A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
The group asks students: "Tired of paying for a house you're not using?" and "Think you could do with paying two grand less student debt?" It outlines the situation that students in their second and third year face when, due to standard 12 month contracts, they find themselves having to pay two or three months rent for a property they are not even occupying.
The group wants to see it made illegal for landlords to be able to take money for the summer months when the property is vacant. It gives a link to a petition to campaign for this and offers a brief description of the legislation they would like to see implemented.
This legislation proposes that all landlords with a property on the letting market should, if wishing to let this property to current university students, be forced by law to offer a nine-month contract at the same rate they advertise for a 12-month let.
The group also states how the extra money that students have to pay for the empty summer months can equate to the equivalent of a term's worth of student financial support. It says that this is an "unfair burden" that could be alleviated if the government agreed to the legislation.
A third-year student told The Yorker: "I feel like I've wasted this summer, working to earn money to pay the rent of a property I was not occupying". He added: "A nine-month contract would be a really good idea, and would mean that money earned over the summer could go towards living expenses whilst at university and savings."
At press time, the group had 119 members. To view it, click here.
The Landlords would only increase the rent to compensate. There's no way that all York landlords could rent their student lets for just the holidays to make up for the lost income. Nice idea, but pointless.
This sounds like a stupid idea to me. What about all the students who want to return earlier than mid October to work, on essays/exams or paid employment? Or live in their student house full time because they have moved out of their parents' homes? Our Easter break is over a month long, are we cruelly being forced to pay rent then or is that OK? Admitedly the situation isn't perfect for some but the suggestion that is should be illegal is a bit ridiculous.
What a pointless campaign.
What about something more realistic - like getting landlords to charge half rent over the summer months if houses aren't occupied.
Bad idea for a campaign... landlords would simply raise the weekly rent during the nine months to compensate. Plenty of students *do* use their houses over the summer to work, for summer resits, or just to get away from their parents for a bit! Don't forget the postgraduates who are expected to work on their dissertations etc. over those summer months.
Apparently they think paying rent for 12 months out of student loans and grants is a waste of public money, and that instituting this law would save said public money.
What's the betting that if any government brings this in they'd also demand to see the tenancy contract before your funding was assessed, and then reduce your loan if you were paying for only 9 months?!!
Joking aside, this would just push up monthly rents and cause a lot of landlords to leave the student market.
Maybe we should make a pro-landlord group/petition that asks mortgage lenders to not require mortgage payments for the 3 months that students aren't in rental properties. So the rental companies can still make a profit.
The contract is drawn up to suit the terms of the landlord and the tenant, therefore it is a stupid idea to try and make contracts where tenants do not occupy the property illegal. By that logic I should be able to claim back 2 weeks rent when I go on holiday.
Short term lets are available, including for 9 months and in some cases a minimum of 6 months and a rolling contract from then onwards. Some agents will even offer contracts of a month or less for business visitors to the town.
However the year's contract is the most sensible for the student market, as landlords would struggle to fill houses for multiple occupation for 3 months of the year. Similarly many students do return to university early, come back for resits and to use the library, or to work in York.
9 month lets are available, just perhaps not through your usual student letting agencies.
I made good use of my student houses over the summer holidays.
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