The university has confirmed to Brig that it will raise rent across all accommodation buildings later this year.
The change affects all university-owned accommodations on and off campus and rent will increase on August 1.
The university also raised accommodation prices for some of its buildings last year.
Buildings that are not owned by the university but appear on its website, including Carter’s Yard, Riverside Quay and Centro House are not affected.
From August 1, all accommodation prices will increase by eight per cent.
University ‘under pressure’
In a statement, a spokesperson for the university said: “The University, in common with the sector, is currently operating against a backdrop of significant, rising operational costs – including utilities, staffing, services and goods.
“Given this context, and with further cost increases forecast, a change to rent is required for the new academic year.
“It is never easy to bring in price rises, but we cannot continue to absorb these costs and are forced to respond to the same pressures happening across wider society.
“The University continues to be one of the best value-for-money accommodation providers in the sector and our pricing structure goes further than the affordable criteria set out by the National Union of Students.
“All rent received is reinvested to ensure we are able to continue to deliver quality, well-maintained, secure and appropriately staffed accommodation.
“The University has a wide range of help available to our students through our Student Support Services and Accommodation teams, including an Accommodation Enhancement Fund for help with rent costs, which has been increased for 2024/25.”
‘Just about making a profit’
The decision comes after a university meeting on February 27, which attracted protests led by Stirling Solidarity Space outside of Stirling Court Hotel.
Aaron Caulfield, one of the students protesting, said: “The university is profiteering off of our education as they nearly always have done since I have been at university.
“Rent increases have been a given, especially in our less than affordable accommodation. They haven’t even maintained a reasonable rate.
“They can claim budgetary pressures but Stirling Council is under far more pressure due to the cutbacks and the freezing of the council tax rate and yet the council is only proposing a 6 per cent raise.
“I don’t know in what world the university can justify the raise that they have proposed.”
Justine Pédussel, the Union’s housing officer, joined the protests to remind the university that the student body won’t stay quiet on the issue.
She said: “It’s ridiculous. It’s just about making a profit, it is not about the welfare of students.
“That money doesn’t go back into the accommodation at all. If they cared about students, they would decrease rent.”
Struggling to pay rent
Justine believes the rent increase will have more negative consequences on students who are already struggling with paying their bills.
Her housing report, which she completed at the end of last year, highlighted the stresses students are facing due to the housing crisis.
The report found that almost half of the students surveyed are struggling to pay their rent, and only 40 per cent can properly afford enough food to eat regularly.
80 per cent of students surveyed are also paying over £400 a month on rent. The 8 per cent increase on university-owned accommodation will push all buildings except Polwarth House past this threshold.
‘We don’t want anyone to be homeless’
Luna Larkin, the chair of Solidarity Space, was equally concerned about the impact the rent increase will have on students:
“For international students, it means a higher rate of deportations because they are going to have to work for over 20 hours. The Home Office is going to take every chance they can to put those people away in detention centres.
“When it comes to the other issues on campus with housing, [Solidarity Space] wants a student cap. They bring in thousands and thousands of students a year and provide no new accommodation.
“When it comes to Stirling itself, the city is simply not big enough for how many students come here. They need to recognize that fact and invest in building new accommodations and not new studio apartments that will house one or two people.
“They need to make accommodation that is sustainable, well insulated and can actually provide for people – not designed by people who previously renovated a prison, but designed by architects who care about students, their wellbeing and accessibility.
“The university will tell us that they care, but they don’t. Ultimately it’s on us as a student body to care and to put in the work.
“Because we love students and we love each other. Everyone that I’ve spoken to certainly loves someone in their life, and we don’t want them to be homeless. We don’t want anyone to be homeless.
“It’s about empathy, and it’s about making sure wealth is redistributed.”
Featured Image Credit: Ciara Tait
News Editor 2023/24 at Brig Newspaper. Former Chief Sub-Editor 2022/23.
MSc International Journalism student at the University of Stirling.
