Students at Sheffield University are angry that their halls of residence are to be sold on the open market.
All the university's residential properties were to be transferred to Unite, a commercial firm specialising in student property, on a 30-year lease. But that deal has fallen through and instead more than half the student beds will be sold to the highest bidder.
Kate Willingham, Sheffield Union Welfare Officer, said: "There has been no consultation with students, staffing unions or within the university as a whole. We believe that rents will rise above the rate that students can afford."
University spokesman John Pyle said: "This will free resources for academic and facilities development, which will benefit all students, and enable us to make available at reasonable prices the sort of accommodation students will want."