For students, the impact has been especially acute. Over the past decade, average rent in some areas has jumped from £150 to £210 per week, making the search for affordable accommodation both difficult and demoralising. As a student myself, I have experienced this struggle firsthand.


My own student journey illustrates the challenges many face. Over four years, I have lived in four different accommodations—two managed by private student housing companies and two rented from private landlords. Each year, simply keeping a roof over my head has become more expensive, with the largest increases coming in my third and fourth years.

 

During my first year at university in Stirling (2022/23), I lived on campus. In retrospect, this was the best value I have enjoyed: £600 a month covered rent, heating, Wi-Fi, and even a gym membership. However, in my second year, although the price dropped, so did the quality. The flat had poorly sealed windows that led to damp and mould, an oven that only worked on the grill setting, and a boiler that broke in the dead of winter and took more than a week to repair. Unfortunately, my experience is far from unique—most students I know have faced similar, if not worse, situations.


To better understand the scope of these problems, I spoke with fellow students across Scotland, asking them three key questions about their accommodation experiences:

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1. Did you struggle to find accommodations?

2. What is the biggest problem with your accommodation?

3. Do you feel you are getting good value for money?

 

The answers revealed a pattern of stress and difficulty. Nearly everyone I spoke to struggled to find accommodation. One student ended up paying over £1,000 per month for a two-bedroom flat, while others spent up to four months searching. A recurring frustration was properties being snapped up before students even had a chance to view them, leaving many with dwindling options and little time to secure a place to live.



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