Stand Up: Right to Rent Week

To start would you be able to give us a quick rundown of what exactly Right to Rent Week is and when it will be taking place? This is actually the […]


To start would you be able to give us a quick rundown of what exactly Right to Rent Week is and when it will be taking place?

This is actually the first Right to Rent Week under the new name. It was previously called ‘Accommodation Week’ and was held by the Student Union but this year we have worked towards making it more informative and interactive for students. We are hoping to provide a platform for discussion on issues concerning the move into private accommodation that takes place in your second year.

We know that students spend hours sitting in lectures and would therefore not appreciate another week of talks so we have adopted a different and more exciting format for 2012. As a result, we will be hosting a different event each day next week, from 22nd  to 27th October. Events range from a House Music disco to a Forward Thinking seminar and virtually all events are free entry.

How have you spread the word around St Andrews about this week?

Right to Rent Week was officially launched last Sunday when the Facebook event went live but we also appeared on the STAR News show on Monday. The podcast is still available online and I found out recently that somebody from the Residential Business Services listened to it and I was re-tweeted by UNITE, a leading developer of student accommodation! Posters have been put up around town that hold the slogan ‘Your Right to Rent Week’, which stresses our focus on you, the students.

Are there different events which are catered to different years or student groups in St Andrews?

Yes, there are a real variety of events scheduled to take place next week. On Wednesday for example, we are hosting a Home & Abroad Society Information Afternoon where we will be providing Year Out students with Top Tips so as to ensure that they have the best chance of getting into accommodation once they return from their year abroad.

In addition to this, I am very excited about the debate which will be taking place on Thursday. We will be discussing the issues raised by the council in their recent rejection of the plans to build new private halls of residence in St Andrews. I imagine some of the arguments will get quite heated!

Do you think that there is anything more that the university could do to improve the current accommodation situation?

I have found that the university’s communication with the SRC has definitely improved in the last couple of years with respect to accommodation. We are always asked to join in with their meetings and have formed a very constructive relationship so there is plenty of potential there.

And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to students trying to find accommodation in St Andrews, what would it be?

As clichéd as it sounds, my advice would definitely be: ‘Be Prepared’. Don’t put it off and be ready to anticipate any problems with leases or banks that could occur. Oh, and come to Right to Rent Week!

For everything you need to now about Right to Rent week, click here.