By james art 
Durham University students are being forced to fork out more than £2,000 out of pocket just to afford accommodation, leaving them “exhausted” from balancing academic life with rising housing costs.
Students have resorted to part-time work and say it’s a “constant balancing act” to afford rent, groceries and travel that leaves them “exhausted”.
“I love my university and my courses, but working well just to afford the rent is wearing me out,” says one Durham student who, like many others, struggles to balance academic life with rising housing costs.
Across Durham, students are reporting paying thousands of pounds out of pocket as rising housing costs put their education and well-being at risk.
As these students begin looking for accommodation for the next academic year, many are finding that rental prices are stretching their budgets far beyond what government loans can cover.
With little regulation in off-campus student areas, student landlords can set prices freely, often well above fair market rates.
Students have to pay £2,000 out of pocket to offset the cost of the extortionate halls of residence, which impacts on their studies and quality of life.
Alan Edwards, a third-year student at Durham University, shared his experience: “I understand that housing is expensive everywhere, but for students in particular it feels particularly unfair.
“In my second year, costs jumped by £2,148 compared to what I paid in my first year. And in the third year I had to make up another £1,752 out of pocket because my rent was £8,160 for the year, while my loan only covered £5,715, plus a £693 grant from the university.
Meanwhile, a student from Durham, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “My loan and living grant don’t come close to covering my rent so I’ve had to take a job.
“I also live a little further from campus, which means I need a car to get around and be able to go home and visit my family sometimes. Between paying rent, buying groceries, and just commuting, it’s a constant balancing act.
“I really love my university and my courses, but working on top of a full schedule can be overwhelming. Sometimes I’ll finish a long shift and instead of being able to study, I just feel exhausted.
“It’s like I’m trying to juggle everything at once, but it can be exhausting, especially when I feel like I’m only working to cover the essentials.
“Honestly, I think there should be some regulation on what student landlords can charge. Right now it feels like they can charge whatever they want just because they know we need housing.”
The lack of regulation has created a situation from our research where a six-bedroom student flat listed on Rightmove costs £7,280 a month, meaning each student would have to pay £1,213 a month – £14,556 a year.
The student added: “This is ridiculous. Students are already on tight budgets and it’s hard enough to make ends meet without worrying about whether you can afford to live where you study.’
Dan Lonsdale, president of Durham Students’ Union, described the situation as an “affordability crisis”.
The SU study revealed that students spend two-thirds to three-quarters of their income on rent, well above the recommended one-third.
Almost half of students work more than 12 hours a week, potentially affecting their ability to focus on their university work.
The latest figures from the SU show that 57% of students in Durham find their accommodation unaffordable and one in four feel their accommodation is unaffordable and of poor quality.
“55% of students report that housing costs limit their academic engagement, and 67% say it limits their extracurricular involvement,” Lonsdale noted, adding that students from lower-income backgrounds spend a disproportionate amount of time working, only to make ends meet.
SU has launched campaigns encouraging students to resist panic hiring and wait until they are better informed.
Early releases from estate agents are sparking a housing rush, which Lonsdale says is driving up prices and forcing students to feel pressured into expensive commitments.
The quality of housing has become an additional concern, with many students reporting poor living conditions such as mold, damp and pests. “We’ve had students hospitalized due to exposure to mold and moisture,” Lonsdale shared.
In addition to local advocacy, Lonsdale emphasized the need for broader rent control policies. “One landlord controls 20% of student accommodation in Durham – a concentration that distorts the whole market.”
Durham University alone holds nearly 40% of student housing, which further influences local rents. “University rates have jumped 55% in the last decade, outstripping private rents,” Lonsdale pointed out.
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Durham University tries to help its students in every possible way. A Durham University spokesperson said: “At Durham University, most of our students live in university colleges in their first year and in private rented accommodation thereafter.
“We provide a wide range of support and guidance to students in finding private accommodation.
“This includes working with partners through a student housing management group; providing a central source of information and guidance, our Housing Centre; and developing a Code of Practice for Student Letting in Durham City.
“For students looking for private accommodation for 2025/26: our analysis suggests there will be enough accommodation in Durham to meet demand, so take your time before you settle.
“We always support all our students, including those who are facing financial difficulties. We have a comprehensive range of scholarships, bursaries and other funding available to help students from all backgrounds study at Durham University.
“For example, the Durham Grant Scheme provides a non-repayable bursary for UK students with a household income of up to £62,342.
“It is recognized as one of the most generous student bursaries at any UK university and is automatically paid to eligible students. We have increased it by a further 6.7% for 2024/25, making it worth up to £2,670 per student for each year of study.
“We also have a Student Hardship Fund for students in urgent need.
“We are working hard to attract more students from disadvantaged backgrounds and we are making good progress in this area. Last year a quarter of our new UK students came to us through a Widening Access scheme and we are confident that our entry figures for 2024/25 will show further improvement.”