Accommodation woes

Toto Wolfcastle

Hi,

This is a query about student accommodation, but as the third-level accommodation forum is full of ads for accommodation, I feel I might get a better response here.

I moved into my apartment in September. Since then, I've had to deal with problem after problem. The radiators haven't worked since day one in the living area/hall, and we are still waiting for them to be fixed. The boiler overheated (they had it set to heat too much and we are not allowed change it without permission) and caused mould on the ceiling in the hall, which spread to the kitchen. It was cleaned but has returned (the mould was a more recent thing). Apart from that mould, there are clear signs that there was mould painted over in the living area. The overheating boiler also caused water to drip from the ceiling, including the light and smoke alarm, neither of which are now working. Our tv blew 4 weeks ago and we are still waiting for a new one. We were without an oven for the first 3 weeks because it did not work when we arrived.

I am due to pay the rest of the fees this month, but my mother has said that we are not paying until the problems are fixed. I have been in the office a few times a week for months trying to get things sorted, but I am getting no where.

Today I made a list of the problems and brought it to the office. I told the manager that they needed to be sorted, and that we could not pay until he did so.

My question is, can they make us pay if the problems are not fixed? I wouldn't mind if they even started on trying to fix them, but nothing is being done. It was in the contract I signed that we would get a tv. It has been gone for 4 weeks. Is this a breach of contract? (Minor, I know, but it's the principle of things!) Also, they are clearly not providing accommodation that is fit to live in. The mould is dangerous to our health, and yesterday the living room was so cold I could see my breath. (Luckily we don't spend much time in there because we have no tv!)

I have been told that a builder, plumber and electrician will be out this week to look at the various problems, but we've been told before that people would come and they didn't.

I'm getting sick of living in a dump, but I have no choice. Other people have had to move apartments because of similar problems (and worse) but there is nothing left apart from the ones that are left with similar problems.

Again, can they make us pay? Are they in breach of the contract?

Thanks in advance!

Victor

Talk to www.threshold.ie and www.prtb.ie

As I understand it, you have to pay and they have to fix it.

If you are in Dublin City, send me a PM and I'll give you someone's details.

Seriously consider moving out.

Toto Wolfcastle

Thanks for that. As much as I would love to move out, it really isn't possible. My parents have already paid a lot of money for the first 3 months, and have budgeted enough for the remainder. To find a place now, especially a place who would give me a room until June, would be near impossible, and expensive.

I find it hard to take that student accommodation is built with quality as an after thought. Are there no standards set out? This place seems to have been built for about a fiver, and it hasn't helped that the people who lived here before us never thought of opening a window to ventilate the place! I wouldn't mind, but the people who live here are exclusively postgrads, who should know better.

My parents will, of course, pay, but they, and the parents of other students here, are pissed off because nothing is ever done.

3 months in, the people here are already discussing what we should write in our complaints letter to the accommodation office in college who are recommending this place. We're students, but that doesn't mean we should have to put up with substandard accommodation.

On the plus side, my bedroom and bathroom are perfect. Hopefully things will start happening this week.

Do you know if student accommodation has different building standards to normal rented accommodation? I doubt it, but I am just wondering how this place passed any building inspections. (I'm describing it as if it's falling down, for the most part it's ok, but the problems we have are major.)

snubbleste

Student accomodation like Dunaras were built for the purposes of tax relief (section 23?) and quality was not an issue when being built. My personal opinion is that when the tax relief runs out, the buildings will be converted to upmarket apartments and let to non-students. It's the same for most of the other student developments in town.

I suggest you take photographs and log every complaint and make sure the management are aware of them. About the heating and damp, you can call out someone who enforces minimum housing standards with the city council - this is a tedious process and not the best route but maybe threaten the management with it?
I would definitely go in and have a chat with Agnes O'Farrell in the nuig acc office about it, she has some influence!

Also, it is not that hard to find a good place for the next semester only, you should be able to find somewhere cheaper and much better in the private rental sector

Toto Wolfcastle

:eek: I wasn't going to mention where I'm staying but I suppose I must have mentioned it in other threads!

So we had the electrician in today. The radiators should be ok now, and the electrics seem to be working fine after the leak. Still no tv, but I've exams at the moment so it's probably a good thing. The situation is looking slightly less dire, and I'm going to let them know that the place will be empty for the next few days if they want to get the rest sorted.

Thanks for lettin me know about Agnes O Farrell. I was reluctant to contact her as she was kind of slow in replying last time a contacted her, when I was looking for accommodation. If the situation does not improve I'll definitely call her, but the manager seems to realise at this stage that something needs to be done. He thought the mould problem had been fixed. He cleaned it himself after the maintanence guy made a balls of it, and he was sorting a painter before the problem came back.

snubbleste

"I wasn't going to mention where I'm staying but I suppose I must have mentioned it in other threads!"

I guessed because i've heard of those problems before about that development.
Seriously though as Victor said, you should consider moving into private rented. Your place charges extortionate rates, you could have somewhere in town, much closer to college than the dodgy area you're in, for that amount and still have change for your piggybank.

Toto Wolfcastle

snubbleste wrote: »

I guessed because i've heard of those problems before about that development.
Seriously though as Victor said, you should consider moving into private rented. Your place charges extortionate rates, you could have somewhere in town, much closer to college than the dodgy area you're in, for that amount and still have change for your piggybank.

Being close to college is not an issue. I need to be close to the school I teach in, as I spend more time there and have to be available to get there at short notice. But I will have a chat with the mammy about it when I get home. Thanks for the advice anyway.

snubbleste

Tell Sr. Meta i said hi!

Toto Wolfcastle

snubbleste wrote: »

Tell Sr. Meta i said hi!

Dear God, you know her? She turned up in our exam on Monday and scared us all with her stare! I should get her down here, she'd have me living in luxury in no time!