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Original poster

Room in student house without a window

399 replies

Evalina · 05/10/2016 22:59

DD's in her second year and has moved into what is otherwise a nice student house. However her room has no window. It has 2 doors, one into the hall and the other into a kitchen/lounge. So she has no natural light and no direct ventilation. She does get some light (and reduced privacy) through the frosted glazed door between her and the kitchen, but if she opens it to get air, then she gets cooking fumes and noise too.

We have raised it with local council HMO office who are not being very responsive, although they have spoken to landlord who has put in a brighter lightbulb! Landlord has said to DD's housemates that he knows loads of people at the council, and that if he's told to do anything it won't happen until next summer, so DD is wasting her time complaining about it. He's also said his wife is having a baby and is stressed at the thought they might have to pay to sort it out. As a result DD's housemates, who all have nice rooms with proper windows, are telling her to drop it, even though they have all declined to swap rooms with her.

I believe the problem could be fixed for less than £5k, which given collectively they are paying £38k in rent for the year is not too shocking.

Not sure what else to do really. Anyone got any advice?

OP posts:
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Original poster
Evalina · 06/10/2016 19:18

Deucebumps - she has suggested from day 1 that they take it in turns to have the room, with the person in the room paying less rent. They did draw straws, although DD wasn't present.

DD's room is one of 2 on the ground floor. All the rooms apart from DD's are nice. One is a bit smaller than the others, in the attic, but it has 2 skylights and a beautiful view across the city. DD would love to have that room as it would be nice and quiet, but the guy in there won't swap, even though she offered to pay more rent so that his rent would be less if he took her room.

OP posts:
Porpoises · 06/10/2016 19:34

This sounds shit :( I realise it wouldnt bother everyone but i would absolutely hate to live in a windowless room. Ive worked in underground labs and the environment is depressing.

Her friends sound rubbish, to imply she's being precious but refuse to swap.

On a practical level, could she work some of the time in a friend's room, if anyone has one large enough? We did that a lot at uni, and helped each other with the answers while we were at it.

Deucebumps · 06/10/2016 19:43

She wasn't present when they drew straws, and ended up with the worst room? I'm not saying they rigged the outcome, but there's a distinct whiff of bullshit there.

GardenGeek · 06/10/2016 19:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

foresttrees2 · 06/10/2016 19:53

I realise it's different for different people, but I think that once you go to university you need to sort out your own accommodation issues. A lot us have lived somewhere crappy and learnt a lot from it. You really learn to appreciate things like double glazing and heating. In this case it's turned out really awful, but I'm not sure there's much you can actually do other than offer moral support and advice.

It is possible to find accommodation in he middle of a term - but it's mostly in my experience through asking everyone you know and finding somewhere with a spare room. Advertising also works and maybe social media could help - but it needs to be your dd taking action for herself.
Hope it gets resolved soon.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/10/2016 19:53

They did draw straws, although DD wasn't present

I'd bet my Grandma that the little gits didn't draw straws. These people are not her friends. I think it would benefit her mental health more to cut her losses and move out to find some real friends, nasty bunch.

My DD has moved into a house of seven girls. They gave the girl who had done most of the running around and paperwork the first pick, gave the next best room to the girl who had left uni a few weeks early with mental health issues and drew straws for the rest.

And because they purposely picked a house where every room is of a good standard everyone was happy. Their house even has a spare room that the landlord has deemed too small to let out (it's about 10 by 8 so not that tiny imo).

That's a decent friendship group and a decent landlord.

fastdaytears · 06/10/2016 19:57

Tinkly your DD has lovely friends!

I think there are cities where getting a house that had all good rooms isn't realistic. When I was studying (Durham 2003ish) no one had a house without a crappy box room and all the houses were gone within five days. Most viewings we got to were cancelled when we arrived because the house was already gone. There just wasn't choice or halfway decent housing stock.

Moonpuddle · 06/10/2016 19:58

I think your DDs housemates are being very shady. Everyone wants a nice room but they are not being fair by not agreeing share the bad room.

If there are six of them then surely they could share out the crap room. How about your DD asking everyone to do a shift in the crap room. It wouldn't be that difficult to move rooms within the flat. Perhaps your DD would be ok to be the one to keep swapping rooms. Everyone else could keep there room for 5/6 th of the year. They would have to be really unreasonable not to agree to that.

I hope I explained that ok. 🤔

I don't think your DD is being the least bit too fussy. I could put up with all sorts but I'd hate to have a windowless bedroom especially one right next to a communal kitchen.

Baylisiana · 06/10/2016 19:59

This makes me so angry! Partly because I had some horrendous rooms in college and partly because I have dealt with so called friends/housemates who really did not care.

Personally I would have made it clear that as an unhappy tenant and a pissed off housemate I can cause way more disruption to their lives than building work, and will continue to do so till the problem is fixed. The others clearly don't think it is a non issue and your dd is being precious....if they are so unfazed by the room let them swap with her. If any of my housemates at uni, who reLly were friends, had had a problem like this we would have been a united front against the landlord. It doesn't sound like she is in a place mentally where she is up to making all their lives hell till she gets her way (which is a shame, as that could be fun...). I moved out of a flat share once by asking the agent if I could find someone to take over my part of the lease....you can bet I found someone the others would have really liked ;)

I don't know what you are going to do but please give your dd my best wishes as a fellow survivor of university cell like room and of unhelpful housemates.

greenfolder · 06/10/2016 20:00

Is there scope for her to speak go housing at uni and see if a space in halls comes up? It might well do due to no shows. It sounds like the issues have a sound basis and are linked with friendship groups as well.

