Bristol alumni student tackles 'toxic' student rental market

Students are living in squalor due to a "toxic" rental market geared against those without a guarantor, it has been claimed.

Bristol University alumni Hannah Chappatte has created a website to tackle the industry "injustices".

She said some students were living in damp houses and there was no trust with landlords.

Masters student Eden Simkins said it was "unfair" and many had been left to "suffer" in horrible housing.

The HYBR platform matches up students with reputable landlords and offers free housemate matcher events and help with contracts, guarantors and legal support.

It has been launched in Bristol, London, Cardiff, Exeter, Lincoln, Liverpool, Lancaster and Sheffield.

Miss Simkins, who studies at Bristol University, said renting as a student was "distressing".

"The properties you're given are always grotty or have blankets hanging up in the windows, peeling paint, maintenance problems and letting agents don't listen," she said.

"Students are suffering and it's not fair.

"We are paying so much for university and to be paying rent for a horrible place where landlords won't give you a second thought, on top of that. It's just not right."

She said she now uses HYBR and feels more "cared for" when renting.

Bristol University student Patrick Keaveney, 21, said there needs to be a "shift in attitudes" towards student renting.

"In my third year house there was black mould in the kitchen which was dangerous for our food," he said.

Mr Keaveney said he was unwell because of it.

"Landlords get away with this all the time," he added.

Miss Chappette said first year students had to decide "in a few short weeks" who they would live with for the next year and "those without guarantors must pay a full year's rent in advance".

"Every year this cycle repeats - it doesn't work for anyone and has created a toxic market where students don't trust landlords and landlords don't trust students," she said.

"This is about fixing a broken a market.

"It's geared against underprivileged students who don't have guarantors."

Miss Chappette said she planned to expand the service to Manchester, Nottingham, Bath and Leeds in the future.

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