KCSU Rent Strike Open Letter
Introduction
Rent is increasing by 8.1% this year, which is well above national rent inflation. This is undoubtedly going to have a dramatic impact on students across King’s, especially in a cost of living crisis. KCSU understands that many students are concerned about the rent increase, especially students who have no financial support from parents and those returning after their year abroad to see a dramatic rise in rent.
Furthermore, Student Finance will only increase by 2.8% and the Cambridge Bursary will not increase in the next academic year - this is well below the proposed rent increases. This will deter lower income students from applying, making King’s less and less accessible. Considering the college’s lack of transparency on numerous issues, students are understandably frustrated and feel like they are not being listened to, despite the best efforts of KCSU. Therefore, students are pledging to withhold their upcoming college bill for Easter term until the college meets students’ demands.
KCSU supports this rent strike - for the students, by the students. We understand striking is a last resort, however given the extent of college negligence on the issue, KCSU reluctantly believes this is the best way forward. This letter will outline exactly what will be pledged, why you should rent strike, and our specific, comprehensive strategy for striking. Join us in demanding change.
Pledge
I pledge to take part in a rent strike at King’s if at least 50 students also pledge to strike. I am pledging to withhold my upcoming college bill for Easter term from college, with it being held in a communal escrow account, until the college meets students’ demands.
Note: This pledge is not legally binding and is not a commitment to sending your money but should be taken seriously because strikes depend on solidarity and numbers to be effective.
Rent strike demands
The following demands will be brought to the college:
Why you should sign
There are many ways to protest and demonstrate, but targeting an issue as significant as rent requires specific demands, wide outreach, a large collective, and high leverage. Throughout this academic year, KCSU representatives have been consistently negotiating with the college on issues such as vast rent increases, the untenability of college accommodation, flaws in our tenancy contracts, and a lack of financial support offered to the student body during the cost of living crisis.
As a solution, college has urged the use of hardship funds. Whilst we appreciate the existence of these funds; this suggestion is college acknowledging that basic necessities such as rent are sending students into financial hardship. We have been disappointed by the lack of response and receptivity - all formal levels of discussion have failed to achieve change. King’s College is entirely dependent on its students in order to function, yet our needs and demands are being ignored.
KCSU has faith that the student body will agree that we need large-scale action, and we need it now. College is big, and we need to be bigger, meaning rent striking is the most impactful and effective action available. There is already a precedent for remarkably successful rent strikes across Cambridge and even in King’s (1999, 2003). This shows that when students have material power, we can wield it to exert pressure on those positioned above us to enact significant change.
Rent striking is not just for you. It is for students who are and continue to financially struggle, marginalised students, those who have been systematically ignored and neglected by the very systems which are supposed to provide and protect our welfare and accessibility. It is for all future generations of students in this college and this university who can look to us as an example, and a successful precedent for change. It is easy to feel as though what we are asking for is a huge change. But whilst change is what we wish to achieve, we must remember that we are simply asking for reasonable rent, accessible to all. It is also easy to be worried about taking action against a large institution which many of us worked hard to be able to attend. However, the size and stature of college does not mean that they are immune to having to listen to student voices and student experiences.
Above all, KCSU is concerned with representing and looking out for the student body, so whilst rent striking is significant, you will be guided and protected throughout the process. We are more than justified in exercising our legal right to protest, and this will be successful if we work as a unified student collective.
How to sign
This open letter is shared alongside a separate google document, where we wish to gather as many signatures as possible. Please add your name to this document and CRSID to this document.
How exactly a rent strike would work
The next rent payment is due on the week of the 8th May 2023. Students who wish to get involved would need to firstly cancel their direct debit to the college for this payment, which they can do through their banking app. (There will be more information to come about how to precisely do this). Then, instead of paying their college bill, they will direct the full amount to an account opened by the Cambridge SU, which will act as an escrow account. This means the SU is acting as a third party, for the purposes of holding cash on behalf of two or more contracting parties until certain agreed contractual conditions for release of the funds from the account have been met. The money is being held by a bank in an escrow account, which is only accessible if college meets our demands. The Easter term will then be used as a negotiating period, to ensure our demands are met and students are listened to.
The money would be separated from the main Cambridge SU accounts in Xero - an accounting software. This would not become part of the SU budget and only those who already manage the SU’s funds would handle it, which would be the CEO or interim CEO. No one else would have access to the money. It would be the SU that makes these payments to the college once the rent strike is over. The SU is a registered charity that is regulated by the Charity Commission and audited by professional auditors. There cannot be any financial mishandling of money for this reason, therefore the money would be safe.
Any concerns or questions around this process can be discussed in the Easter open meeting before any payments are made. To reiterate, signing the pledge does not commit you to sending money.
Other Information
We encourage every student to sign this open letter, even if your rent is paid directly by another party, such as your parents. If you are in this position, you should explain the situation to the person responsible for your rent and encourage them to take part in this rent strike.
We also believe the college is likely to send an intimidation email, in order to discourage students from taking part. Do not be discouraged by this, as those involved in the strike will have power in numbers. We will be negotiating with the college to ensure that no disciplinary action against strikers should be taken, including those graduating. Furthermore, in the unfortunate situation where you need to pull out of the strike, this will be fully supported and your money will not be trapped in an escrow account.
We actively discourage people from simply not paying their rent. This is technically a breach of contract, and in order for the rent strike to work effectively, we need students to work together and in the same format. Solidarity wins strikes.
There will be an open meeting at the start of the Easter term, which we plan to use as a platform for students to share any concerns they may have, as well as ask questions and share ideas. If you are on the fence about whether to take part in this rent strike, we encourage you to attend this meeting.
Even if you are on the fence about rent striking, we still encourage you to sign this open letter, as it is not a commitment but shows your support. This will be a valuable bargaining tool in negotiations.
Closing statement
We understand that not everyone is in a position to rent strike. This may include those who are owed money by the college or those who have their rent paid directly through a bursary or fund (although this is not the case for most bursary-receivers by Easter term). We encourage these students to attend the open meeting in Easter term to discuss how you can support the rent strike through other means. KCSU will continue to represent and support every student, regardless of your activity in this action. Nonetheless, if we act together, we are immensely powerful. We encourage everyone to sign this pledge and join us in demanding change - for the students, by the students.