Moonpuddle · 06/10/2016 20:03

Sorry I crossposted. I see that taking turns with the room has already been suggested.

Baylisiana · 06/10/2016 20:04

Crikey Tinkly that landlord sounds amazing. I have seen flats in London where 10 by 8 is sold as a spacious double or master bed in two bed flats going for over two grand a month.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/10/2016 20:10

A few decades ago I was in a student house with three lovely rooms and a tiny box room. We drew straws and agreed to rotate it, but within a couple of weeks it became clear that the box room was horrible and damp.

So we buddied up for a couple of weeks, then in a fit of inspiration carried all the heavy old bedroom furniture down to the lounge and stacked up all the lounge furniture in the box room Grin

Those girls are still among my best friends thirty years on. I doubt the OP's DD will be wanting to maintain a long term friendship with that horrid lot.

MerylPeril · 06/10/2016 20:10

I got the shit room at uni (it had a window) and no one would swop past year until one of them got mould in their room! I didn't change

Honestly ring the local fire brigade and them to do a home safety check. It might be enough to get her out of the contract and move somewhere else. Loyalty means nothing in these circumstances esp with uni friends I find.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/10/2016 20:13

Bay the house itself is quite shabby, and full of mismatched junk shop furniture, very cheap laminate floor etc, but the rooms are vast.

whirlygirly · 06/10/2016 20:35

Your poor dd. I would utterly hate this, i didn't even like the stint at work where my desk looked on to a windowless wall. I hope she can get it sorted.

bojorojo · 06/10/2016 21:16

I think there are various problems here, some of which cannot be resolved I'm afraid. Steep learning curve regarding "friends". Clearly these students are not her friends. I am concerned that she wants to spend so much time in her room and appears to dislike the noise the others make. She appears to be in the wrong group of students. Dd just slept in her room. Did all her work in the library. The medic in the group worked on the kitchen table. DD looked for the flat and was present for room allocation. Lesson to be learned here. Take part and don't leave it to others, however hard you have to work.

The contract is not with parents, however much you might want it to be. She must learn to take responsibility and appeared to delegate to others. Some things are too important to delegate. Depending on the new licence, she presumably could be asked to leave if it goes from 6 to 5. Leaving is clearly problematic so building bridges is the only way.

This house was presumably a panic choice and I would bet others turned it down. DD saw a room with no windows in a cellar of one student house. Some group of students took it in the end. Looking in good time, and that might be January, is vital in some cities. I would advise her to find a different group next year, but start looking for them now! People on her course maybe?

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/10/2016 21:21

Are you able to name the city OP so DD2 can cross it off her UCAS list.

Baylisiana · 06/10/2016 21:26

Sounds like I had a certain charm Tinkly! This thread has got me thinking about some of the bizarre student houses I've seen. For a while some friends lived in one without a front door, and it had no central heating.

fastdaytears · 06/10/2016 21:42

When you ran our shower for more than 5 minutes a little stream of water ran through the floor and over the fuse box in the kitchen...

Holidaycheer · 06/10/2016 21:52

I would ask if the firewoman could come to the property and do a fire safety check as then she could see for herself rather than just be given the word of the HMO officer. That way you would at least know if it was safe in the event of a fire and your DD would know the safest way to get out.

Original poster
Evalina · 06/10/2016 22:31

Thanks all, I think it's been a learning experience for DD. I think her friends are fundamentally nice, but they just seem a bit unaware of how much it's affecting her and a little self-absorbed. I think if she can sit down and articulate it to them properly then it will be ok. Whilst she can be quiet and studious, she is also sociable and goes out clubbing with them - just can't as much as they do, due to her workload.

I am hoping the firewoman will help, and yes depending on what she says I will ask her to come out and document her findings officially.

I will come back and update you on how it all pans out. Thank you for all the suggestions - I'm happier now that if nothing can be done, that there are some other things that can be done to make the room a bit better. I will also encourage DD to talk again to the university and get some more advice from them, and not close her mind to moving if needed.

OP posts:
Baylisiana · 06/10/2016 22:34

It has, not I had!

a7mints · 07/10/2016 14:28

I can't see how the firewomans report will help.They will just put afiredoor in instead of the one she has now.
For your own DDS best interests you need to help her make the best of things.Make the room the best it can be!

astormgivenflesh · 07/10/2016 14:45

Hi
Totally get your points, a windowless room sounds dire but I also see where the friends are coming from; in big shared houses like that you try and make your room your own and no one will want to play musical bedrooms esp as if sounds like your daughter was fine with situation initially - having to pack up everything etc - I can't imagine wanting to do that and I lived with 7 of my best friends. We just divided rent so smaller rooms paid less/ could store stuff in communal spaces.

Regarding her course, the library will have the big heavy textbooks you mention so she won't need to be lugging them to and fro, she can just use them at the library and use her own at home. I'm sure she is doing a heavy course but that doesn't diminish the courses her friends are doing and I can't imagine that going over well as a reason to have a ~better room!

Plants sound like a great idea, lamp sounds good. I think key issue here, and maybe I'm reading it wrong so apologies if so, but she's desperate to stay with her friends and moving out seems really counter productive to helping her MH. A window won't compare to a tight friendship group, community and support in that sense. Student houses are shit, awful vile landlords cram as many ppl as they can into shitholes and the system lets them - that needs tackling definitely but for your daughter it sounds like she's happy to make do if the alternative is to move in with a bunch of randos (and at this point in the academic year, the only spaces left will be with ppl who have spare rooms for a reason!)