Reforms to the private rented sector will make it harder for swathes of students to access university, a coalition of student housing providers and property portals has warned.

In a letter to Higher Education Minister Baroness Smith, the organisations - made up of the NRLA, Accommodation for Students, Homes for Students, StuRents and the Young Group – say changes in the Renters’ Rights Bill will ultimately prove to be counterproductive, increasing uncertainty and financial anxiety among student tenants.

The legislation will end fixed term tenancy agreements, threatening the annual cycle of the student housing market, which follows the academic year. Under the government reforms, all one- and two-bedroom student homes will fall outside of measures introduced to protect the yearly cycle.

These properties form a fifth of the student market, with landlords left with no guarantee they will be available for rent at the start of each academic year.

Near impossible

Alongside this, plans to restrict the payment of rent in advance will make it near impossible for international students without a UK credit history to prove their ability to sustain a tenancy and pay their rents.

Many students in the UK pay their rent on a term-by-term basis, which will also be banned under the rent in advance rules – causing considerable stress for those who rely on paying this way to manage their finances, according to the coalition.

“It is staggering that there is no guarantee that at least one fifth of all student housing will be available to rent at the start of each academic year,” the letter says. “All it will lead to is chaos and confusion for students, making it harder for them to secure housing and ultimately restricting options for higher education.”

There also fears that the changes could hit the overall supply of student lets as landlords move into other areas of the market, or sell off properties, likely forcing rents up.