Worried about our young people's utter lack of initiative

[ThisDandyWriter]

I work for an English letting agent and every year I'm utterly shocked at our young people (ie students) utter lack of initiative/entitlement and lack of self resilience. A few examples of the sort of things that we encounter
My smoke alarm is bleeping, why is that?
The light in our bedroom has gone out, can you send someone out to change the bulb
What does a fuse board look like?
My washing machine is smelly, I think it needs replaced
This house has got a massive damp problem as water (ie condensation) is running down the windows in the mornings

We had to stop offering an 'emergency' line (which is not compulsory) because our staff were getting calls at 2am about seeing mice, light bulbs blowing, smoke alarms beeping, boiler not working (in Aug and has an electric shower).

Today a tenant has emailed to say that she's locked herself out and we need to open the office to get her a spare key.

When I was at Uni, Google wasn't a thing, so if there was an issue, I'd call my dad and try and sort it - I very rarely contacted the agency or landlord.

Today, we have all the information at a drop of a hat, but they can't be arsed to Google or try and sort something themselves and the first stop is to email (or get their mum or dad to email - don't get me started on that). The lack of initiative is genuinely worrying.

So please, if you have kids at uni - spend a bit of time with them explaining the basics!!!!

And encourage them to actually read the information they are sent - the amount of questions we are asked which is covered by information sent out (about important things like handing in your keys, how to claim back your deposit) is ridiculous!

Parents. End of.

Mice and condensation running down the windows? Slumlord much?

I speak as both the parent of a very effective and independent young person, and someone who's worked in housing for decades.

Mice can appear anywhere - this is the time of year they seek out somewhere safe

a mice infestation that isn’t handled is slum but mice themselves isn’t

condensation down windows is an interesting one - it can be lack of ventilation or it can be a sign of damp and mold problems

Well.

My kids, friends kids, anyone I know who has had children at university has a story about being completely ripped off by landlords and their agents.

The young people will learn, but OP, what is your industry’s excuse?

How much did you pay at university op?

An estate agent calling other people useless is a new one!

They can. But a landlord handwaving away someone reporting them is not how I would respond.

I would imagine that many of the YP pay an extortionate amount in rent so why shouldn't they contact their landlords to sort out some of the issues you have raised here? A broken boiler, needs repairing whether its August or not.

Many living independently for the first time have never, for example, had to change a battery on a smoke alarm. So won't know how to do it, and if they are renting, don't know if they should even attempt to do it themselves incase they damage it and get charged.

So yes, while some things can be sorted with common sense and a google, some things they shouldn't have to, and googling for answers is no different from you 'calling Daddy', back in the day.

Well if they sorted everything theirselves what would the landlord need you for? You'd be out of a job. It is literally your job to deal with any tenants issues, that is what you are paid for.
Place sounds like a bit of a shit hole tbh.

Calling your dad for help- initiative

Calling landlord for help- useless

How much rent does each student pay on average?

They may have an electric shower but what about washing dishes? I don't have a dishwasher and don't want to fill the kettle (which was suggested by previous HA) because it takes forever

I'd bet that, like most of us, when you were at uni, you were paying a lot less on rent. Sure things are relative, but the student accommodation situation now is nothing like it was for past generations so, as they say, comparisons are odious. YP now have different strengths and weaknesses having grown up in a different world that has many benefits and drawbacks. It doesn't mean that your damning sweeping statement holds up or that you were better and they're worse. Also you phoning your dad is not some great show of initiative or independence!

If your agency is having issues generally with these lightbulb, mice, smoke alams and condensation types of things, then go through it more emphatically when letting it to the student and refer them to that info when a problem arises. Also make it clear when your offices are open and not.

I’m worried that a letting agent thinks it’s unreasonable to complain about a boiler not working tbh,

Or that there’s mice in the property…

When I was living with my ex (aged around 28) he said we needed to call an electrician to change the light bulb…. When I went to change he threw a bunch of insults at me ‘as everyone knows not to mess with electrics’.

basically his mum had done everything for him his whole life. He didn’t even know how to mow the lawn 🫠

Right? Poor kids paying through the nose and putting up with this.

We lived in shitholes but they were cheap. 40 quid a week for me. Didn't have heat and was damp but my drinking budget was more!

My middle aged neighbour phones the estate agent she bought her house from over a year ago to report her leaking toilet.He sold her the house so apparently he's responsible, she's been told it's a small amount of condensation on the toilet cistern but is convinced it's a leak and he's responsible.

I think several of these kids parents are on this thread...

I get it.
I do everything myself from DIY to bill paying but it’s ridiculous how little DS has learnt from this despite my thinking I’ve taught him.
I think it’s because it’s so easy ignore life with online options. He’s done 3 years at Uni and still seems years behind in general knowledge compared to what we knew in the early 90’s.

It’s not calling the landlord about mice or a boiler that’s the issue- it’s expecting to do it at 2am.

Reporting an issue is an office hours activity.

Changing a lightbulb or tripping a switch is a basic life skill.

Emergency lines are for things that need handling before the office opens.

TBF, condensation running down the windows isn't great and rodents running around is pretty unacceptable by any standard... My DD is in a student flat and it's gross. She seems okay with it but landlords are taking the piss. She's deep cleaned it by herself and isn't complaining and I'm keeping out of it but if it were me, I'd be complaining to the landlord / agent.

Sounds like YABU, landlords charge a huge amount for student properties that are often well below normal market standards. If there is damp, mice, a broken boiler, or even a crappy stinking washing machine you’re damn right I’d want the landlord to sort it.

I think contacting the helpline shows initiative. They pay a lot in rent and expect support from the landlord. When I was at university I would have been too shy to ask for help and would have learned to live with the mice and cold water.

We give our grown adult tenants a cheat sheet with 'emergency', 'landlord emergency', 'report to the office' and 'not a tenancy issue'. It's got little lighbulb icons and everything. And any weird things like the stupid sticking blinds in one building.

It's the work of ten minutes with Canva and saves us lots of callouts. Weird that the landlords saying young people lack initiative haven't taken the initiative...