TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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This conference will examine priorities for addressing affordability, availability and quality in student housing across the UK. It takes place against the backdrop of major reform to housing policy affecting student accommodation, alongside differing devolved frameworks and implementation timetables.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider the future direction of policy, regulation and institutional practice, and how to effectively support students in accessing safe, suitable and affordable accommodation going forward.
Recent reform & policy priorities
Delegates will examine measures in the Renters’ Rights Act 2026 in England - particularly with legal instruments for student housing having now been published - as well as the Government’s phased implementation roadmap, and equivalent or contrasting measures and regulatory timetables in devolved nations, including the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.
The planned agenda will consider implications for student housing of the shift to assured periodic tenancies, the purpose-built student accommodation exemption, and amended Ground 4A, as well as how these reforms sit alongside major quality and energy commitments.
Energy efficiency & sustainability
Sessions will also consider the longer-term condition and sustainability of student housing stock, including the delivery of energy efficiency upgrades, application of housing quality standards, and practical issues for meeting retrofit requirements within constraints of the academic year, alongside costs, capacity, and enforcement readiness.
Planning, data, affordability & access
Further discussion will assess key issues for governance, data, and planning, reflecting on the current evidence on student accommodation need, as well as what further data might be needed. The role of universities in forecasting demand will be considered, as well as practical approaches for co-ordination between local authorities, providers, and national policymakers.
We also expect a focus on overcoming access barriers faced by disadvantaged and international students, including guarantor requirements and discriminatory practices, and risks of policy mis-sequencing that could worsen shortages, increase rents, or undermine student welfare. Recent evidence on student affordability and housing experience will also be considered, including findings from the National Student Accommodation Survey 2026 and emerging research on the accommodation journeys of care-experienced and estranged students.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy:
- implications of the Renters’ Rights Act 2026 and implementation roadmap in England
- contrasting measures across devolved nations, including the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 - priorities for coherence, timing, and delivery
- tenancy reform:
- assured periodic tenancies, the PBSA exemption, and amended Ground 4A - implications for student letting cycles and annual turnover - student choice, supply, and provider practice
- Implementation in England:
- written statements of terms and Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet requirements
- treatment of specified student housing under the new tenancy structure - strengthened civil penalty ceilings and enforcement arrangements
- supply and demand:
- PBSA and houses in multiple occupation trends and regional mismatches - demographic change, international student flows, and visa policy
- implications for access, affordability, and institutional planning
- standards and compliance:
- building safety and housing quality requirements for existing and new stock - certification, remediation, and ongoing compliance
- responsibilities across universities, providers, landlords, local authorities, and regulators
- affordability and protection:
- tenancy terms, pricing practices, and deposit arrangements - support for financially vulnerable students
- implications for participation, wellbeing, academic success, and equality of opportunity
- access and redress:
- guarantor requirements and addressing potential discriminatory practices - complaints routes, tribunal processes, and rent challenge arrangements
- support for disadvantaged, international, care experienced, and estranged students
- sustainability and investment:
- energy efficiency upgrades and retrofit requirements - reconciling costs, capacity, and academic year constraints - investment, financing, and regulatory risk across MEES and EPC
- data and co-ordination:
- evidence on accommodation need and local market pressures
- role of universities in demand forecasting and data sharing - co-ordination between providers, local authorities, and national policymakers
- operational capacity:
- on-site management capability, training, and safeguarding responsibilities - enforcement readiness and professional standards - sequencing reform to avoid destabilising supply
