Mum of Glasgow student calls for action to tackle city's rental crisis

Aishwarya Balasubramanian suffers from cerebral palsy and relies on a tripod walker to get around safely, but the 20-year-old is struggling to find a flat due to the ongoing rental crisis in the city.

Despite contacting over 15 letting agents, she claims flats are being snapped up before she has even had a chance to view them - with some properties receiving up to 450 applications from desperate home-hunters.

Aishwarya, who has gained a placement at Glasgow Women’s Library from Bournemouth University, says she cannot go on living in a hotel with no amenities and is desperate to find somewhere to put down roots.

Mum Usha, 52, accompanied her daughter to the city and says she was shocked by the lack of readily available accommodation for students.

Aishwarya and mum Usha Balasubramanian (Image: Supplied)

She told the Glasgow Times: “My daughter needs help crossing roads safely and other tasks because of her disability. I decided to join her in Glasgow for a few months to help her settle into her new surroundings.

“We expected to find a nice flat to rent pretty easily, but I’ve been shocked at how crippled the rental market is here. We have contacted so many letting agents but as soon as a flat appears it’s gone within a few hours.

"What is worse is that landlords are asking for six months' rent in advance, which most people just don't have without getting into debt.

“We are now paying £800 per week to stay in a basic hotel without any cooking facilities. My daughter will be in the city for around eight months, and we don’t want to go on with this level of expense.

“We need a nice, safe flat for her to move into or even share with someone. So far, we’ve had absolutely no luck and I’m just hoping something comes up soon.”

Aishwarya Balasubramanian (Image: Supplied)

According to Citylets data, the average rent for property in Glasgow rose significantly over the first quarter of 2022, with rates posting an annual growth of 16% taking the average monthly rent to £972. 

One-bedroom properties go the fastest, with most gone in just 11 days. A total of 51% of one-bed homes let within a week and 91% within a month of coming onto the market. 

Glasgow’s average time to let dropped to 14 days - 16 days faster than 2021 - indicating how competitive the private rental market is in the city has become.

The media and communications student's disability means she cannot widen her property search as she needs to be close to her placement.

Usha explains: “My daughter struggles to walk any distance due to her cerebral palsy and she really needs to be near by.

“We have been told that an unprecedented number of applications means that demand for rentals is exceeding availability. But something needs to be done to address that.

“I’d like to see my daughter happy and settled but this is causing her a lot of stress and anxiety. I feel like we are getting nowhere and it’s awful that students have to sofa surf or pay expensive hotel fees just to attend their studies.

“We are hoping the market will become more steady but there are literally hundreds of students vying for every one-bed flat. It feels like we are stuck.

“I’m spending my days contacting letting agents and chasing anything I see, but I am getting nowhere. Thousands of students must be in a similar position and something needs to be done to cap the rental market and make it more affordable.”

We previously reported that Glasgow University students have been told they will not be guaranteed accommodation this year.

Students who had not received official confirmation of a place at halls are at risk of being forced to withdraw their place if they can’t find somewhere to live within reach of the campus.

A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: “Regrettably, due to a significant contraction in the private rental market, demand for rooms continues to be substantially ahead of expectation and we are no longer in a position to provide guaranteed university accommodation.

“Despite having increased the number of rooms under university management by 25% for the new academic year, we are having to prioritise accommodation for students who are unable to travel from home.

“We understand the concern students have about finding accommodation for the new semester.

“While we are unable to offer accommodation for students living within reasonable commuting distance, we will continue to check regularly on the availability of private provider accommodation and will share updates when we have them.

"For information and advice on finding private rented accommodation we encourage students to contact the Students’ Representative Council Advice Centre.”

Simon Thompson, managing director of private company Accommodation for Students, said: “We have seen very strong demand for student accommodation in Glasgow, and Glasgow is now the fourth biggest city in terms of the number of students enquiring for accommodation on our website, behind London, Manchester and Nottingham.

“This is significant growth over the past couple of years, where previously Glasgow would not have featured in the top 10.

“This reflects strong demand for studying in Glasgow, which is translating into strong demand for accommodation.”