University Accommodation

[yphtutor]

No I'm not being unreasonable! My sons uni accommodation is disgusting. Mouse crap and urine, vomit and broken glass in his dining area, filthy stained carpet, chair, walls. Filth of ages in his bathroom/bedroom, pubes brown stains, peeling paint, no curtain/blind, no freezer, last one removed which is where vomit was! Unable to control room temperature as thermostat broken, room boiling hot, whole place has rotten stench. Goes out can't get back in, has to call security from the main campus due to staff shortages. Have complained and complained and complained and after a week nothing has changed. They have even admitted that the room/block is well below any decent expectation and offered me a refund, I don't want a refund I just want my son to live in a clean, healthy, pleasant environment, where he can safely study for his degree without harm to his health and wellbeing. The irony is that he is studying to be a doctor!

That's terrible - though Halls are usually grim at the best of times. Get him out of the contract and into a house - there'll probably still be spare rooms about. It'll be cheaper and bigger.

That is awful. Where is this?

This is accomodation provided by the uni?

Whoever is providing it, and however revolting the last tenants were, it should be cleaned up and decent for the new tenants.

I'd probably take lots of pictures, cancel the contract and get somewhere else.
But maybe you've already paid for a whole term? Or longer even?

Maybe you could get Environmental Health involved. Landlords have responsibilities, even if the landlord is the uni.

'Most halls are grim' isn't true...My halls were never grim and either were any of my friends... clean, new purpose built rooms with ensuite shower and toilet was what most of us had. I loved them! Haven't seen any grotty halls for years now so that's definitely not true. This is totally unacceptable OP, disgusting

London? DS there. Similar.

What uni is he at OP?! Sounds horrendous. My uni halls in central London (admittedly about 8 years ago) weren't like that at all. All the equipment was well maintained; when we arrived we signed an inventory to say that everything was present and in good working order, and when we left it was inspected to make sure it was ready for the next tenants. We had en-suite bedrooms and a shared kitchen between about 6. There was even a weekly cleaner for the kitchen! Excellent security who soon learned to recognise the 200-odd residents and screened out anyone else. Current rates (just checked) are £160/week incl bills.
You are definitely NBU! Agree with PPs - get him out of the contract and into private accommodation if the uni can't provide somewhere habitable.

I've been doing some open days and the accommodation is quite okay. Bloody expensive in most cases though, so the minimum expectation is cleanliness.

Take the refund and they can sort out a suitable alternative.

No way would I pay for that.

I went to Uni in the nineties and my halls were like this. I was hoping things had improved, do his uni accommodation office have any places?

Blimey, is this university or private halls?

My daughter was in Uni halls last year, and the rooms were good. Communal areas were "lived in" but that's to. Be expected. Complain like hell, and talk about environmental health.

My DS is at Cardiff (Talybont North) and I must admit my heart sank when I saw his room. So small that you can't even fit a single.bed in it (the bed is probably three quarters size of a single.so not great for a strapping 18 year old). There is about 2 foot between the bed and desk so you don't need a chair, just sit on bed. You could sit on the loo.and shower at the same.time the bathroom is so small. It's very worn out as well. However he couldn't care less! But considering cost I think it is a.very poor deal.

I thought DS2's were bad but they sound like a palace compared to this. We just had to chuck out filthy underpants that we found under the bed and in his wardrobe!

It wasn't much better when he moved into his house. The landlord let the previous students move out the morning he moved in and the house hadn't seen a cloth or bleach in months.

I hope you get it sorted OP

Roehampton Mount Clare accommodation (I say that in the widest sense of the word) blocks

I have made all sorts of threats including environmental health, newspapers etc. He is getting really down and was not in great health when we saw him on Saturday (horrible cough). Thank you everyone for your support, sometimes you feel like you are being too over reactive, but I know I'm not really. They offered another room in another block but that was almost as bad as the first and it was also damp and the block is subsiding!
Finally someone has got back to me and appears to be doing something to help, I'll keep you all posted. Thanks again

Some photos for you to enjoy!

Few more

Urgh I'd take photos and send to the press and environmental health. Even if they change or fix up accommodation, they've still had kids (yeah I know they're technically adults before anyone says it) in hazardous conditions and knowing about it done nothing. It should have been pristine for move in.

Urgh that's utterly foul!!! 🤢

Last couple although have lots more

He needs to be sorting this out for himself. he is an adult now but think you need to give some help/guidance.

he needs to write down exactly what is wrong in the flat room by room. most importantly do things like the smoke alarms and fire doors work because if these dont then he needs to be rehoused by the university immediately.

once he has this list of the problems he needs to get the housing officer responsible at the uni and the student support officer as well as the NUS rep involved. it cant just be his flat it has to be others as well so he needs to get everyone together in a sort of class action to deal with this.

once they have met on site then he needs a schedule of the work and when it will start.

if you the uni accommodation people refuse then he needs to speak to his local EHO at the council/town hall. from what you have said, the property may be below par but doesnt sound unfit as per the definitiion in the housing act. but any problems with self closing doors, smoke alarms or CO alarms and he needs to be straight onto Env Health as this is a hazard and immediate action is needed.

wish him good luck and make sure that he drives this and not you. he will be listened to far more than an anxious parent who can be dismissed.

His room doesn't have curtains this was the better option!

Wow those curtains came from my student halls at Hallam uni when I went in the early 1990's! I'm surprised they are still going!!!!

I don't know many 'kids" and they are kids, who know how to deal with these sorts of issues. He is there to study not to be fighting a battle with the uni for failing to provide basic hygenic living conditions.as a parent it is my duty to ensure he is safe. I am not anxious, I'm disgusted angry and and won't be dismissed.

Thank you for your best wishes and for your advice much appreciated.

The students don't need this hassle and stress and don't know how to sort it out. You can probably find him a room in a shared private house through the website Student spare room if uni will release him from his contract, which is likely as the accommodation is so bad. It's especially unfair as you have to accept the uni accommodation unseen, just choosing a price band dependant on facilities and it's pot luck what you get. Hope you get it sorted for him.