Introduce a rent cap on all student accommodation across both private and corporate providers to address excessive pricing, ensure equal access to higher education, and reduce the mental health impact of financial strain on students.

A national cap on student rents could prevent excessive pricing by private landlords and large providers. We feel maintenance loans have not kept pace with rising rental costs, causing many students to work long hours alongside full-time study, which can harm mental well-being and academic performance. Without intervention, we are concerned high costs could risk excluding lower-income students, a drop in university applicants and weakening local economies that rely on student populations.