will include your rent and, if your rent does not include bills, an allowance of £40 per week across your tenancy for essential household bills (energy, water and internet). Details of how to apply for this will be forthcoming.