Taylor's University Students Struggle to Afford Housing and Rent.

In Subang Jaya, as late as 10pm, students can still be spotted entering the lobby of Sunway Geo looking for accommodation. With the start of a new semester, the demand for accommodation around Taylor's University has also increased, and rent has become more expensive and a burden on the finances of students.

Students continue to choose areas like Bandar Sunway, Sunway Geo, D'Latour, DK Senza and PJS for their convenience and close to campus. With the escalation of cost of living, however, it has become difficult to find affordable housing close to the university. Accommodation is one of the most costly expenses on many of the students' budgets while studying at University.

Based on the information from the property website and the students interviewed, the monthly rental of rooms around the campus is between RM700 and RM900 per month for the year 2023. The price rose to between RM900 and RM1, 200 in 2024 and by 2026 rental prices in certain locations were more than RM1, 500. Meanwhile, three-bedroom apartments in popular residential areas such as Sunway Geo, D'Latour and DK Senza are typically rented out for between RM4, 000 and RM5, 000 per month. Therefore, numerous students opt to split units with their roommates, so as to cut down on costs. Meanwhile, studio units come with a monthly price ranging from RM3,000 to RM4,000.

Many students have to compromise because of rising rents, said 3rd year Mass Communication student Zhang Jiarui.

“Everything is getting more expensive, and so many students are having to compromise and get more roommates in an apartment or rent further from campus.”

In addition to increased rents, students have other difficulties accessing housing, safety issues and transportation. Several have had to relocate out of Bandar Sunway to find cheaper housing, and are now commuting over an hour daily.

International student Wang Yifan said that the rising rental costs have impacted his way of spending and lifestyle.

“Each month, I have to plan carefully for my spending, sometimes I have to cut back on going out to eat and entertainment because most of my money is spent on rent.

The increase in accommodation costs have taken a toll on some students' finances as well as their grades and mental health. Some pupils said that they had to take up work to help pay for increased costs, which had reduced their time for doing tasks and revision. Some of those who relocated further from campus to save money stated that long commutes left them feeling tired and unable to attend early morning courses or even join their groups for discussions. Due to this, it has become more difficult to balance both academic and financial pressures for many students. Wang Yifan revealed that he had begun to work on weekends to make money for his living. But the combination of work and school was a lot to juggle and he was often very tired. “Sometimes I would work late into the night to do work after work and the following day I would have trouble focusing during the lecture.

Bandar Sunway is home to higher education institutions such as Taylor's University, Sunway University and Monash University Malaysia, which means that there is still good demand for housing, said property negotiator Jason Tan.

“Many students would like to live near the campus as it saves their travelling time, and naturally, with the rising demand the rental prices are also increasing.

According to Taylor's Residence, the demand for students' accommodations goes up a lot at the start of each semester and the cheaper one goes fast.

Students representatives recommended that there should be some collaboration between universities and accommodation providers to enhance access to affordable housing and give more information about accommodation options available to students.

Because of rising living expenses, students would like to have affordable housing available. However, for many, accommodation is no longer just about convenience; it's a financial, health and university experience issue. The struggle for affordable housing could continue to define the student experience in the future, if steps aren't taken to address it.