Students vs the housing crisis: "I put up with it until my body gave up"
Student journalist Lola Coker finds Lewisham students struggling to afford housing. London Renters Union says there are overlaps between students, social renting and private rented communities in the barriers they face.
Low student maintenance loans and even lower wages don’t seem to be enough for the students of Lewisham any more, as they struggle to afford housing.
When PM Keir Starmer’s Labour Party came to power in July 2024, the cost of living crisis was a focal point in its manifesto. Consumer advice site Money Saving Expert asked Starmer what Labour would do to help students struggling with the cost of living.
He committed to:
● Scrapping age brackets for the minimum wage - meaning students working to support themselves would earn more money
● Requiring landlords to make homes easier to heat
● Putting pressure on landlords to “drive up standards in rented accommodation”
The qualifying age for the National Living Wage (currently £11.44) reduced from 23 to 21 in April 2024 before Labour came to power, with 18 to 20 year-olds earning only £8.60 per hour.
New rates will come in in April 2025, £12.21 per hour for those aged 21 and over, and £10 per hour for those aged 18 to 20.
Labour has not removed the age brackets, and the majority of undergraduates are paid on the lower rate. At Lewisham’s only university, Goldsmiths College, 78% of undergraduates are under 21, while undergraduates account for 63% of the university’s student body.
The “drive up in standards in rented accommodation” is disputed by Lewisham students too. In a survey of 200 Lewisham-residing students, 72% reported that their experience renting in student accommodation was positive, but only 56% reported the same in private accommodation.
35% of respondents stated their rent exceeded £1000 per calendar month, 55% reported their rent is between £700-1000 pcm with just 10% reporting rents of under £700 pcm.
Damp and mould in accommodation
Duncan, 20, recalled his experience of student housing when in his first year at university. “The area is generally unsafe, the carpet had mould that was never cleaned.” He also reported being billed long after returning his keys.
Duncan told us that his rental contract, part managed by the university and part by Campus Living Villages, could only be broken if he withdrew from his course.
A flatmate who lived in the same building as a first year student, described “living in a chicken coop that cost £800 per month.” Mould was reported in their part of the building too.
Mould can grow to cause life-threatening illness and respiratory issues. In 2023, charity Students Organising for Sustainability found that 55% of students in the private rented sector have experienced damp or mould in their accommodation.
Save the Student survey in 2023 found that up to 72% of students suffered physical and/or mental health problems due to an issue in their rental accommodation.
Henry, local organiser for LRU, sees students struggling alongside other low-income groups to get decent housing in a broken rental sector / film Lola Coker
Henry, the London Renters Union (LRU) local organiser for Lewisham, says the union sees the "common trend" across students and other tenants, "I put up with it and they ignored me .. until my body gave up".
Update 17/03/25 Goldsmiths University has requested comment from Campus Living Villages regarding reports of damp and mould and contract terms.
