People Before
Profit Magee representative Aoife Kelly said,
“Many worried
students have been in contact with our student representatives at Magee and
other campuses seeking assistance with issues regarding private landlords and
benefits.
While the
university has put measures in place for courses to continue, the university
and Stormont Executive have been ignoring the fact students are being backed
into a corner by private landlords.
Many landlords are
entitled to mortgage holidays, VAT and rates relief yet they expect student
tenants to continue to pay full rent.
Despite the ongoing
health crisis and government advice, landlords are demanding students pay their
full rent even for houses that are no longer being lived in.
With the loss of
part time work during this crisis, students have lost an income they were
dependant on to meet the demands of private landlords. Students are currently
excluded from applying for Universal Credit while classified as studying yet
they are expected to pay landlords upwards of £75 a week.
Students living on
university campus had their contracts terminated without penalty, the Stormont
Executive needs to be doing more to help students currently being exploited by
private landlords. We must reject any and all attempts of profiteering from
this crisis, particularly when landlords are getting assistance from the public
purse.
People Before
Profit supports the demands of NUS- USI for a rent suspension throughout this
crisis, access to sustainable financial support for students, penalty-free
termination of contracts, for all supportive measures to be backdated to 1
March and as we enter economic uncertainty beyond this crisis we call for a
rent freeze for a year to be put in place for all students to ensure they can
continue studying.
Our representatives
in Council and Stormont back the demands students are making – and we call on
the Executive to take action now.”