In 2024 the rent prices for rooms at Sydney University Village (SUV) in 2024 will increase by 15% which equates to an additional $60-100 per week for some students and only 8-9% for others. This increase exceeds the rate of inflation (7%) and sets SUV as one of the most expensive student non-collegiate accommodations. The University of Sydney (USYD) argues that university-owned accomodation is lower than market price, however the basis of this claim is unclear.
What does this mean for students?
Students will be paying much more for very little in return as the accommodation has not announced any changes or improvements to facilities, amenities or utilities. SUV currently has a slew of problems:
1. The 91 residents of Building 1 will still have to compete to use one of the three stoves daily.
2. All +660 residents will still only have direct access to two study rooms.
3. Students will still be liable to pay $1800 for a fire alarm set off in their bedroom, even if it's a false alarm (such as steam produced from the shower or blow drying items).
4. Free food nights will still be limited to the lucky 120 people that arrive at the event first. Paid excursions and events will be limited to 20-30 people.
5. Student’s will continue to have poor internet connection. It will remain one tenth of the speed of other accommodations and continue to crash during busy exam periods.
6. Students will have to pay 2 weeks of rent if they cancel their contract.
Action Petitioned For:
1. We oppose the increase in SUV rent price, believing that University accommodation should stay far below the market rate. Students should not be hit with a rent increase during Australia's worst cost-of-living crisis. We demand that management retract this planned price increase.
2. We want improved utilities and cleaning services for the mandatory monthly utilities fee and yearly cleaning service fee.
3. We want transparency from the SUV management on how they’ll reinvest the profits into the community.
4. We want SUV management to prioritise residents in their reapplication process. This means that residents will be given a month to reapply for their room after the next year’s rent prices are released without fear of being placed on the waitlist.
5. We want better study and cooking facilities and better event budgets which can cater for all residents.
6. We want a more affordable contract cancellation fee of only 1 week’s rent
7. We want quarterly anonymous feedback surveys to be provided to residents.
Sydney University Village is not the only university-owned student accommodation which will be hit with a rent increase. All student accommodation will see at least a 6% increase in price. As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, students are among those most adversely affected. Student’s should not be punished for needing to live closer to university, or for being driven out of an unaffordable rental markets, a market completely inaccessible to international students. Student housing must be an affordable and accessible alternative to the rental market, and the planned increases at SUV and other university-owned accommodations is an affront to students struggling to cope with cost-of-living pressures.
