Manor Interiors, the expert in build-to-rent furnishing solutions, has found that the majority of UK students don’t feel the furniture provided within student accommodation reflects the price they pay to live there.

Manor Interiors surveyed almost 1,000 UK students about their feelings towards their university digs when it came to the furniture within them.

The average cost of renting purpose-built student accommodation across the UK sits at £147 – that’s over £7,600 if you require accommodation for the full year.

However, despite paying this substantial sum to put a roof over their heads, the majority of students don’t believe the accommodation reflects the cost.

Manor Interiors found that 69% of students don’t think the furniture provided within their student accommodation reflects the price they pay for the accommodation itself.

What’s more, one in three students (33%) admit that they’ve accidentally broken a piece of furniture within their student halls due to the poor quality of the furniture itself.

CEO of Manor Interiors, Farhan Malik, commented:

“The cost of renting can consume a considerable chunk of a student’s finances and it’s fair to say that furniture within student accommodation will be more rigorously put through its paces compared to a property rented by a professional or mature tenant.

So it’s understandable that PBSA providers try to strike a balance between providing a cost-effective offering and one that adequately meets the needs of the modern student.

However, all too often this can mean cutting corners on the quality of furniture and opting for cheaper, mass-produced products that soon suffer from the wear and tear of student life.

Opting for bespoke products can not only improve the durability, style and quality of student accommodation, but when furnishing multiple units, it can also prove as cost-effective, if not more so, than mass-produced furniture items.”

Survey of 917 UK students carried out by Manor Interiors via consumer research platform Find Out Now (20th August 2021).