Expensive, dirty accommodation

That's awful, especially in the current situation.

I hope your granddaughter has taken photos and forwards them to the student accommodation officer.
Not a good beginning for what should be an exciting adventure.

DGD has just texted me to say that the heating is not working either. This is University accommodation managed by a private company.

Advice her to take photo`s and complain.
She should have some refund of sorts,as you say Covid etc.

A young friend of mine went up last week and she and her mum spent a whole day cleaning her room and the kitchen.
Disgusting but sadly not surprising.

That is totally unacceptable, even under normal circumstances.

It should have been left in a clean condition by the previous occupant then had a thorough clean by staff. They used to fine anyone who left their accommodation in a state.

When DGD vacated her room (this was years ago) she and I scrubbed it and DH even went out and bought a pot of matching paint to paint walls that had got marked.
We cleaned the kitchen too but there were a couple of students stating on who promised to give it a final good clean.

Like my D said a few months ago---there are some dirty people around, disgusting in fact. It's shameful and there's no excuse whatsoever. If you've got nothing, at least keep yourself and your surrounds clean.

Not a good beginning, particularly if students are going to be shut down in such places.

I remember when we went looking at the hall of residence that my son opted for, we and other parents of prospective students, were shown a quite spacious and attractive room which bore no relation to the one allocated, a veritable prison cell if ever there was one. I seem to remember there was some sort of standard cleaning charge once the cell room had been vacated, or maybe that's my memory playing tricks.

Mine have lived in terrible private rented student houses in 2nd and 3rd years. Their first year flats have been ok.

I wonder if students were sent home early in March so they didn't have time to do a proper clean. Even so the university or the company owning the block should have made sure everywhere was spotless for the new term. They certainly charge enough. It must be very profitable too judging by the number of new student blocks being built.

When my daughter was a student with 4 others in a rented house the place was filthy. The landlord claimed he had paid £100 to have it cleaned - if so he was done! All of us mums got together and had a mega clean. Grey skirting boards became white and a melamine wardrobe turned from brown to cream instead of looking only fit for the tip.

If it is part of University hall accommodation there is no excuse.

DGD did take photos and they are supposed to be sending some one round to clean and someone to see to the heating. I shall keep my fingers crossed.
My DS and family live in Spain and she arrived at the accommodation at 2a.m. this morning (24 hour manned reception) so not a pleasant situation to arrive at after a long journey. She now has 2 week’s isolation so will miss freshers’ week but first week’s lectures online.
She will have to let them in to clean and mend heating but can’t be helped. I can’t understand how with the extra time with students going home early last year this wasn’t sorted.

Why did you not go straight out to find the manager and complain? It is their job to make sure accommodation is immaculately clean and santised for new occupants. If they do not due it they are failing to obey Health and Safety Regulations.

I would not dream of doing the cleaning in this situation nor would I let my grandchild. With photos you could threaten them with HSE, local media and any media your grandchild uses.

The reason companies can get away with leaving premises like this filthy in the current situation is because mothers and grandmothers will always bustle in and do the clean up themselves instead demanding to see the manager, or the Vice Chancellor and insiting the fault is remedied.

My granddaughter had lots of problems at Uni which were never resolved, dirty kitchen, heating not working, internet connection frequently going down. Not a good experience for her.

unfortunately this is common.
it is not a HSE issue, they only deal with workplace safety.
it could at a pinch be environmental health, theoretically, but they would not get involved. under-resourced, and dealing with covid issues in shops etc.
realistically there is little students can do. they have to pay in advance, and are told to find somewhere else.

Another one saying she should take dated photos. Send them to the student union, university, estate agency (if that's how she got the studio flat) and complain.

i don't think realistically she will any reaction other than a shrug.

That's right welbeck exactly the response my granddaughter got. Maybe some of the very highly paid Vice Chancellors should take a look at what is actually happening in their Universities.

All of us mums got together and had a mega clean

As usual, it’s the mums, I hope the new students themselves joined in the mega clean. Good practice for the future.