Council imposes rules forcing landlords to tackle the problems of rowdiness, noise and litter as complaints by city residents grow
Home to students for the best part of a millennium, the city of Oxford has acknowledged that there is a downside to having one of the world's great universities in its midst.
The city of dreaming spires is set to become the first place in Britain to impose sweeping new powers to tackle the problem of "studentification" – the trend for certain urban areas to become dominated by students. The issue has become a major concern for many residents, who have long complained about the rowdiness, litter and noise they associate with large student communities in some parts of the city.
Many other cities are watching Oxford closely for signs of how town and gown can mix more easily. Residents in some areas of Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham have been vocal in complaining about the effect students have had on their neighbourhoods and are keen for their councils to take similar action.
"A lot of local residents have been quite alarmed about how studentification has affected their community," admitted Ian Wright, Oxford city council's health development service manager. "We know it's been one of the top topics on the doorstep for local councillors."
In April, the previous government introduced laws that gave councils more powers to introduce licensing schemes for properties that are home to three or more unrelated people – known as houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
A consultation set to end in June is expected to back the city council's proposal to introduce citywide licensing for all such properties. The council would then be able to set standards for the properties with regard to their management and safety and would be able to refuse to issue licences to landlords who do not comply, for instance by failing to ensure rubbish is stored adequately.
The new law means about 5,000 properties across the city will be subject to spot checks to ensure that their landlords are meeting licensing requirements. A failure to meet the specified terms of their licences could see them revoked.
According to government statistics, Oxford has the 14th highest number of HMOs in England and Wales, with one in five residents living in such a property. HMOs generate more than 2,000 complaints a year to Oxford city council and about 70% of the properties are deemed unsafe. Wright said the new measures would have an impact on bad landlords who ignored neighbours' concerns. "We're hoping it's going to help us drive out the rogue element that there is in Oxford," he said.
There are concerns the action will reduce the number of rooms available to students, pushing up rents. "Oxford's got a housing crisis," Wright said. "There is a concern there might be a decrease in the amount of properties available as a result of this, but we hope this will be offset in the improvement of the stock."
The growing number of people studying in higher education is being blamed for the rise of the problem.
"Studentification can have various adverse effects on these areas, which can become overcrowded in term time," said Andrew Griffiths, of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. "Conversely, they become like ghost towns in the holidays. The condition of local housing often gets worse and, while off-licences and takeaways prosper, schools and nurseries close down."