Can’t leave Unite Students uni halls,GP note & counsellor letter on mental health, medical grounds

beckstar1975

I would expect your only choice would be to request deferment on medical grounds (if your HPs would support that) IF that would be sufficient grounds to break the contract.

Other option is if you advertise and see if anyone else wants your spot in Halls, that's what we offer, we charge a nominal fee to cover the change if you can find someone else, otherwise you'd remain liable unless you weren't fit to study.

If you have had issues in the past, however, I would recommend you speak with your GP/Counsellor about whether this is actually the best place for you to be at this moment in time at all - or if you should take time out and focus on getting yourself better first. Who's to say that you move and then there's other reasons why your new place is also not ok - which is often a symptom of bigger, underlying issues.

Good luck

sebslee123

NBLondon said:

I appreciate that your anxiety/mental health situation is such that you are struggling with shared accommodation with relative strangers.  (I found it hard at times when I was at uni in the 80s)   But sadly, I don't think Unite as an accommodation provider is under any obligation to arrange/guarantee suitable housemates or allow you to back out of a contract without penalty/ waive their existing policy.

I'm not following the bit about it being expensive and this adding to your stress.  Have Unite increased the price?  Or is it just that you are spending more than you thought you would overall?  The latter isn't Unite's issue.

As this seems to be your second attempt - then maybe you just aren't in the right place for this yet.  Can you secure credits for what you have achieved so far and come back to HE when your health is up to it.  Or take those credits to the Open University and study from home?

I completely understand there just a company and do what they need to get the money in, From the ethical standpoint & for the building manager to tell me they have in company policies that aren’t posted on websites to view that must mean they must have some reasons and points that waive or at least come to agreements with tenants, for example can I leave the contract early or a settlement fee for example 

Aylesbury_Duck

sebslee123 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Have you spoken to your university's student support service?  

The medical matters are pertinent, but I can't see how the expense comes into it.  Presumably you knew of the pricing when you signed the contract, and agreed to it, so I can't see that you can use that as a reason.  The university may offer financial support if you can provide evidence of financial hardship.

I'd focus on the medical matters and leave the rest.  You can't be sure that second and third years would lead different lifestyles to first years, so there's no guarantee that things would be quieter.  In my experience, it's halls accommodation lifestyles in general that create behaviours, not the age/year group of the students - unless you're in a flat of mature postgrads, which are normally a different breed!

Yes, so I went to all of the student support services, they directed me to counsellors within the university and that was as much as they could offer, these were free but that was all they offered, I’ve spoke to the student union & well-being officers, & accomodation person within the uni & they’ve said that I need to speak to the accomodation themselves (Unite Student) 

so I’ve spoken to the specific building manager who on both occasions took it to the area manager the first occasion end of last year said she declined it  & just got back to me today saying it’s been declined again & having a conversation with the building manager today, I’m confused as to why the GP notes & 2 counsellor letters for medical reasons, (mental health, being so widely recognised as big matter in todays world) why they are declining this im thinking to what extent do I have to do things to say it’s affecting me medically, mentally, affecting my studies, my life, 

Looking at the contractual situation in isolation, the terms of your contract will dictate what you are entitled to.  It's perfectly likely that the contract doesn't oblige Unite to cancel the contract, even with the medical notes you have - health grounds aren't an automatic get-out for contracts, whether you're buying a sofa, a train ticket, or renting a room.  From what you've described, you entered into an accommodation contract with Unite, a landlord that is entirely independent of your university.  No different to renting a room or flat from a private landlord.  As thousands of students discovered in the pandemic, although many universities reduced or even waived accommodation charges for their own halls, private landlords and commercial halls of residence were under no obligation to do so, and you are in that category.

The most important thing is your health, so follow the good advice others have offered and if the best course of action is to remove yourself from the situation you're in, then do so.  The financial/contractual situation, whilst part of the matter, is a separate contractual situation.

sebslee123

beckstar1975 said:

I would expect your only choice would be to request deferment on medical grounds (if your HPs would support that) IF that would be sufficient grounds to break the contract.

Other option is if you advertise and see if anyone else wants your spot in Halls, that's what we offer, we charge a nominal fee to cover the change if you can find someone else, otherwise you'd remain liable unless you weren't fit to study.

If you have had issues in the past, however, I would recommend you speak with your GP/Counsellor about whether this is actually the best place for you to be at this moment in time at all - or if you should take time out and focus on getting yourself better first. Who's to say that you move and then there's other reasons why your new place is also not ok - which is often a symptom of bigger, underlying issues.

