Planning to study in the UK? If yes, then you would certainly get a plethora of options for MBA, MS and UG courses to study in the UK. However, there has been a housing crisis in the UK and thus, students are forced to accept a lifestyle or a living condition which is not so acceptable to them.
This blog will help us understand why international students are struggling to find housing in the UK. The major reason for this is the high cost of university accommodation and increasing rents. Usually, students prefer university accommodations as these are economical and safe, but due to the increasing costs, they have to settle for less.
To find a perfect accommodation in a city such as London is quite challenging as the rentals there are skyrocketing. Moreover, since students look for such accommodation they lack payslips and other references which are a kind of pre-requisite for housing and Study in UK.
In this article we are highlighting the reasons why international students are struggling to find housing accommodation.
Skyrocketing Costs
The rental prices have increased immensely in the UK in recent years. According to a Cushman & Wakefield survey, there is an 8% increase in the rentals as compared to the previous years thereby, leaving not much options for the international students who have gone to study abroad. Students relying on grants and loans fail to afford accommodation in major university cities.
Quality Accommodation Crunch
During the year 2021–2022 around 679,970 international students were enrolled in the best universities in the UK as per the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency). If we talk about Indian students specifically, then out of this over 120,000 were Indian students.
With such an increase in student numbers, the demand for affordable housing and Study in the UK has risen, thereby a surge in the accommodation pricing.
Many students share their stories of living in cramped spaces with 20 other students because they cannot afford decent housing in the UK.
Many UK universities have acknowledged the fact that international students are struggling to find a good accommodation which is why they are urging students to talk to their university accommodation teams to provide them assistance. As per the reports outside London, the average private sector rent has increased by £7,600 annually which accounts for around 77% of the maximum student maintenance loan.
The Solution
For those who have made their minds to study in the UK and not wanting to shift their country preferences, then looking for an accommodation should be a primary and a mandatory task before you land here.
It is understandable that there are other priority matters to sort first before accommodation, but looking at the housing crunch this is the need of the hour.
If you manage to plan your accommodation well in advance then you may save yourself from the price surge which people are facing in the UK right now.
Last but not least, if you can shift your plans of studying in the UK, then probably studying in the US can be a good option. The USA is one of the most preferred study destinations offering world-class education.
So, it’s time to decide for yourself what steps you would like to take to plan better housing or accommodation in the UK.