Unite accommodation

TeamMCS

Agreed with all the others... Also living in sheffield@The Forge

They are RIP OFF murchants, the internet is a waste of space, everything is of low quality, they are slow to fix problems... blah blah blah

IamNobodyThankyou

Hi everyone,
Just wondered if any of you have any experience of actually terminating contracts with Unite accommodation? I'm living in the Forge in Sheffield and it's an absolute hell hole.
I'm a victim of racism, and the guys in the flat above me constantly play music at all hours and bang around. My flatmate has even been physically threatened by fellow residents. I have made complaints and after being promised they will be evicted, nothing has happened.
Our flat is also breaking all the time, we have put in at least 4 maintenance requests yet nothing has been done.
I've had enough and want to leave, but I'm not sure if and how I can get out of my contract??

also- anyone thinking of living in Unite halls, DON'T DO IT! They fob you off with fancy things like a wide screen sky tv etc but it's just not worth the hassle, find somewhere decent to live!

melancholly

IamNobodyThankyou wrote: »

Hi everyone,
Just wondered if any of you have any experience of actually terminating contracts with Unite accommodation? I'm living in the Forge in Sheffield and it's an absolute hell hole.
I'm a victim of racism, and the guys in the flat above me constantly play music at all hours and bang around. My flatmate has even been physically threatened by fellow residents. I have made complaints and after being promised they will be evicted, nothing has happened.
Our flat is also breaking all the time, we have put in at least 4 maintenance requests yet nothing has been done.
I've had enough and want to leave, but I'm not sure if and how I can get out of my contract??

also- anyone thinking of living in Unite halls, DON'T DO IT! They fob you off with fancy things like a wide screen sky tv etc but it's just not worth the hassle, find somewhere decent to live!

have you been to see your university welfare office about this or student services? this sounds serious enough to get them involved, or if there are any further threats, go straight to the police. at least that way you have a clear record of the incidents.

BruceyBonus

robs12 wrote: »

2> everything looks nice, but believe me, it breaks easily. and when it does, you have to pay through the teeth. they have these cheap curtains in every room of the halls, which looks like they cost a fiver from matalan. ours got slightly frayed at the end, due to simple wear and tear, and they have charged us £120 to get them replaced. for a single set of curtains.

If that were me, I would have put an ultimatum to them in writing. Tell them that unless they replace the curtains within the next 14 days, you will purchase your own and send them the bill for the curtains plus a reasonable charge for fitting them.

robs12 wrote: »

3> they'll rob you blind. as i said, i live in unite halls at the moment and recently the lifts broke. this was because of a group of 4-5 students coming in drunk and jumping around inside. they are charging every single person in the halls £40 each out of their deposit because of this. daylight robbery.

Its their lift - they can fix it. I probably would have threatened court action over this - unless it says they can do it in the T&Cs.

Blacksheep1979

erm bruceybonus that was over a year and a half ago

adidas

Unite are renowned for their dodgy tactics, I've heard so many horror stories from around the country....somehow I don't think that's a coincedence.

Shazza50

My son stayed in a Unite new build in Leeds last year. At the end of the year all the housemates moved out and between the five of them they were charged over £1000 for repainting two of the hallway walls, repair/replacing two wooden framed settees which had marks on the fabric cushions, and a cigarette burn in the small carpet.
He has since been to see if the work had been done or settees replaced, which it hadn't, to be told that it will be done by christmas. So he plans on going back again to check.
Another resident was charged for a broken window that he continuously reported when he first moved in.

meggiemoo_d

Don't do it!!!! I had nothing but problems, and heard from a number of people that also moved in that they basically promise the earth to get you to sign then screw you over!!!

DO NOT DO IT!!!!

ColdDish

I just read your post and signed up just so I can post this.

Hey all,

Having lived in Unite Student Halls and been flooded, almost electrocuted, cut off, left in the dark, and in such bad coniditons I had to call an ambulance the other day etc. Do not live in Unite.

If any of you have any complaints against unite please let me know.

Also you might like to know a few facts about unite. They are a fund management company too. All your rent goes to a bunch of bankers.

google.co.uk/finance?q=LON:UTG

"Mark Creedy, the former head of Legal & General Property, has joined Unite Group to oversee the management of its £877m UK student accommodation fund.

Creedy, who will be managing director of fund management at Unite, has been working with Unite, the listed student accommodation provider since January 2009 as a consultant to establish best practice procedures and explore opportunities for enhancing its fund and asset management business."


Unite broadband the "lite package" means most ports are blocked. The bandwidth available to you for this "free internet" is less that a 56 dialup modem.

You also have to pay for the 'super' package up front with a fee of £260. NON REFUNDABLE.

Here is a list of UK internet providers. You will note no-one provides a residential 512k line. Most even don't provide a 2mb line anymore. Unite forces you to use U-want which is anticompetitive.

thinkbroadband.com/isps.html

The 2mb never operates at that speed.

The wiring behind the panels in your room uses standard electrical cable (ie same as your 4 way extensions). Its cheap, and breaks easily as do the sockets. Its substandard as is the plumbing.

Pipes will break due to bad plumbing which creates leaks which in turn... hits the electricity supply.

Unite also "wrote off" this year. That's right. You may have noticed a significant increase in the complaints and problems. That's because they had no intention of fixing anything or doing anything about it. They "wrote off" the appalling conditions, falling grades of students, the issues etc.

Most of you have probably had trouble contacting unite. That's because they fired a large majority of their staff to stay in business.

Check their share price

google.co.uk/finance?q=LON:UTG

at the beginning of this year.

So if you fancy airing any grievances against Unite. Please let me know.

The service is non existent as the Connaught Engineer admitted that they just pretend to fix things to make sure they get more money. (Connaught are a joint venture with Unite now). That's why nothing gets fixed.

Unite makes money from uninformed students. Go look for yourself and talk to students who live at these properties. Then check out the prices for living in a normal flat house. Its a lot cheaper and nicer to live out. Also the myth that you'll be with students who will be like you and they will check your preferences is hilarious. They won't and they don't.

There online maintenance system doesn't work. Internally there departments don't even talk to each and that's another reason why nothing gets done.

Check you deposits to ensure they are held in protection with a government scheme.

Most of all, do not trust Unite. Spread the word. I think this point has already been stated many times considering all the complaints on here but Unite only survives because uninformed people use them.

They will be bought out/change for the better.

or

Don't use them then they wont exist.

Unite will simply lie to your face until you sign the contract.

Oasis1

I was thinking of moving into Park View, Manchester Unite Halls. I don't know what to do now!