– It’s not surprising that students in Oslo are struggling extra if they find themselves financially tighter and tighter in general. Everything is expensive, especially rental housing.
The head of the Norwegian Welfare Council in Oslo and Akershus Carl Magnus Nicolai Koronus Tredvik Nieng is concerned. It is now almost a month until the start of studies and thousands of new students will soon be heading to the capital. It is not certain whether everyone will have a place to live.
Sign up for the long waiting list
– We have statistics where we had up to 7,000 people on the waiting list. But this has been the highest number in recent times, says Andreas Eskelund, executive director of the Student Union in Oslo (SiO).
As of July 3, there are 7,459 students on the waiting list for student accommodation in Oslo. 200 leases have been created in the past year, but that’s not enough: the queue has increased by 11 percent over the same period.
Demand for student housing has never been higher in recent times, says SiO’s Andreas Eskelund.
Photo: Peter Sandberg / SiO
On August 1, SiO raised rent by 4.9 percent. This is lower than the 6.5% increase in the Consumer Price Index and significantly lower than the general increase in rent prices in Oslo. 11.9 percent Last year.
Eskelund strongly believes that this price differential between the student union and private rental market helps explain the increased demand for student accommodation.
As temperatures rise in the private rental market. On July 20, students will find out where they can find a place to study, and demand is expected to increase even more.
Burn Hood Rental market
– Now that an apartment in Oslo is rented for an average of NOK 19,000 a month and a dormitory for more than NOK 10,000, it is a concern for the housing situation, says the manager of FINN Eiendom Jørgen Hellestveit.
MARKET FINN recently came out with new statistics on the rental market. Since 2020, the number of rental properties lying outside has fallen by about 10,000. In Oslo, the average rent for a room in a housing association is now NOK 7,550 per month.
FINN Eiendom’s Jørgen Hellestveit says crowded views and fierce competition for rental properties in Oslo.
Photo: FINN
– We are now seeing record traffic in rental ads, and fewer people are renting. Hellestveit says there will be less housing for students and other tenants, and more competition for outsiders.
Beyond mental health
Interest organization Welfare Stinget isn’t the only one worried about whether students will have a roof over their heads come fall.
1 in 3 students Battling serious mental health issues, the welfare board fears that students may have to spend more time working part-time jobs instead of being social or volunteering.
– The housing market in Oslo is becoming tighter and more expensive, with more students having to work more with their studies.
– And students take more of their free time to spend on things they want to contribute to, says Nieng.
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