Petition · past parliament
Landlords letting U.K. students to stop rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rejected
13 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government and Parliament would help students who have to continue payments for housing, regardless of the vast majority returning home. The success of this petition would require landlords to accommodate to the new social climate, and thereby abolish or reduce rent for the upcoming months.
Students who do not live in residential halls are still expected to continue rent payments. The reason for students in housing away from home is to have suitable accommodation near to their studies during term times. As all universities are no longer open, most students have returned to their homes, making the expectancy of usual rent unjust.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
Suspending payments for rent is a matter for individual landlords, and not the UK Government or Parliament.
The Government has published a COVID-19 FAQ for university students, which includes advice on what to do about rent: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/09/university-students-covid19-faq/
We have also published the following petitions, which you might like to sign:
Refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus: Refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus
Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown: Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
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 can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
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/
The Government has published a COVID-19 FAQ for university students, which includes advice on what to do about rent: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/09/university-students-covid19-faq/
We have also published the following petitions, which you might like to sign:
Refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus: Refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus
Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown: Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
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 can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
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
| 29 Mar 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 13 May 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
13
Status
Rejected
Rejected
13 May 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.