Petition · past parliament

Compulsory break of clause in all student accommodation tenancies due to COVID19

Rejected 12 signatures

What the petition asks

As a measure to support students who have been affected in some way due to COVID19, students urge the incorporation of a without penalty break of clause in all student tenancy agreements, no matter the existing type of contract or the current policy towards this matter from a specific estate agency.
With COVID-19 situation, some measures like suspension of mortgages have been put in place to help people during these difficult times, although, currently, nothing has been done to back up students, in private accommodations, that have lost their jobs or had to return to their home countries due to the airlines ending flights until further notice and their countries urging them to go back due to the uncertainty on when the lockdown and travel restrictions will be lifted.

Why it was rejected

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

Suspending payments for rent or ending a tenancy early is a matter for individual landlords, and not the UK Government or Parliament.

The Government has published an FAQ for university students on Covid-19, which includes advice on accommodation costs: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/09/university-students-covid19-faq/

You might like to sign these petitions, which call for similar actions:

Enable private tenants early release from tenancy agreements due to Covid-19: Enable private tenants early release from tenancy agreements due to Covid-19

Refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus: Refund university rent and tuition fees due to coronavirus

Refund third term rent for students in private accommodation: Refund third term rent for students in private accommodation

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: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/

Timeline

21 Apr 2020 Petition opened for signatures
28 May 2020 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 12
Status Rejected
Rejected 28 May 2020

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