The Interdepartmental Working Group on Student Accommodation last met on 30th June. The key issues discussed were the progress made on actions outlined in the National Student Accommodation Strategy, and a discussion of the planned Residential Tenancies (No.2) Act and its impact on student accommodation.
The Act was subsequently passed on July 9th. It restricts the up-front payments required to secure accommodation, including student accommodation, to no more than the equivalent of two months’ rent, and limit payments thereafter to on month’s rent at a time.
Housing For All, the Government's recently announced plan for housing, contains a commitment to support technological universities to develop purpose-built student accommodation where such a requirement exists, through access to appropriate financing, and a specific action in relation to legislating to allow for Technological Universities to borrow from the Housing Finance Agency. My officials and I will continue to work with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to advance this.