Rent hikes draw ire from students, staff, and alumni.
Imperial College has decided on the final rent increases for the next three academic years, despite the Union holding the position that such increases “are too high”. Following weeks of negotiation with Officer Trustees last November, the College has finalised an increase of 8.7%, 7.9%, and 7.6% for the 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 academic years without Union endorsement. The hikes mean students will pay 26.2% more for Imperial-owned student accommodation by 2027.
In a bid to mitigate the increases, the Union published an open letter calling for Imperial to limit rent increases at a rate of one percent over the Consumer Price Index (CPI), “ensuring a fair and transparent rent-setting process,” a commitment towards providing a range of “affordable rooms,” and using summer income – earned when halls are let out to the public over the holidays – to subsidise student rent.
As of 9th January, 1,102 students, staff, alumni, and concerned members of the public have signed the letter calling for Imperial to reconsider the price changes. The letter, published online on Friday 15th December, the last day of Autumn term, achieved 500 signatures by midnight, and was shared widely across the weekend. Included in the letter were testimonials by students discussing how the price hike may impact themselves or future students. Among the testimonials shared by the Union was one from a prospective student, who said the rent hike “is changing my mind on Imperial. It does not seem possible now as it is my dream uni.” Students from lower income backgrounds discussed how such an increase would impact their lives. One student who remained in Imperial accommodation after their first year, questioned “whether [they] can afford [their] final years of study” should prices increase.
Despite the increase in rent prices, some concessions have been granted by the College. In a blog post on the Union website published on Friday 20th December, the Officer Trustees, who were part of negotiations, explained how the College had agreed to “freeze rents for all rooms in the ‘affordable category’”, and coupling students eligible for the Imperial bursary to be guaranteed a room in the affordable range should they apply for one.
Rents are divided into three categories: affordable rents are capped at 55% of the maximum student maintenance loan, peer rents are rents comparable to other student halls provided by competing universities, and market rents set at a 10% discount to the rental sector.
The Union is also negotiating for the introduction of longer 50-week tenancies for students who may need to stay in London during the summer break.
An Imperial College London spokesperson said: “We are committed to offering a high-quality undergraduate halls experience that delivers good value for money in London. We are also supporting students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, ensuring they can study and thrive at Imperial. We offer one of the most competitively priced accommodation packages for undergraduates in London, alongside one of the most generous bursary schemes in the sector.
“Imperial aims to operate its undergraduate halls on a financially sustainable, break-even basis, which means rental income must cover the cost of delivering and maintaining the halls, to avoid diverting resources from other activities.
“While the framework will introduce an increase in average rent, there will be a reduction of up to 24% for 589 bedspaces in South Kensington and Paddington. Rents have been reduced in these central London locations to provide increased access for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
“We are grateful to ICU representatives for their constructive engagement with the consultation process.”
Although inflation is estimated to remain at 2% per annum across 2025-2028, according to predictions by the International Monetary Fund, the steep inflation rise in 2022 and 2023 has resulted in operational costs increasing.
