Covid-19: Sheffield Uni students get lockdown rent freeze

Students unable to use their university accommodation will get a seven-week rent freeze

Students who are unable to live in their accommodation at the University of Sheffield due to lockdown will have their rent frozen until late February.

No rent will be charged for those students between 4 January and 22 February, the university has confirmed.

However, any students using their accommodation will continue to be charged at their normal rate.

The university said it would also offer advice to students in private accommodation who may be struggling.

Some students at the university had already joined the Rent Strike Now campaign, which is lobbying for a stop to rent being charged for accommodation they were unable to use due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Students at more than 45 universities across the country had backed the campaign.

In a statement, Sheffield University, which has about 29,000 students, said: "Due to the current national lockdown restrictions, we will not charge rent to students who are unable to make use of their university-owned or managed accommodation between 4 January and 22 February 2021.

"Those students who are using their accommodation will continue to be charged rent as per their contract. We will contact students in our accommodation with more information in due course."

Face-to-face teaching was paused on almost all courses following the introduction of the latest lockdown restrictions.