STUDENTS demanded action from the Scottish government over eye-watering rents today as newly published research showed a sharp rise over the past three years. 

The average annual rent for purpose-built student accommodation rose to £6,853 in 2021-22 from £5,111 in 2018, according to a survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) and student housing charity Unipol. 

NUS Scotland president Matt Crilly said the rise showed that the student housing system was “fundamentally broken” as he called on ministers to bring in rent controls.

The accommodation costs survey also found that, on average, students living in private-sector accommodation paid £7,322 in housing costs, compared to an average of £5,809 for those living in university accommodation.

Those living in purpose-built student properties were found to be paying 88 per cent of the maximum value of their student loan on average, potentially leaving them with just £22.42 a week to live on.

For those who receive the minimum financial support, average rents could amount to 144 per cent of what they receive.

Mr Crilly said the situation may deter some young people from going to university.

“We need to see action now so that no student has to face the prospect of experiencing homelessness, sacrificing food, or dropping out of college or university because of expensive rent,” he said.

“The Scottish government must heed the warnings implicit in these eye-watering figures and urgently create a student housing strategy which includes rent controls.

“The disconnect between student income and rent levels poses an extreme and immediate threat to access and participation in education.”

A Scottish government spokesman said it is working to deliver a new deal for tenants with improved standards of accommodation and new controls on rent.

He said that a review of purpose-built student accommodation was underway and that this would consider the financial burden on students.

The survey was published as the chairwoman of Westminster’s public accounts committee warned that private-sector tenants face a “postcode lottery” over the standard of their homes. 

A report from the National Audit Office said that some renters can end up suffering serious illness, financial issues, or even homelessness as a result of poor landlords and housing.

Dame Meg Hillier urged the housing department to “bring some order to the chaos” as she warned that regulation is currently “piecemeal and … hamstrung by a worrying lack of data.”