Student Accommodation Issues

I've been living in a student accommodation since September 2013. I'm living in a flat with 6 separate ensuite rooms and a common kitchen and common shower. We each have our own shelf in the fridge.

I've had my food stolen countless times, as well as cutlery/pans etc...
I've told the manager about it but he doesn't seem to care, all he does is organise meetings with me and the 5 other guys and asks who's been stealing my food. Of course, no one admits to it. I can't prove anything because theres are no security cameras in our flat. I've called the police, but they can't do anything either. I can't get out of the tenancy contract either.

Is it normal that I'm forced to stay in a flat with weirdos and people who steal from me? I'm also paying £700 per month for my room and I find it unacceptable that I have to constantly be a victim of theft...

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Any advice??

£700 PCM.. What!?
Tbh it is relatively normal..
Your best keeping all your food and belongings in your bedroom.
Possibly buy yourself a mini cooler?

And why not get your own back and put something nasty in the food that is commonly being stolen.

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Reply 3

NathanDYEL

£700 a month???? You staying at the Ritz or something lol.

Reply 4

NathanDYEL

Original post by BANS2012

And why not get your own back and put something nasty in the food that is commonly being stolen.

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This ^^^

Reply 5

JusticeSeeker

London prices, most of my friends are paying £1000/month. My room is fairly small and i would barely have enough place for a mini fridge, let alone all my cutlery which would have to lay on the floor. Plus, nobody can be bothered to clean the flat or empty the garbage, I'm like the cleaning lady. There's a guy who's an accommodation representative for our flat, and that's the guy I suspect of stealing my food, plus he deliberately plays loud music all throughout the night just to piss me off. The crazy thing is, he's getting paid to do this job, and he thinks he can do anything including stealing and using my stuff. I caught him in my room once, I'd forgot to lock my door. I'm afraid my laptop or iphone will go missing. But nobody cares. If I was to go into a shop and steal food, I'd get arrested by the police, but this guy is allowed to constantly steal from me, and nothing will ever happen to him!

Reply 6

JusticeSeeker

Original post by NathanDYEL

This ^^^

Because that would be a criminal offense, as I know that somebody is going to eat my food as crazy as that sounds.

Reply 7

NathanDYEL

Original post by JusticeSeeker

Because that would be a criminal offense, as I know that somebody is going to eat my food as crazy as that sounds.

Maybe you like your own semen/bodily fluids on your sandwiches...

Reply 8

JusticeSeeker

Any reasonable suggestions? Please refrain from posting immature comments, thanks.

Reply 9

BANS2012

Confront them?

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Reply 10

JusticeSeeker

Original post by BANS2012

Confront them?

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Done already. WHen I ask where's my milk gone, everyone has turned turned allergic to milk the night before or something, they keep finding ****ty excuses. I'm more or less down £200 in food expenses and cutlery in terms of theft.

Reply 11

Tiger Rag

Moved to Student Accommodation

Reply 12

ChelseaYvonne

I had issues with this in first year. it's so frustrating when all you're planning meals and spending your money on food but then other people are just taking it and you're left with nothing.

I caught my thief by soaking my strawberries in red food colouring and the putting them back in the carton and in the fridge. When one of my flat mates walked past me with red stained lips and chin, I then confronted them with the evidence.

Whilst I agree that some of the above comments about lacing your food with drugs are immature, your house mate stealing your food is immature. Keep one or two 'decoy' items in the fridge laced with laxatives and after taking a trip to the toilette after every pilfered sandwich, they may take the hint.

Reply 13

JusticeSeeker

Original post by ChelseaYvonne

I really want whoever is stealing my food to get in serious trouble, preferably with the police. Why is this acceptable in a private student accommodation, but out on the streets, you'd get arrested in no-time for petty theft??

Reply 14

JusticeSeeker

I've left a word on a paper and left it in the common kitchen and it somehow vanished, there's only 1 other guy awake, and that's the guy I'm suspecting of stealing my stuff.

Reply 15

ChelseaYvonne

You could try setting up a webcam but he'd probably steal that too :/

Reply 16

jonathanemptage

You could put Viagra or laxative in the food that they steal as you don't actually know who's taking it you don't want it to be taken you bought it so it's up to you what you do to it because I'm sure when you started you didn't expect it to be stolen you could argue that way if you don't want to try that one why not try labeling your food.

Reply 17

Green Velvet

Original post by jonathanemptage

My current flatmate did that (laxatives) when she went to boarding school- it seemed to work for her as they stopped and she found out who it was. She just feigned that the food had gone off when questioned.

Reply 18

SlowlorisIncognito

Original post by JusticeSeeker

Ultimately, this will be almost impossible for the police to prove, and it probably won't be considered in the public interest to bring a prosecution. The same goes for a lot of cases of theft outside of shared accomadation too (although for different reasons).

Presumably you can move out pretty soon, and live with people you trust not to steal?