Students who reside on the University of Calgary campus are set to move into their accommodations on the Labour Day long weekend where they’ll be greeted by higher rental costs.
The rental fee increase, which will be nearly six per cent in some cases, was approved by the University’s Board of Governors in 2015. The hike was effective May 1, 2016 but the returning students will be the first to face the financial hit.
The rate hike was instituted in order to offset the increasing costs says Randy Maus, the university’s director of student services.
“Labour tends to increase each year a little bit. There are negotiated agreements at the university,” says Maus. “Utilities, a lot of people might see that in their one homes, and we look at property taxes; we are one of the only provinces in the country where universities pay property taxes.“
Members of the University of Calgary’s Students’ Union are questioning the raising of the rent at a time when off-campus accommodation rental rates are dropping while vacancies are nearing an all-time high.
“The cost of housing is something that is included within the cost of education,” said Stephan Guscott, Students' Union president. “It’s something that we see as an increasing concern for students, around increasing costs of going to school and the debt that's associated afterwards.”
“Even though living on residence is an amazing experience for students, it is challenging to manage that cost.”
The University of Calgary has nearly 3,000 residence rooms. According to the post-secondary institution, only 205 single rooms will be subject to the maximum rental rate increase.
