Rents across UCL halls are set to rise again by 3.9% despite repeated calls for a rent freeze by the Students’ Union.
From next year, students living in UCL halls will be expected to fork out an extra £10.6 a week on average. A UCL spokesperson said this reflects the “quality and location” of its halls, adding most rooms will only increase by 3.1% and up to 4.5% in others.
Leaked documents reveal suits at the University initially proposed an above-inflation hike of 4.5%, but negotiations by the Students’ Union meant rents only rose by an average of 3.9%.
The Union initially lobbied for a rent freeze, warning a 4.5% hike would reduce the percentage of rooms available at the benchmark adopted by City Hall for what counts as “affordable student rent” from 14% to 10%.
A Freedom of Information request by The Cheese Grater reveals that weekly rents for single and single ensuite rooms have risen by a third since 2019. In total, UCL halls are 22.7% more expensive than they were three years ago.
The University previously attempted to justify a 4.5% hike, saying: “We believe that it would be difficult to justify considering increases beyond this point, given the affordability challenges students are currently facing.
“A larger increase than this would exacerbate the existing perception of poor value for money, particularly in halls that are in poor condition.”
Residents at UCL halls have faced persistent maintenance and security issues, as The Cheese Grater reported time and again.
Option to hike rent by 14% considered to cover millions in budget shortfall
Leaked documents show the University considered hiking rent by 14.1% to cover millions in budget shortfall, equivalent to an additional £40 per week on rent.
This included a £2.1m accounting mistake, when the University counted postgraduate summer income twice in its books.
However, documents seen by The Cheese Grater reveal suits at UCL’s Estates Management Committee considered compensating the shortfall by hiking rent by 14.1%, among other options.
A UCL spokesperson said: “A calculation error was made to our internal budgets, which was quickly identified and corrected. This has had no bearing on rent levels.”
The shortfall also included £1.3m attributed to overspend on the repairs and maintenance budget, labelled as “historically inadequate” in one University document, and another £700,000 when it overestimated its summer revenue.
Union: Students facing ‘unprecedented financial challenges’
In response to the University’s proposals, the Union highlighted the “unprecedented financial challenges” faced by students over the past few years as maintenance loans failed to match inflation for four consecutive years between 2021 to 2024.
It added that any further increase would reduce the number of beds considered to be affordable by the Greater London Authority, currently set at £188 a week.
The Union has adopted an official position to support a rent freeze across UCL halls since 2023, but this has not stopped the University from hiking rent every year.
The maximum maintenance loan available to students in England is £2,000 lower than what it would have been had it increased in line with inflation since 2021/2022.
UCL to lose 900 beds in further squeeze on supply
Changes in outsourcing deals with private accommodation providers mean UCL is set to lose almost 900 beds next year.
Documents reveal that UCL Accommodation will lose 888 beds in 2025/2026 after the University chose not to renew deals with Unite Students for Beaumont Court and Stapleton House, amounting to the loss of 1,098 beds, but will gain 205 new beds at Urbanest St Pancras.
The number of spaces offered by UCL Accommodation will shrink from 6,762 to 5,784, adding pressure to London’s “severe accommodation shortage” for students, the University admitted.
Meanwhile, One Pool Street in UCL East will be reserved for undergraduates from next September, with postgraduate residents relocated to a neighbouring hall owned by the University of London.
The University said the opening of a new Urbanest accommodation in Canary Wharf in September 2026 will add an additional 1,752 beds to its offering.
A UCL spokesperson said:“Our accommodation services provide a wide range of rooms and facilities at different price points, to cater for our diverse student community, and these rents are comparable with other similar London institutions and the private sector.
“Last year we introduced a new accommodation pricing structure following feedback from students that takes into account factors such as how close the accommodation is to our two campuses. This saw the cost of renting some rooms in UCL-owned halls fall by as much as 11 per cent.”
“We fully recognise that though rental costs remain a real concern for many of our students, we have a range of support available to those who may need assistance in paying their rent.
“This includes our Access UCL scheme which aims to provide affordable accommodation for every student that chooses to study here, our dedicated Cost of Living Hub and our Student Support and Wellbeing services.”
A Students’ Union spokesperson said: “Rental costs have increased rapidly, greatly above the value of maintenance loan uplifts and the rise in rent prices only means it is becoming more challenging to afford a place to stay while studying.
“So far this year we’ve seen our highest level of demand for our financial support funds.”
“While we have successfully negotiated to reduce the overall cost of all rooms for students, there is still significant work to be done to secure further reductions, increased financial support, and better provisions to ensure students are not priced out of their education.”
“We will continue to work with UCL to address these issues and fight for accessible, secure, and reasonably priced accommodation for all students.”
