Question reference: S5W-30696
- Date lodged: 13 July 2020
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Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 July 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether university student accommodation providers charging tenants for storing belongings that they cannot retrieve is in line with COVD-19 regulations.
Answer
The Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020 introduced notice to leave periods for students residing in halls of residence and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The Act does not make provision relating to charges by accommodation providers for the storage of belongings.
The Scottish Government, working in close consultation with stakeholders, has published guidance which seeks to provide reassurance and address the main questions and concerns from student renters and accommodation providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance can be found on the Student Information Scotland website.
Storage arrangements are a matter for individual providers and we encourage students and providers to work together to find an appropriate solution where students are unable to retrieve their belongings, including if a student is unable to move out of their accommodation or collect their possessions, either because they are self-isolating or are otherwise unable to travel, accommodation providers should store their items for collection at a future date. In my communications with accommodation providers, I have urged them to be sympathetic to the needs of students and to do all that they can to ensure that students are not disadvantaged.