The number of students pledging to withhold rent has tripled, with almost 600 ready to strike in January. In Cambridge, more than 400 students have promised to join a rent strike amid anger at redundancies in some colleges. “The colleges are so rich they absolutely have the means to make rent cuts and ensure staff are not laid off,” said Laura Hone from Rent Strike Cambridge. Students have to make them listen and rent is the most powerful leverage we have.”The largest rent strike in the country is at Bristol University, where more than 1,400 students have been demanding rent cuts, more support and no-penalty contract releases. “The national rent strike movement is really picking up speed,” said Saranya Thambirajah, one of the first-year strikers in the university’s halls.

Source: The Guardian December 06, 2020 07:41 UTC