Students in Sheffield said that their finances are being strained by rising rent costs, with many saying it is getting harder to afford everyday living due to an 8% increase in recent years.
One second year student at the University of Sheffield, Matty Fox, 20, described the difficulties of rent prices.
He said: ‘’Rising costs have affected other parts of my student life, I have to work a part time job to afford university.’’
‘’We had to change where we wanted to live as Broomhill is cheaper than Crookes, meaning we are further away from other students.’’
According to Office for National Statistics data rent prices have soared by 8% in the city in recent years.
According to the website unihomes.co.uk the average rent for student housing in Sheffield is around £127 per person per week, although prices can vary depending on location and property type.
Shared student houses are typically cheaper while private accommodation and studio flats can cost a lot more.
Some students said that the maintenance loan does not cover the cost of living and rent, calling for their loans to increase alongside the rise of rent.
Others said that they have had to take on part-time jobs or move further away from campus to find cheaper house prices.
Another University of Sheffield student, Lloyd Lee, said: ‘’Our house costs £136 a week.
‘’The majority of my loan goes towards rent so I have to budget food and nightlife very carefully.’’
A first-year student, Norah Caston, 19, detailed the pressure of having to find a house so early on in the academic year.
She said: ‘’I think it was difficult as a group of seven because by the time we looked most of the good houses were gone, so we had to get a nine bedroom house and pay extra.
‘’I think people rush into it too quickly and you have to choose who to live with after only knowing them for a month or two.’’
However, a worker for Broomhill Property Shop said that they have had no complaints from students who had concerns about paying rent.
Despite worries about housing prices, many students have said that Sheffield is still a popular area to study with reasonably priced houses and a large student population.
