ROOF Blog

The government has announced that financial support to students will be frozen next year because of ‘difficult economic times’. The decision has been described as a ‘kick in the teeth’ for young people who argue the cap in grants and loans represented a real term cut and would increase student debt level.

A consultation into the Town and Country Planning Act concerning homes in multiple occupancy (HMOs) was launched yesterday. The department for Communities and Local Government wants to identify ways of improving the problems occurring in areas with a high density of HMOs, such as antisocial behaviour and litter. The prospect of tighter legislation has not been well received.

New figures have shown that student rents have increased by an average of 19 per cent during the past five years, and 1.5 per cent since April 2008, despite the economic downturn. During the same period rental rates in the mainstream market have fallen by 6 per cent on average, although some London boroughs are particularly hard hit with falls of up to 18 per cent.