Letting agents in Jesmond say there is no sign yet that the pandemic and suspension of on-campus teaching is making students nervous about signing up to new accommodation contracts.

Mark Smith, a director at Walton Robinson, told JesmondLocal that Jesmond is consistently the agency’s most popular area for student lettings in Newcastle. He said there is no evidence that students are hesitating to rent.

“In the last few weeks since we published our new student lettings guide, the demand has been very strong,” he said. “That’s particularly true of our larger, multi-occupancy properties of five beds or more where almost 75% of the bedrooms in Jesmond have been taken since the guide went live.”

Colleague Jamie Collis, a partner at Walton Robinson, said: “The figure was around the same 75% mark [this time last year], showing that here has been no dip in demand even with the lockdown or pandemic.”

Pat Robson, another local letting agency, agrees, with a spokesperson telling JesmondLocal: “We’ve seen similar levels of business for student enquiries, although due to COVID, it’s been more of a challenge to facilitate.”

Many letting agencies have adapted to lockdown restrictions by arranging online viewings, either through video links with current residents or via interactive viewings on their website.

The shift to online teaching by both Newcastle and Northumbria universities means many Jesmond students have spent most of this term inside their accommodation. “I thought I would’ve met far more people at uni than I have done and I think that’s because of the largely online focus and the lockdowns,” said Chris Howden, a student at Newcastle University.

“The main worry has been meeting people to house-share with next year. It’s really difficult to make friends on your course when, so far, all of the lectures and seminars have been online. Being able to sort that all out before all the decent houses are taken is a bit of a worry.”

Before the pandemic, students used online exchange site UniSalad mostly for buying and selling tickets, but chief executive Rebecca De Beukelaer says she has noticed a surge in the number of students using the service to find housemates for next year.

“There are lots of houseshare options available, but UniSalad actually lets you pick who you live with, which many students like,” De Beukelaer told JesmondLocal.