Letting agents and landlords are warning the Government that abolishing fixed-term student tenancies under the Renters Rights Bill could destabilise the entire academic lettings cycle. With the new law set to replace fixed terms with rolling contracts, agents fear voids, rising rents, and landlords pulling out of student housing altogether.
Agents fear breakdown of the academic rental cycle
New polling by Alto, the UK’s largest property CRM, found that more than one in three letting agents (34%) believe the shift to open-ended contracts will “blow up” the carefully structured student letting cycle.
Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson, CEO at Alto, said: “This is a sector built around predictability and the Renters’ Rights Bill rips that up. It’s not just landlords who lose. If student lets become unworkable, young people will have fewer affordable options and more uncertainty around their housing.”
The survey of 250 agents also revealed:
- 20% say landlords are already leaving the student market.
- 10% report clients are actively reconsidering.
- 10% have advised landlords to abandon student lets altogether.
Agents fear that without fixed terms, students could leave mid-course, leaving landlords with unexpected voids and higher costs. Others warn rents may rise as landlords attempt to recover lost summer income.
Landlords weigh up risks and alternatives
Many landlords have long relied on fixed 12-month contracts to align with academic timetables and ensure consistent cash flow. The proposed reforms disrupt that model. One Birmingham landlord told us: “I’ve let to students for 15 years, but if I can’t guarantee income over the summer, it’s hard to justify. I’d rather switch to professionals or sell up entirely.”
Alto’s data shows 18% of agents already see landlords bracing for summer voids, while 15% say administrative burdens are climbing. A further 12% report academic cycles no longer fit tenancy structures, complicating re-letting and increasing workload for managing agents.
Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) may soak up some demand, but landlords note it can’t replace the flexible and affordable HMOs provided by independent investors.
Is reform an opportunity in disguise?
Not everyone sees the changes as negative. Kristjan Byfield, co-founder of The Depositary, argued that scrapping fixed terms could encourage innovation: “Historically, students have been locked into 12-month contracts for 10-month tenancies, and often pay for voids they don’t use. The smart investors will realise that better homes attract loyalty – and if a student loves where they live, they’ll want to stay.”
Byfield suggested landlords could diversify, with short-term summer lets boosting yields and improved quality housing strengthening retention. However, many landlords remain sceptical, arguing that constant uncertainty will make student lettings less viable and push up rents for those who remain.
Editor’s view
The student rental market has always been built on predictability—synchronised with the academic year. Removing fixed terms risks throwing that structure into disarray, leaving landlords facing higher voids, heavier admin, and fewer reasons to stay invested.
The Government insists the Renters Rights Bill will improve fairness, but without tailored provisions for student housing, the reforms could end up delivering the opposite: higher rents, scarcer choice, and fewer homes. The real question is whether ministers are prepared to listen before the new academic year exposes the cracks.
