Two notions aimed at tenants in student housing have been put forward for debate at the Student Forum in a few weeks’ time.

It has been proposed that Leeds University Union should lobby landlords to remove holding deposits, charges incurred to reserve a property and take it off the market whilst contracts are prepared.

It is not secured by tenancy deposit schemes and so it is being suggested that the upfront payment of a tenancy deposit and any rent in advance should be used as assurance of the tenant’s commitment to renting a property.

Many students have complained about substantial upfront payments, sometimes as high as £100 per student, and, according to NUS, this is affecting a quarter of students before they even see a contract.

A call has also been made for landlords to give prospective tenants twenty four hours to read through their contract properly and get their contract checked, with the security that the property is not signed to anyone else.

Students feel pressured to find a house, with over forty percent of students beginning house-hunting out of the worry that they will be left with no house.

A signature carries with it a large commitment to paying thousands of pounds so it is believed that this proposal will help alleviate some of the stress surrounding the process.

These proposals, along with several others regarding the Union, the University and Leeds itself will be discussed at the Student Forum in the last week of October.

 

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Jonny Chard