Unconditional Offers, Zero Deposits, Rock Climbing
The new 'zero-deposit' schemes for tenants who want to avoid paying a big deposit.
We'll examine a list of which universities gave the most unconditional offers to students last year. England's higher education watchdog, the Office for Students, has already warned colleges that if they use unconditional offers to pressurise students into accepting places, they could be fined or even lose their university status. But Universities UK, which represents the higher education sector, says they are a long standing way of bringing in students and are often used to offer places for disadvantaged students. We'll speak to two first year students about how getting an unconditional offer affected them.
The average cost of rental deposits in England and Wales rose to more than a thousand pounds last year. Despite that a growing number of companies are offering deposit replacement or 鈥渮ero deposit鈥 schemes. It's a one off insurance payment which tenants won鈥檛 get back, but it's mean you won't have to pay that one off cost of more than a months rent in advance. We'll speak to one company offering one of these schemes and get reaction from Generation Rent.
And we have new analysis on the make up of shopping centres - as more entertainment venues open up to try and attract people in. We'll visit one such new business - Rock Up - a rock climbing centre which is expanding across the UK. What are the challenges and is this really the key to success?
Presenter: Melanie Abbott
Producer: Jess Quayle