STUDENTS fear new coronavirus legislation aimed to allow them to cancel their contract in halls with seven days’ notice may be “too little, too late”.

Proposals which were introduced at Holyrood on Monday would allow students to terminate their lease early if they cannot take up their accommodation due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, students are concerned they will not be refunded for the weeks which they have been forced to pay while unable to occupy the purpose-built accommodation.

A Glasgow Caledonian University student, Oliver Wright, 19, has been attempting to leave his lease for weeks.

“I had given up because I was not getting anywhere. I am happy that the huge weight is off my shoulders because hard-earned money would have just continued to disappear. But it is a bit too little, too late,” he said.

READ MORE: Coronavirus legislation to allow students to end university halls lease with a week's notice

Oliver got in touch with the management company for his accommodation, Fresh Student Living, on multiple occasions who could only inform him they were waiting for an update from owners of the halls about releasing students from their lease.

Since he paid over eight instalments, he has already paid for rent for weeks he has not been spending in the accommodation.

He said: “They still owe me money.

“As much as this is a really, big relief and it really shows that the government has listened somewhat and stopped us being completely taken advantage of, at the same time they are still getting six weeks of my hard-earned cash.

Some purpose-built accommodation released students from their rental agreements and made refunds where necessary, such as Glasgow Caledonian University's own accommodation, which freed students from rent from March 24. 

Meanwhile, many students have still felt trapped in leases throughout lockdown. 

The new legislation is applicable when a student cannot take up their place in halls of residence or other purpose-built student accommodation due to coronavirus. 

However, the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Bill only covers the right for students to terminate their contracts, but students have been given no assurances about receiving any money back for weeks not spent in the halls.

The 19-year-old student said: “I don’t understand how students, who have had their income cut off because they mostly engage in casual work and are not eligible for support, were supposed to cover their halls rent during lockdown.”

Another Glasgow Caledonian University student, Katharina Moos Bille, 22, left Glasgow to return home to Denmark on March 16.

“This new legislation seems a little too late and it doesn’t seem fair to all of us who are international students and left right when it happened.”

While her accommodation has promised to refund the last instalment of payment, it does not cover the entire period the room has been left empty.

She added: “Not only does that not cover the entire rent period I’ve been gone it also hasn’t happened yet. It’s a lot of money to be waiting for.”

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Glasgow University students ask for better financial support

NUS Scotland President, Liam McCabe, said: “Far too many student accommodation providers have disgraced themselves in the past months by refusing to release students from their contracts in the midst of a global pandemic. As such, we welcome the Scottish Government’s intervention on this issue.

“If successful, these proposals will allow students to end their accommodation contracts with notice periods. This is a victory for students up and down the country who took part in our #NotStayingNotPaying campaign.

“However, NUS Scotland remains concerned for students who, in many cases, have had to pay more than a month and a half in rent for accommodation they have not used.

"When many students in Scotland already struggle to make ends meet, it is unreasonable to expect them to shoulder some of the economic burden of COVID-19. NUS Scotland will continue to campaign for a comprehensive solution, and our message to accommodation providers is clear: provide refunds to the students you have been exploiting, finally giving them the peace of mind you have been denying them."

A spokeswoman for Fresh Property Group which manages multiple student accommodation buildings in Glasgow said: “Fresh is a third party operator of student accommodation and accordingly, while we collect rents on behalf of the landlord and manage the property on a day-to-day basis, any decisions regarding early release from the relevant Tenancy Agreements, offering rent refunds/deductions [or discounts on other charges] are made by the landlord.”