To think student housing is getting ridiculous?

[Cousinmuffin]

I live in Liverpool and have done my entire life. My partner and I are looking to rent our first place together.

Every single property we can find is houseshare or student accommodation. Nothing ever gets Posted for actual houses and it isn’t even about the rent cost. We aren’t well off so obviously aren’t wanting to spend huge amounts on rent but because there’s no houses to rent even ones in deprived areas (which I’m from so it’s no judgement) and only 1/2 bedrooms are coming up £950! And even they are rare.

AIBU I’m thinking the government need to control how many properties (and I mean actual family houses) are being bought by landlords splitting them into house shares making there be nothing to rent for anyone else ?

My city has really clamped down on houses being used. Loads of large Victorian houses used as student lets. The flip side of that is there are huge blocks of flats springing up. In areas not suited to them. No car parking etc. I love Liverpool, noticed it as bag up there.

Not noticed it to be as bad up there though. That should stay.

If I sell my house. I will not sell to anyone who wants to let to students.

Whre are you looking? Are you looking for sharedhouse?
There are always 2bed houses and flats under 900 around which are not student houses

That seems odd. Most students presumably want to live in the main studenty areas, and in bigger houses than 1/2 bed. Surely there must be small terraces available in areas such as Dingle or north Liverpool?

In typical MN fashion, replies poke holes in the OP rather than talk about the issue I have stated. If there is a house within the radius we are able to live, we have applied. For months we have been trying, checking every day. Believe me. It’s not my house searching that is the issue.

I live in a student area. My city council have massively clamped down on this when we were buying last year. Every property we saw the estate agents specifically stated that these houses can not be turned into hmos. In our case we were buying a house for us so didn't care but at least our council are recognising the problem.

Send a letter to your city council. However here there is a massive housing shortage so buying or renting is next to impossible. There building lads of new estates but it's not enough

But you won't know what they intend to do once they own it.

We had to almost write an application to buy last year and a number of people wanted to sell to families rather then cash buyers for this reason. On a few we had to submit bios of why we wanted the house 🤣
Obviously you could lie but this is definetly a sentiment we came across

I lived in liverpool for a good few years and still know several that rent, non of them have spent months looking for a rental.
Either you are applying for things that are too high for your incomes if it’s a case of applying but not getting, or you are being ridiculously narrow in your search.

It's the same in Durham. Literally every spare building is being turned into student housing. Now that the CofE is collapsing they'll probably turn the cathedral into student flats 🙄

I was a student in Liverpool in 1990s. Just read that the halls I stayed in (carnatic) are gently rotting now, unused, a they are not swanky enough for today's students. Hence putting more pressure on regular housing

@Redglitter no, but if it's someone BTL, it will almost certainly be a student landlord.

Are you removing the 'house share' filter?

@topcat2014 my friend moved into a house on Carnatic Road that came with his job. I didn't think the halls looked that bad. But odd location for students!

@topcat2014 a they are not swanky enough for today's students.

Oh come on, the 90s where 30 years ago!
In recent years the buildings were riddled with asbestos and had fallen into huge disrepair. Carnatic was a shithole with I was there even 15 years ago.

Dd is finding the opposite, she wants a bedsit, flat or tiny house as she can't cope with sharing and everything she finds in budget days no students, seriously considering renting the 2 bed we found for her and me officially but I won't actually be there, downside is might have to pay council tax

I thought landlords given the choice would prefer working couples who have a credit history rather than student lets. There is more wear and tear and admin for student lets. What is making these landlords convert their houses into student lets?

HMOs will probably be a better earner and the landlords probably don't care about the properties and do minimum remedial work.
Couples would expect a higher standard.

That's my guess anyway.

I was looking into the possibility of purchasing a buy-to-let property last year some time. One I looked at was well positioned for family or student or professional sharers, which I thought would make it a good investment whatever happened to the rental market. But when it was clarified that it was in an area where no more HMO licences were going to be granted (actually quite valid), there was £1000 per month difference in the likely rental income. Changed the sums enormously. I was startled at the size of the difference.

I do think that accommodation for undergraduate students needs to be managed very very differently so that actual housing can be more long-term.

I totally agree with you. I was looking on Rightmove earlier and there were loads of student houses/house shares. There was a 2 bedroom flat that was to share, why??!!! This is in Birmingham. There is really nothing for families.

OP I will agree with you on your post.

Im in Tameside in Manchester and the amount of terraced houses, semis etc being let as HMO’s is insane. All for like £500 a month too, for a bloody room

The rental market is crazy. I’ve just lost the buyer of my house, they didn’t want to wait in the chain. When I looked at finding a rental it was 3 x my mortgage monthly payment so I couldn’t afford to do it.

Student shares are highly profitable for absolutely minimal effort on the part of the landlord. It's a real problem where I live too. Too many students at the cost of family accommodation and permanent residents wanting to rent.

Totally agree that local authorities are ignoring their own rules about student HMOs.

My dd is looking at student flats in London. They are generally in the price range of 1,100 per month per room in a 5-6 bed house. That is about 56,000 per year for the landlord, more than double what the average person earns per annum. Nice little earner.