Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and student housing: research

Annexe 2: Student Interviews Topic Guide

Introduction

• Introduce and explain the research (including explaining who CaCHE are, contracted by SG etc.) and format of the interview.
• Interviewer to go through process of gaining informed consent and ensuring participant is fully aware of the study and implications of participation.
• Explain voluntary nature of participation.
• Provide information about confidentiality and disclosure – ensure the participant understands that information they share will not be passed onto anyone - unless they disclose that they/someone else is at risk of harm.
• Explain how the information provided will be recorded, stored, analysed and used
• Any questions?

Background

1. Can you introduce yourself – in which city do you live and what is the neighbourhood like?

2. What type of course do you study and at what stage are you at?

3. Can you tell me a bit about your housing situation while you have been studying? How did you come to live in your current accommodation?

a. How easy was it to find suitable accommodation?

b. Were you able to access any help / advice (if not – would they have liked this)

c. Probe on whether the type of accommodation has changed between years of study.

d. Probe on whether the people that they have lived with has changed during years of study.

4. What kind of factors were important to you when looking for accommodation? Could you tell us a bit about what factors were essential and what was of less importance to you?

5. How much choice did you feel you had when finding somewhere to live?

6. Did you feel you had to make any compromises or trade-offs when you were looking for somewhere to live?

7. Why did you choose to live in PBSA / PRS / at home? [rather than a different tenure / housing type]

8. Was the availability of accommodation important when choosing where to study?

9. What are the best and worst things about your current accommodation?

a. [IF PHOTOS] can you tell me a little bit about the photos you sent and what these represent about your housing experience?

10. Are you happy living here – does it feel like home to you?

Housing costs

11. How easy do find it to pay for your accommodation? How do you pay for your accommodation? [Probe – housing costs as a proportion of income]

12. Do your accommodation costs cover other things like utilities or laundry facilities?

13. Have you had any concerns about housing affordability, either in the past or at the moment? Do you worry about this for the future?

14. Do you think the cost of your accommodation is good value for money? Why / why not? How does it compare to other experiences?

Housing quality

15. How does your accommodation compare to that of your friends or course mates?

16. How does your accommodation compare to that which you have lived in previously? Is it better or worse and why?

17. Are there any things you feel are particularly good or poor quality where you live?

18. Can you tell me a bit about the spaces you have access to where you live and how you use them day-to-day (e.g. the balance between personal/private, communal, etc.) – do these meet your needs?

19. Does your accommodation have all the amenities you would like? (e.g. study space, living area, social space, kitchen, number of bathrooms/kitchens etc)

20. Overall, how easy was it to find accommodation that fully meets your needs?

a. Probe on, if applicable, accessibility.

Housing, wellbeing and safety

21. Who do you live with and what's the relationship like with them?

22. Do you feel safe and secure in your accommodation, and that you can be yourself around those you live with?

23. If you felt unsafe in your accommodation, or with any of the people you live with, would you know where to seek help?

24. How does your living environment impact on your wellbeing?

25. Does your current housing provider offer any support around wellbeing? For example, signposting you to university or college support services?

26. Are there staff available in your housing (such as night porter/security officer) who can help students in the event of an emergency?

27. What was your experience of living in student accommodation during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Landlord/provider relations

28. How would you describe your relationship with your housing provider/landlord?

29. Have you ever had to ask them to resolve any repair or maintenance issues? What was your experience of this?

30. Have you ever had any disputes with your provider or landlord? Can you tell us about this and whether it was resolved?

31. If you have any problems with your provider or landlord, would you be aware of places to seek support?

32. What length of contract do you have here and are you happy with that? Do you have much flexibility in your tenancy/contract? Why? [Probe whether they stay year-round, how they manage holiday periods, etc. links back to a family home, etc]

If you could reform or change anything about student accommodation, what would it be and why? [Probe: experience of living there; access; affordability; flexibility of tenure etc.]

• Do you know what you'll be doing next in relation to your housing? Why?
• Is there anything else you think it's important for us to know that we haven't already covered?