Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the (a) cost and (b) availability of student accommodation.

Student accommodation is a busy part of the housing market. As universities and landlords are private and autonomous bodies the government has no role in the provision of student accommodation, nor a remit to intervene in how it is allocated.

The department expects universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure that they are fair, clear, and have the interests of students at heart. This includes making accommodation available at a range of affordable price points.

Since 2006, the interests of students have been protected by three government-sponsored accommodation Codes of Practice, so that if a student believes their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the relevant code of practice.