Rogue accommodation agents and housing marketplaces in China are bulk-booking rooms in purpose-built student housing only to cancel them later, causing a headache for UK operators.
As popular cities face accommodation shortages, some students are also selling on reservations for profit while others are booking rooms in multiple locations before they decide where to study.
Representatives working in the UK’s student housing sector said operators experienced high cancellation rates from China ahead of the new academic year.
“It was a massive problem,” said Daniel Smith, director at Student Housing Consultancy, explaining that cancellation rates spiralled in towns like Glasgow, Durham, York and Bristol, where student accommodation typically sells out by April.
