Petition · past parliament

Cancel Rent for Student Accommodation during the COVID-19 outbreak

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

Cancel rent during the COVID-19 for students in accommodation, as we are told to not make any travel meaning leaving the the accommodation isn’t possible.
Most students are at home, with parents loosing job the 18year old doesn’t have a source of income and are being forced to pay between £2000-£3000 for accommodation they can’t even live in.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

Suspending payments or providing refunds for tuition fees and rent are a matter for individual universities and landlords, and not the UK Government or Parliament.

If you want the Government to refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus, you may wish to sign this petition: Reimburse all students of this year’s fees due to strikes and COVID-19

If you want the Government to encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown, you may wish to sign this petition: Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown

If you have concerns about your university's arrangements for teaching and assessment you should raise these with your university or the Office for Students, which regulates the higher education sector.

We understand that the current situation is stressful for many people. Student Minds, a mental health charity for students, is collating guidance and developing resources to support students experiencing stress as a result of the current situation, which you may find useful: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Timeline

21 Mar 2020 Petition opened for signatures
31 Mar 2020 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 31 Mar 2020

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.