Students living in residence at the University of British Columbia brace for rent increases of up to 8%

Students at the University of British Columbia will have to pay more to live in residence.

The university says rents are set to rise in the range of 3.5 to 8 per cent for 2023-2024 depending on the type of unit, with family housing and older buildings at the lower end of the range, and newer buildings at the higher end.

The rent hike is higher than the maximum increase for residential tenancies allowed by the province. Back in September, the provincial government announced it is capping allowable rent increases for 2023 at two per cent if tenants are given a full three months' notice.

Student accommodations owned or operated by an educational institution are not covered by B.C.'s Residential Tenancy Act. Student housing contracts are renewed every year and the university says the increases are within the limits of its housing action plan policy.

Kevin Cui, a second-year civil engineering student, says he learned about the increase while working at his part-time food delivery gig.

"I was waiting for an order and in comes this email telling me that there's going to be a six to eight per cent increase in next year's rent while I'm working towards next month's rent," he said. 

Cui says he is disappointed that the university chose to hike rents at a time when students are struggling with the high cost of living. 

"I'm just going to have to work more part-time shifts," Cui said. "I'm just going to have to make up that difference, unfortunately, to make ends meet."

Andrew Parr, UBC's associate vice-president of student housing and community services, says rents will rise at higher than normal levels for the next three years after two years without increases due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other factors include rising operating costs due to inflation, and needed investments in the university's 10-year housing growth plan.

"Even with these increases, UBC student housing rates remain lower than equivalent market rental rates, and are competitive with peer institutions," Parr said.

Cui says this year has seen a "constant tug of war" between the university and student body around costs. 

In October, hundreds of students walked out of classes to tell the university it needs to do more to address food insecurity.

Last month, UBC's Board of Governors approved a tuition increase of two per cent for domestic students, three per cent for continuing international students, and five per cent for incoming international students.

 Cui says a rent hike is too much of a financial burden to pass on to students.

"I do think they are hoping to compensate for the two years of rent freeze that we got over the pandemic, but I still don't think this was a wise choice by the university at a time of sky-high inflation," he said. 

UBC student Emily Kehler says students on a budget may not have much in the way of housing options. 

"We can try to live off-campus but it's not much more affordable than this," she said. 

"We are in kind of position where there is nothing else we can do."