University of Plymouth Withdraws Support for Private Landlords

The University of Plymouth has made a decision to only promote the city's purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) to its students resulting in a withdrawal of support for private landlords.

Plymouth Herald states, "Landlords who own houses and flats say they have been left high-and-dry by the move, which comes into force when the new academic term starts this autumn."

"They feel that by removing their properties from the website www.plymunihomes.uk they are effectively pandering to the huge companies that have invested millions of pounds in building student flats, and making it harder for independent small business people to fill their properties."

A student-property owner told Plymouth Live: "They are abandoning the private landlord. The university is under pressure to fill halls. They are trying to coral students into halls."

This is a likely reference to the University of Plymouths depleting student numbers which fell from 22,650 in 2012/13 to 21,203 in the 2016/17. Further falls are expected.

Supply is further likely to exceed demand as a result of the completion of the development of the former Derrys department store which is scheduled for Autumn 2019.