Would you consider doing routine maintenance in your student accommodation as a trade-off for cheaper rent? It’s been a thing in the US for some years. Now it seems it’s catching on in the UK too, with Scotland already seeing some properties that work in this manner.

Recently, 106 residents of what used to be university halls now lease the property under a company they called Edinburgh Student Housing Co-op (ESHC). This lease will last five years.

How does it work?

For ESHC, the rent is set at a cost determined to be for running the building(s) that they operate. The owners pool resources and work together to make it possible for students to rent accommodation in a city known for high rents.

In exchange for lower rents, those student tenants offer their skills in return. Naturally this will include those with plumbing skills and electrical certification. However, students who are certified to do these are few and far between. The ESHC are flexible on what they mean by maintenance and skills which can also include working as security for the building, making promotional films, or teaching others those skills.

However, set teams are also available to work around the buildings too.

LGBTQ and ethnic minorities preferred

It’s understandable that such a cooperative community prefers applicants from minority groups including both religious and ethnic groups, and LGBTQIA. To that end, over half their current numbers identify as within these labels.

Many have commended the initiative for being a safe space for communities who experience higher rates of bigotry and violence. In these difficult times, it’s a welcome measure to provide communal safe housing for those most concerned with their safety.

They’re oversubscribed too. For just six available places recently, there were fifty-four applicants. As it’s a cooperative, each applicant must be vetted by the community.

Tackling the student housing crisis

Edinburgh is one of the most expensive places to live in Scotland. The ongoing housing crisis means new innovative ideas are required. ESHC does not own the buildings (as mentioned above it’s a five-year lease for the company). They would love for the idea to spread across and beyond Scotland to other major cities in the United Kingdom.

Though the company is self-sustaining in its funding, they recently received a National Lottery grant of £10,000 for renovations.

Student representative bodies in Edinburgh have long warned about the student housing crisis, citing a doubling of calls to the various housing helplines. It isn’t just an issue of spiralling rent. Recent legislative changes means that many property owners cannot now rent to students during the academic year and then rent separately for Edinburgh Fringe.