UCL to reimburse students who cannot return to halls
UCL will reimburse rent payments until February 21 for students who are unable to return to UCL halls due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: UCL Imagestore
In order to qualify for a rental payment reimbursement, students must have left their UCL accommodation between December 3 to 27, 2020, with a return date between December 28 and February 21, 2021. UCL has also stated that those who leave and return to their hall for a second time within this period will not be eligible for the rent refund.
The majority of university students have been advised against returning to their term-time accommodation as the government’s official guidance states that students must “remain where they are wherever possible…until at least mid-February.” This came after Covid-19 guidelines were changed at late notice for the festive period, meaning that a vast number of university students ended up staying at their Christmas destination.
Students who have left their possessions in UCL halls but are not currently living there have been advised against making a non-essential journey to collect them. The university has reassured students however that anything left in UCL halls will still be insured in their absence, but they will not be charged if they do decide to collect their belongings
UCL has also stated that it will allow students in UCL halls to end their tenancy before the set end date of the contract, and any excess rent payments will be refunded.
Student accommodation has been a source of debate since the beginning of the pandemic, and increasingly so as many have been unable to return to their pre-paid accommodation after leaving for the winter break. University students in Cardiff, Bangor, and Swansea, are among an increasing number planning to withhold rent payments for accommodation as many universities across the country are not offering reimbursements. Michelle Francis, founder of the Bangor Rent Strike Campaign, stated that her university only decided to offer a 10 per cent discount on rent.
Although students have been warned of the potential legal consequences of cancelling their direct debits for accommodation, this movement has spread across the country with rent strikes occurring in 55 out of 140 UK universities.
A national collective of student housing activists, RENT STRIKE, is another organisation encouraging students to withhold rent payments during the pandemic. The group was formed after the 2016 rent strike at UCL which resulted in students gaining over £1.5 million in the form of compensation, bursaries and rent cuts. In light of social distancing, RENT STRIKE has created a handbook for students with tips on how to protest rent payments whilst staying safe.
The current debate over rental payments for unused student accommodation during the pandemic is the latest in a long line of campaigns led by students who believe they are being taken advantage of by higher education providers.
Click here for further information regarding UCL’s accommodation reimbursement policy.