By Sarah Boyack

THE word “unprecedented” is being used a lot these days, as we alter the way we live and encounter different social behaviours. New policies are being formed and laws passed to deal with the current pandemic, many of which are bringing welcome relief for people. One piece of legislation is the restrictions on evictions, allowing people to remain safe in their homes, even if they have lost their income. It is a law that encourages landlords to behave as responsibly as possible in these challenging times. Tenants are protected – unless you are a student, it seems.

I recently gained cross-party support for a parliamentary motion seeking stricter regulation of purpose-built student accommodations (PBSAs). PBSA landlords with buildings over 30 beds are exempt from the Private Housing (Tenancies) Scotland Act 2016, leaving students with fewer rights and protections than normal domestic tenants. To add insult to injury, the average PBSA rent in Scotland is around two-thirds of the maximum amount of support available to students in higher education and exceeds the maximum amount available to students in further education.

As Covid-19 takes hold and universities close, many students are having to leave their accommodation and return home while it is possible. However, a number of my constituents have reported that PBSAs are refusing to let students out of their contracts and denying rent refunds on empty accommodation. For students who are self-supporting and have lost their jobs, it is a double blow. The National Union of Students reported that university halls remain inflexible on tenant contracts, and other students will be forced to pay up to £650 per month until the end of the academic year. With similar accounts coming from Glasgow, Edinburgh and other major cities, the issue was finally raised in Parliament on Tuesday by Patrick Harvie MSP, with the Government agreeing to look at NUS proposals to deal with the matter.

However, it really illustrates a deeper challenge with the rapid growth of PBSAs that are displaying an unpleasant, exploitative side of the student rent business at a time when a more compassionate and adaptable approach is needed. Furthermore, it graphically illustrates the absence of pastoral care available to students as they continue to pay high fees on empty properties – with large-scale, corporate enterprises showing a worrying inability to adjust to individual circumstances and the needs of our students.

I have pushed for a Scottish Parliament review on the fast expansion of this sector, and the impact it has had on students and communities. Liam McCabe from NUS Scotland said: “It is our hope that together we can begin to shine a light on the practices of the companies building PBSA, and ensure that those operating in this sector are operating fairly, providing affordable, quality options to students, and that they are prioritising the wellbeing of their tenants and the communities they live within.”

This week, Unite Students finally relented and agreed to let students out of their contracts early, and we can only hope that other PBSAs follow suit. However, many have not. When life resumes and universities re-open, we must ensure measures have been enacted to bring excessive student rents under control and that PBSA landlords demonstrate a duty of care towards students dealing with extraordinary pressures. These are unprecedented times but we must use them as an opportunity to create a social legacy that is not focused on profit and the exploitation of others, but on a more compassionate, fairer society.

Sarah Boyack, MSP, is Shadow Cabinet Minister for Local Government

Sarah Boyack, MSP, is Shadow Cabinet Minister for Local Government