Students in Scotland face highest rent rises

Published on Monday 21 September 2009 22:05

STUDENTS in Scotland have faced the biggest rent increases during the past two years, according to new research.

Those studying at the University of St Andrews can now expect to pay an average of 15.4 per cent more to rent a room in a house compared with 2007, while student rents in Aberdeen have risen by 10.4 per cent.

The towns account for the top two places which have seen the biggest rent rises during the past two years, while they are also the only towns that have seen double digit increases, according to house share website Spareroom.co.uk

Despite average rents for people renting a whole property falling during the past two years, single room rents have continued to increase, rising by 5.6 per cent since 2007.

Students studying in Birmingham and Exeter have seen the biggest rent increases for university towns in England, with the cost of renting a room rising by 7.6 per cent in both places since 2007, followed by Lancaster at 6.2 per cent.

Matt Hutchinson, director of Spareroom.co.uk, said: "While average whole property rents in the UK have dropped significantly in the last two years, room rents, and in particular room rents in popular university towns and cities, have performed strongly and held up well against the worsening economic conditions.

"Strong rental growth in university towns is great news for student landlords but bad news for the thousands of students who are faced with the prospect of mounting debt in order to fund themselves through university with no guarantee of a job at the end of their degree."