Tuesday 29-04-2025 - 13:47

Hey everyone,

I’ll keep this brief, but just wanted to share a few positive updates on the housing campaign.

So far, I’ve met with five MSPs from the Glasgow Region to push for better support for students, and we’re starting to see some movement as the Housing Bill continues in stage 2 of the Scottish Parliament’s legislative process. I also received an update from Pam Duncan-Clancy MSP, who has lodged several amendments aimed at improving student rights within Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). If anyone’s interested in reading those in more detail, I’m happy to share!

I’ve been lobbying and proposing the following changes that I would like to see in the Housing Bill:

Abolishing Guarantors
● Many students are required to provide UK-based guarantors who meet stringent income criteria. This affects international students, as well as estranged students and those from low-income backgrounds, neither of whom will have a UK-based guarantor that meets the criteria. This system is outdated and needs to modernise to align with Scotland’s claim to be a welcoming and diverse country.

Regulation for Purpose-Built Student Accommodation Providers
● While the bill introduces much-needed rent controls for private tenancies, it explicitly excludes PBSA from these regulations. This leaves a significant proportion of students, particularly those in cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow where PBSA is common, without the protection they need from acute rent increases.
● Rent levels must be tied to the quality of the accommodation provided.
● Many students in PBSA face poor maintenance, unresponsive providers, and high fees without proper processes to address these problems. PBSA providers must be accountable to their tenants as any other landlord is in the private sector.

Council Tax Exemption Post-Graduation
● Students are expected to begin paying council tax the moment exams end, often meaning they are paying when they do not have a degree decision or certificate for another couple of months, and most likely have not yet found full-time employment. Most graduate programmes begin in September, which would be a more practical time for students to begin paying council tax.

Other Recommended Actions
1. Expansion of affordable housing: The Scottish Government, universities, and local authorities should collaborate to increase the supply of affordable student housing. This could include expanding non-profit and cooperative housing models, as seen with the Edinburgh Student Housing Cooperative.
2. Improved data collection: Establish a robust data collection framework to monitor student housing demand, affordability, and quality. This data is crucial for informed policy-making and planning.
3. Crackdown on Landlord scams.
4. One-stop support centres: Create city-wide, one-stop support centres to provide students with guidance on housing options, tenancy rights, and financial assistance. These centres can play a vital role in preventing homelessness and supporting vulnerable students.

I’m so pleased to say that through our Scotland wide Sabbatical Officer Working Group on housing, we’ve collectively contacted 50 MSPs to help make positive changes happen.

There is also a link to a breakdown of the student-focused amendments from Wonkhe that’s worth a look.

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Full Time Officer Election 2025 —I really appreciate the support and trust. I’m excited to take this forward and hope to deliver as your President.

Best of luck with exams and dissertations—July graduations are just around the corner and I’m really looking forward to celebrating with you all!

Cheers!

Tom Tom
Vice President GSBS

Contact: VP.GSBS@gcustudents.co.uk