Purpose built student accommodation: notice to leave tenancy: provider survey
Overview
We want to know about the current processes in place for students who wish to end their tenancy agreement early, and what the impact of any legislation in relation to notice to quit periods would have on your business. This includes college or university halls of residence as well as privately owned and run purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) It does not include private lets, typically where a student stays either alone or with other students in a privately owned house or flat.
Students in PBSA currently do not have the same notice to quit rights as tenants in the private rented sector. To establish the extent of any need for similar regulation within the PBSA sector, we are looking to find out from accommodation providers the extent to which students have requested to end their tenancy agreement early, and to obtain information about accommodation / tenancy agreements, empty accommodation (voids) as a consequence of tenancy breaks and any associated financial impact. We are specifically seeking information from providers from the periods before or after the COVID-19 pandemic, as emergency provisions around accommodation were in place during the pandemic (April 2020 – July 2022).
A similar questionnaire has been developed for completion by students, if you are a student please instead complete the Purpose built student accommodation: notice to leave tenancy: student survey
The analysis of the questionnaire responses will be published on the Scottish Government website. Individual responses to this questionnaire will not be published.
Why your views matter
Tenancy or accommodation agreements in private tenancies and purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) are different, especially in respect of notice to leave periods. While tenancy agreements in the private rented sector are legislated for, those in PBSA are based on contracts between the accommodation provider and the student.
In order to establish whether there is a need to change the nature of notice periods in student accommodation, we are looking for information on requests made by students to end their tenancy early, how these were dealt with, whether rental costs were reimbursed and the financial impact of such decisions on the accommodation provider.
To ensure we obtain as much information as possible, we are also asking students about any requests for tenancy breaks, reasons for these and how they were dealt with.
Once all responses are analysed a decision on whether legislation is necessary and proportionate can be made.
Give us your views
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- Education
- Housing and Regeneration
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