Good luck

This is the reason I have said to them & the medical notes I have given them supporting this 

thank you 

pinkshoes

You have a contract that runs until July 2022 that needs to be paid for. Your options are:

1. Negotiate a fee so that you can move out now, pay it, and move out. This might mean paying the majority of the contract but if it means it will help your MH then so be it.

2. Stay put and come up with a better strategy to deal with it. I hated my 1st year corridor in halls. But... the library was open until very late and opened early in the morning, I bought myself decent ear plugs, and I played white noise/relaxing music at night and when I was in my room so that I didn't notice the noise around me so much. You seem to be focusing too much on things that you are finding difficult, rather than ways to deal with them. 

3. Drop out of university with the aim of starting again in September. You mentioned in your OP that this would mean that you would be able to terminate your accommodation contract. Perhaps you are not ready for university and studying for a degree yet and would be much better doing something else. A degree is not for everyone and can be done at any point in your life.

Why did you transfer universities?

beckstar1975

Sorry just to make clear by deferment I meant of your whole place at uni - ie take a year out and come back this time next year - you can't just defer your place in Halls but carry on your studies.

What does your interruption policy state about ill health? Do you need to be seen by a uni designated Dr to approve the interruption on grounds of ill health (and do they then need to sign you back 'fit' again before you can rejoin?

Unless you're doing a PhD it's likely you would have to defer for a full calendar year so you can pick up where you left of - as you've mentioned previous study at another institution you should check the financial implications of this - I strongly recommend you contact your Student Union Welfare team as they will be best placed to talk you through your options and their implications (and the will have had experience of others trying to early terminate their Halls too).

Good luck

Manxman_in_exile

I agree with what seems to be the consensus here that your health issues don't have any bearing on the contract and they don't give you a way of getting out of the contract.  Your accommodation provider is not bound to take any notice at all of letters from your GP or any other health professionals.  All you can do is ask again.

In my experience (admittedly over 40 years ago) having noisy fellow students in a hall of residence - or any shared student accommodation - is simply a fact of life.  I'd also add that - in my experience - 2nd year students are the worst for noise and disruption.  After the first term and the novelty of university wears off, most 1st year students settle down to work.  Third year students concentrate on getting their degree.  It's the second years who can freewheel a bit.

In my day, when universities provided the halls themselves, it was common for students who disliked living in hall to find a student who could take their place instead of them.  This happened all the time.  Some students like living in hall, some hate it.  Whether that still happens these days I don't know, but I see @beckstar1975 has suggested the same thing.

Failing that, as suggested by others, you could seek a medical deferrment for the academic course - the whole course, not the accommodation.

Also, and I hate to say this, but if you've already switched from another university and you are now complaining about the noise in your hall making anxiety and depression worse, I'd question whether the state of your mental health at the moment is sufficiently robust to cope with university life.  It isn't for everybody.

And I find myself agreeing with @y3sitsm3 again, do you not have a HEI in your home town so you could live at home while doing a degree?

lincroft1710

Manxman_in_exile said:

In my experience (admittedly over 40 years ago) having noisy fellow students in a hall of residence - or any shared student accommodation - is simply a fact of life.  I'd also add that - in my experience - 2nd year students are the worst for noise and disruption.  After the first term and the novelty of university wears off, most 1st year students settle down to work.  Third year students concentrate on getting their degree.  It's the second years who can freewheel a bit.


Also, and I hate to say this, but if you've already switched from another university and you are now complaining about the noise in your hall making anxiety and depression worse, I'd question whether the state of your mental health at the moment is sufficiently robust to cope with university life.  It isn't for everybody.

I agree with M-I-E, a lot  of students are going to be noisy. it is a fact of modern university life. I further agree that you seem to be having difficulty coping with university life and you should consider whether attending a "bricks and mortar" uni is right for you, it definitely doesn't suit everybody. It may be that your expectations are too high compared to the reality. Just concentrate on your mental well being and how that can be improved.

sheramber

You can leave and go to live in a shared house but you will have to continue to pay rent for the Halls accommodation, unless you can find someone else to take it over.

The accommodation is a business. The rent received for  the halls is factored into their their income and expenditure for the year. 

born_again

From experience of the student housing area's around the city where we live. They will be no better than living in student halls. Late night parties in houses spreading out into streets. And that was in the middle of Covid.