Before we dive deep into the intricacies of the matter, let us relate to you the particular university on which we would lay our focus now and it is the University of Portsmouth. A total of about 250 students have reported their raging complaints about the state in which the university has left its accommodation right before the initiation of the new term. According to them, the authorities have let loose the strings of renovation which has left a serious impact upon the living conditions of the students. Far from furnishing them with a glamorous room, some of them were forced to temporarily shift to hotels like Boston Hotels that were situated far from the other students and were even deprived of the bare minimum of cooking facilities. The direct repercussion of this conduct had to be undertaken by the students themselves who faced an increased number of difficulties while concentrating on their studies.

• Drawbacks in supervision

However, the University has a different claim in this situation; according to them, the project revolving around the construction of these student flats are not under their direct control as they belong to private development schemes. What seems to be the most intriguing fact here is that, even though the private companies are responsible for procuring these flats, but for investment, the university is relying upon public money which has been derived from the students as maintenance loans meant to look after the students’ living costs. The situation at present seems out of control; the pointer that the public funds are going into building private rental projects in itself is astonishing and to top it off, fair chances of opening a block without any real conversation with the university remain. The only solution that might prove beneficial to curb this scenario is enhanced consumer protection for the students who take up the housing contracts to eliminate every prospect that appears plainly one-sided.

• Lack of regulation

Furthermore, regulation is appearing to be a hurdle, uncalled for. Several flats located between Portsmouth and Swansea have been left incomplete and in Bristol, reports claim that there are infinite delays and students are being shifted to live temporarily in Wales. The Universities of the UK have clearly stated that their intervention is restricted to the university-owned housing which in turn reinforces the fact that any development that is being carried out under the authority of private developmental projects will remain off-limits because they are not entitled to the power to regulate the private accommodation providers. Nonetheless, university minister Chris Skidmore asserted that the institutions are entirely autonomous and there is hardly anything that the government could do for providing the students residential accommodation.

• Compensation

The students were handed overcompensation of 150 pounds that left most of them flabbergasted as the amount is even lesser than the net they are charged for a week's accommodation. The students' university along with the university officials has been doing their best to assist the students who have found it difficult to move from their origin. Union President believes that at this point, the mental health of most students remains vulnerable because starting at the university itself happens to be an emotional time and the seriousness of the situation is further catalyzed by the lack of accommodation drawing the students further away from their mates.

• Revival

Even though the Private housing company has conveyed their apologies to the students, they believe that it is the building contractor that has been at the core of the dysfunction; had they been warned on time, they would have looked for other recourses to arrange the accommodation. The Prime Student Living spokesman said that they have done everything within their capabilities to take hold of the situation and will continue to do so as setting up the accommodation of the students is their top priority.