Case Summaries

Two months later the student moved out of the flat, handing over their keys. They asked to be released from their accommodation contract, so they would not pay any more rent.

The provider rejected the student’s request. The student made a complaint about this decision. The provider rejected the student’s complaint and the student complained to us.

It was clear that the student had felt unable to continue living in their flat. They described difficulties with the other residents, which they felt would be difficult to evidence due to the nature of in-person interactions. The student also said that they were struggling with their own health, and felt that it was better for them to live with their relatives.

The provider had set criteria which it uses to decide if students may be released early from their accommodation contracts. The criteria included: when a student has no option but to leave their studies completely; when there has been a very serious change in circumstances such as life-threatening illness or an immediate family bereavement; or when there was a problem with the accommodation that the provider has not been able to fix, having been given a reasonable opportunity to do so. The provider rejected the student’s requests because their circumstances did not meet these criteria.

We decided that this decision was reasonable and that the complaint was Not Justified. Unfortunately the student had not told the provider about the difficulties they were experiencing with their flatmates, and did not formally ask to change accommodation or ask for more help with that process. This meant that the provider had not had an opportunity to offer more support before the student decided to leave the accommodation. The student had provided letters from a doctor about their health but these did not confirm that moving out of their accommodation was medically necessary.