The number of higher education students reporting mental health issues has increased almost fourfold in the past decade, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, from 33,500 students in 2014/15 to 122,430 in 2023/24. For those who rent while studying, as the majority of students do in the UK, rental services provider Housing Hand found that ‘overwhelmed’, ‘uncertain’ and ‘anxious’ topped the list of feelings about the process.

Housing Hand’s findings followed its survey of over 1,700 renters, which resulted in the Understanding Renters in 2025 report. The survey prompted the company to think carefully about opportunities for better supporting those who rent in the UK. As a result, Housing Hand has launched a health and wellbeing service as a free extension to its existing rent guarantor service.

Providing virtual GP services via video and phone, plus mental health support including counselling sessions and award-winning online CBT courses, the service is expected to benefit as many as 5,000 individuals, including students and working professionals who rent, along with family members living in the same household. The mental health support also extends to dependent children (aged 16-23) who are living away from home while in fulltime education.

James Maguire, Sales and Business Development Director at Housing Hand, comments:

“Many universities support students not just academically but with a wide range of health & wellbeing support. Where funding is tight in providing these services, Housing Hand ‘s university partners really like the added value we bring in seeking to help students using our guarantor services by providing them with access to 24/7 support with their physical and mental health at no extra cost to them.”

Higher education prepares young people for independence in a huge range of ways, with many living away from home for the first time. To support that proactively, the Housing Hand service includes access to money and debt advice and guidance on sleep, diet, exercise and stress – all of which can help students’ independence flourish.

Feeding back to Housing Hand on the new service, Jordan Risley of Homes for Students recently commented: “We think it’s a fantastic initiative. Offering a free 24/7 wellbeing service shows you’re really listening to your users and going beyond the role of a guarantor provider… It’s clear renting can be an incredibly stressful period – particularly for students and young professionals – and it’s refreshing to see a company acting in response. Providing access to mental and physical health support, and making it available around the clock, is genuinely valuable.”

With students due to start or return to university this autumn, and ahead of Youth Mental Health Day this 19th September, Housing Hand is keen to spread the word of its new service.

Graham Hayward, Managing Director, Housing Hand, comments:

“Every student should have the best possible chance to enjoy their university experience, without worrying unduly about their physical or mental health. By providing free virtual health and wellbeing services, as well as extensive advice on money matters and living well, we are hoping to ease the pressures on individual students and on their places of study as we head into the 2025/26 academic year.”