Recently, several reports have highlighted the growth of the luxury accommodation market aimed at an elite of super wealthy, overseas students. International students from places, such as the Middle East, USA, Asia and Africa are said to be paying over £2,000 per week for top, luxury apartments in the most affluent areas of London and equally mind-boggling rentals in areas, such as Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton. One example in the news at the start of the academic year 2015/16 was an American fashion student who was set to pay £21,000 a month – £5,250 a week – to rent a three-bedroom apartment in the prestigious, London Mayfair area.
Compare this with the everyday struggle of even a fairly affluent international student to find decent, affordable standard accommodation – and a different story unfolds. In some key university towns, the high cost of private accommodation for just a “reasonable” standard of accommodation means that an increasing number of students are ultimately forced to share rooms, which leads to overcrowding and a lack of regular property maintenance.
The gap between a student’s expectations and the quality level of the average property offered for the rental price advertised can be quite an eye-opener…
Students end up in debt to cover deposits
More than 75 per cent of students say they experience problems with their privately rented accommodation, according to a recent National Union of Students (NUS) report. Property rented by over 50 per cent of students is claimed to have condensation, almost half have mould and a quarter infested with vermin. The Report also found that as many as 3 in four students will end up in debt to cover deposits, letting agency fees and other initial costs just to secure a basic accommodation.
The NUS say that a student can often find it very difficult or even impossible to have their requests taken seriously by landlords. It’s not all that surprising to discover that 50 per cent of students say they are unable to get a landlord or letting agent to carry out repairs at the property.
Many overseas students, away from home for the first time, will not have to deal in their first year with the horrors offered by some of the more dubious lettings agents or private landlords. They are likely to have bagged themselves a room at a university halls of residence. But what happens when a student must vacate a halls of residence after their first year? Supposing you are a young student in your teens coming to learn English on a shorter course?
Carefully selected and vetted family hosts
The answer for many younger overseas students has to be a hosted homestay. Known for a high standard of amenities and comfort at an affordable price, you’re assured the security and care of a family environment, whether you are in a group accommodation or looking for those extra cool touches available in a superior accommodation.
The key is always the organisation who offers the room scheme through their carefully selected and vetted family hosts. An established company, such as Hosts International ensures that the properties offer value for money and deliver high standards of home management. As an “approved to British Council standards” company, Hosts also takes considerable care to match the host family with a student’s preferences by visiting all homes to ensure that they are suitable. In this way, many potential misunderstandings and disputes can be avoided in advance or promptly resolved if they happen unexpectedly.
The host scheme aims to ensure a student can simply relax and focus on their studies without any unnecessary worries. For example, the student’s “right to privacy” is respected by a host family and they will not enter the student’s bedroom without permission except in a genuine emergency. By contrast to the experiences of many students in private rented accommodation, any repairs that need to be carried out are sure to be properly fixed – and a lot quicker than lettings agents or landlords.
Britain has long been recognised as a top destination for international students, attracting nearly 273,000 new students in 2013/14, according to latest available British Council figures. The figures are expected to continue rising as mobility among students changes. Greater choice and flexibility means that apart from around the two per cent of international students who compete their entire course qualification, many more are expected to include an “international” element to their course through exchange study abroad.