Exchange Works - Matilda Street
This is Exchange Works in Sheffield, just one of many student residences owned by Unite who are the UK's largest provider of student accommodation.
But all is not well at Exchange Works, in early November without prior warning to the resident construction work began on the ground floor to create an office space for Unite to let out.
Exchange Works residents such as Darren Wavide, an International student from Lyon, soon found that because of the construction work his Unite property was far from the 'high quality accommodation' or 'comfortable and safe living space' he had been promised.
"The drilling would wake me up as early as 8.00am" Darren recalled, "and it was bad, really bad. Because my flat was on the first floor it sounded as if the drilling was going on right there in my bedroom. Things got much worse during exam periods. It got so bad that I simply couldn't use my room during the day; the noise was too loud to even watch TV let alone try and concentrate on revising for my exams."
What angered residents such as Darren most was that Unite had marketed their properties based upon the premise that they were tailored perfectly to the students needs and yet Unite had failed to curtail the construction work during crucial exam periods.
"It wouldn't be so bad if I was paying a reasonable price for my rent, I thought the £85 per week Unite charge was high but was promised luxury accommodation. What I've got is a nightmare I certainly won't be choosing Untie again and I don't know anyone else who is even considering it!"
Unite have offered residents such as Darren compensation of £70, but as Darren points out it doesn't seem fair to offer less then a weeks rent when many rooms have been unusable at the times when students needed them the most.
The angry residents are now seeking the support of their Universty and Union in getting a better deal from Unite but things don't look to good for them. Sheffield it seems must now be added to the long list of cities were students are fed up with Unite:
Aston
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4711528.stm
Bristol
http://www.bits.bris.ac.uk/epigram/view.php?id=500
Wessex
http://www.wessexscene.co.uk/article.php?sid=641
Southampton
http://www.felixonline.co.uk/v2/article.php?id=2716
But all is not well at Exchange Works, in early November without prior warning to the resident construction work began on the ground floor to create an office space for Unite to let out.
Exchange Works residents such as Darren Wavide, an International student from Lyon, soon found that because of the construction work his Unite property was far from the 'high quality accommodation' or 'comfortable and safe living space' he had been promised.
"The drilling would wake me up as early as 8.00am" Darren recalled, "and it was bad, really bad. Because my flat was on the first floor it sounded as if the drilling was going on right there in my bedroom. Things got much worse during exam periods. It got so bad that I simply couldn't use my room during the day; the noise was too loud to even watch TV let alone try and concentrate on revising for my exams."
What angered residents such as Darren most was that Unite had marketed their properties based upon the premise that they were tailored perfectly to the students needs and yet Unite had failed to curtail the construction work during crucial exam periods.
"It wouldn't be so bad if I was paying a reasonable price for my rent, I thought the £85 per week Unite charge was high but was promised luxury accommodation. What I've got is a nightmare I certainly won't be choosing Untie again and I don't know anyone else who is even considering it!"
Unite have offered residents such as Darren compensation of £70, but as Darren points out it doesn't seem fair to offer less then a weeks rent when many rooms have been unusable at the times when students needed them the most.
The angry residents are now seeking the support of their Universty and Union in getting a better deal from Unite but things don't look to good for them. Sheffield it seems must now be added to the long list of cities were students are fed up with Unite:
Aston
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4711528.stm Bristol
http://www.bits.bris.ac.uk/epigram/view.php?id=500 Wessex
http://www.wessexscene.co.uk/article.php?sid=641 Southampton
http://www.felixonline.co.uk/v2/article.php?id=2716 
