In recent years, an increasing number of students are deciding to move out of their parent’s house, and find new accommodation while they study at college or University. This large number of student moves is in stark contrast to just a few years ago, when many decided to stay at home while they studied, perhaps to save the costs associated with renting a property. This is especially true in London, where rental costs are continually at a high level, due to extreme demand in the area.
So, what has changed in recent years to prompt these student moves? Certainly, more students seem to be travelling further to University. Competition to get into local Universities is high, and depending on the direction an individuals’ education takes, their local University may not even offer the course or degree that they need. Also, with the population growing and the job market remaining stagnant, great careers are more difficult to get into, even with a degree and/or the appropriate training. Because of this, students are willing to travel larger distances to Universities, to get the exact qualifications that they need to gain a competitive edge.



Of course, some students may be able to commute to their University or college – however, this is not always possible. Large commutes every day can be a nightmare, and also relatively expensive in recent times, so students may decide to cut their losses and rent a property nearer to their place of study. Given that the majority of degrees take several years to complete, this seems to be the natural choice for those wanting to cut down on their travelling time, costs and move closer to their peers for social events.




And renting need not be overly expensive. Students generally rent on a house share basis – many simply do not need an excessively large property. One of the main reasons for this is that student life generally brings with it a new and active social life. If students are spending the majority of their time away from their accommodation, they won’t want to spend large amounts on their rent. Also, many students like the social aspect of house sharing, and choose to share with other students on their course/degree.



Developers and landlords who own properties near to the major universities and colleges understand that demand for shared accommodation will be high in those areas. Often, it makes more financial sense to buy larger, perhaps slightly older properties, and split them into flats, or let out the rooms individually. They know that the demand will be there, so usually have little problem letting out their properties. Also, as one group of students moves out (i.e. when they have completed their course or degree and moved back home, or to another location), another group will be starting at University, so this creates a rolling demand for rentals.