Students urged to brush up on housing law

Ignorance of the law is costing students dearly, housing charity Shelter claims, through payment for repairs or services that are a landlord’s responsibility, or losing money on deposits.

Adam Sampson, chief executive of Shelter, said to This is Money: “By knowing where they stand and where to turn for help, students can avoid falling victim to unscrupulous landlords, living in damp or unsafe conditions or even losing their home.”

His urgings are particularly useful to the latest generation of students, who will graduate with greater debt than ever before due to a near-trebling in tuition fees.

Tips to avoid adding to this debt include taking photographs of damage as soon as the house is moved into for future claims, knowing that gas and electricity needs to be repaired by landlords and becoming acquainted with tenancy agreements.

Other ways that students can avoid paying too much for their time at university is by looking at a debt management plan and being wise with their finances.