UCL likely to have ‘broken the law’ during rent strike

They told protesters they could be prevented from graduating


Blundering bosses who told rent strikers they would be barred from graduating are likely to have broken the law, the government’s Competition and Markets Authority have said.

The CMA’s decision means uni chiefs will no longer be able to threaten those who owe rent or library fines with academic sanctions.

These have included being stopped from graduating or from re-enrolling – and distraught rent strikers were sent letters to that effect by college at the height of their months-long battle.

UCL was forced into a humiliating climbdown over the letters, which it claimed were “sent in error”.

Sigh

It is now altering its rulebook – and the u-turn comes just weeks after a complaints panel ordered it to hand over over £100,000 to the 87 residents of “unacceptable” Campbell House West.

The miserable freshers had to endure rats as housemates and noisy building work at anti-social hours, with the panel slamming heartless halls bosses as “disingenuous”.

Welcoming college’s change of heart, CMA director Nisha Arora said: “Students shouldn’t be prevented from graduating or re-enrolling because they owe money for accommodation or other non-academic services.”