In this blog post, Samuel Moore (recent alumnus of Durham University), draws on his recent research into the student housing crisis. 

Amid a national student housing crisis, where rents have surged by over 8% in a year, while maintenance support has risen by only 2.8%. UK university cities are facing surging rents and extreme shortages, with student housing reaching a “crisis point” not seen since the 1970s. StuRents, in 2022, reported a shortfall of 207,000 student beds, with an anticipated rise to 450,000 by 2025 if left unaddressed.   A 2023 report from NUS illustrates the widespread effect on students reporting one third of UK students are struggling to pay housing costs, with 17% have resorted to foodbanks. 

Durham’s situation is particularly acute. A small university city, Durham, provides a stark case study of the wider pressures in the UK student housing market. This article utilizes survey data from 61 Durham University students and interview data from 5 current students and 3 alumni to examine how affordability, supply, and market forces shape the student housing market.

In 2024/25, our respondents reported their average annual rent in Durham (~£9,534), far exceeds student loans, and even the maximum maintenance loan (£10,227) leaves only £692 per year (~£13/week) for living costs. Our student survey participants reflected this strain with 90.1% of respondents rating housing affordability at 3/5 or lower, with a weighted average of 2.56. As one current student reports paying £200/week rent on only £150/week of loan support, “forced to live hand-to-mouth”. Alumni contrast this with the past, with one alumnus noting that “housing was not an issue”. 

Such strain reflects scarce supply. According to the Study of the Demand for Student Accommodation, Durham University houses only about 1/3 of its students, leaving over 14,000 to find private rental for themselves. The report identifies ~7,209 university beds and ~2,500–3,000 PBSA beds in 2022/23. In 2024, we saw this shortfall in great effect, when 100 first-year students were suddenly left without accommodation and just 18 days to secure their own rooms. As a result, 90% of students sign leases more than six months early, as estate agents release flats en masse each autumn, creating competitive conditions that push rents higher.

With Durham’s finite city space, supply cannot rise fast enough to meet demand. Planning restrictions may have exacerbated this shortage. While Article 4 aims to preserve community balance, it can be seen to have unintentionally constrained HMO supply. Over 59% of respondents reported at least some difficulty securing accommodation in Durham (3/5 or higher), reflecting how tight and competitive the market has become. This is supply constraint is evident in national reporting of students queuing outside overnight estate agents just to secure housing.   

A rise in PBSA complexes can be seen, but only on a limited scale. Only ~2,500 – 3,000 PBSA beds are available, coming at a price premium over shared housing. PBSA targets well-off students, leaving most of the student population to compete for traditional house shares. In this high-demand HMO market, market dynamics currently favour landlords, leaving students with limited bargaining power.

Reports of poor housing quality are widespread, even as rents continue to rise. Many students describe issues such as damp, mould, and ignored repairs. Nearly half of surveyed students (49.8%) rated their housing quality as only ‘fair’ or below (3/5 or lower), with just 3% describing it as very good (5/5). One alumnus observes that houses that were once “terrible but cheap” have become “mediocre but expensive”, with no corresponding upgrade in condition in relation to price. Students report feeling limited in their options, as vacancies are scarce and, according to respondents, some landlords show limited incentive to improve conditions. As one student bluntly puts it, tenants often “just tolerate poor conditions” because they face no alternatives. 

The growing affordability gap forces hard choices. Our research suggests that nearly 78.7% of student respondents rely on parental help, overdrafts, or part-time work to subsidise rent, and 39.3% report cutting spending on essentials or taking on extra work. For example, one student recounted having to live so far outside Durham that “transport is complicated and expensive, and I’ve had to miss so many seminars and lectures”. An alumni notes that “affordability has spectacularly affected wellbeing… it is now normal to work part-time just to stay afloat”. Respondents frequently mentioned borrowing, using overdrafts, or going without basics.

Durham students are demanding action. Durham’s housing market calls for structural reform and greater institutional accountability. Building off key suggestions from students, the common proposals from interviews and survey responses are: 

• Delaying or regulating the annual housing release cycle – to reduce early-term panic and allow students time to gain information before rushing into contracts.  This could create a calmer housing search experience, allowing students to make more informed decisions without being pressured into early commitments. 
• Expanding university-managed and college accommodation – to reduce overreliance on the private market. This could provide more students with access to stable housing, reducing strain on the private market and increasing student options. 
• Introducing rent caps or affordability-linked pricing – ensuring rents are aligned more with maintenance loan levels. It would tie housing costs to what students can afford based on maintenance loans. In turn, students could experience less financial strain and be less likely to sacrifice basic needs or incur debt over housing costs.  
• Enforcing stronger housing quality standards – compelling landlords to address maintenance issues more effectively. This reform would set stricter minimum standards for student housing, ensuring repairs and issues are carried out to an adequate standard. 
• Creating a landlord accreditation or public rating scheme – to improve transparency and hold poor agents accountable. This could provide students with clear information about landlords’ and agents’ track records. Highlighting poor practices could pressure landlords to ensure a suitable track record and help maintain higher standards. 
• Encouraging collaboration between Durham University, Durham County Council, and Landlords/Estate Agents– to create a fairer, transparent, and affordable housing market. This approach could bring the university, local council, and private landlords and estate agents together to tackle the student housing challenge. Through shared information and coordinated actions, these stakeholders can improve transparency in the market and promote fairer options for students.  

Nationwide, students are struggling to find reasonably priced accommodation, as rent hikes continue to outpace financial support. In Durham, a small university city where supply is limited and demand is high, these pressures are especially visible. Housing competition is intense, and students have little choice but accept market conditions. Reflecting on student and alumnus suggestions, this article explores how affordability and housing supply are shaping the student experience and highlights suggested reforms those affected believe are necessary to create a fairer, more sustainable market.

Views expressed by the authors may not represent the views of CaCHE.