25 signatures reached
To: Blackrock and other private providers of university halls of residences
Private providers should cancel summer term accommodation charges
Blackrock owns a number of student halls of residence. They are one of the few providers to still insist that students pay for their summer term despite many of these students now living at home under lockdown. We want them and any other private provider to make the right decision and cancel accommodation charges for the summer term.
Why is this important?
Whilst students are still in receipt of their maintenance loans and have received their summer payment many students have to top up the accommodation charges and rely on either parents or a part time job to make the payments. Under lock down conditions students are finding it difficult to work and many parents will be covering costs of their children living at home whilst also facing economic hardship. The Competition & Marketing Authority says they would expect refunds “for a consumer cancels or is prevented from receiving the service, due to the restrictions that apply during the current lockdown“. Even without financial hardship this suggest that charging under these current circumstances is wrong
