University of St Andrews

New Accommodation - Ideal for Undergrads and Postgrads!

Hi Everyone,

My name's Alex and I just graduated from my Masters at St Andrews in December. I've been lucky enough to find a job with The Student Housing Company. After having a few housing disasters during my 5 years in town, I'm really happy to be helping to provide great accommodation.

I wanted to let you know about an exciting new option for accommodation. We’re building a private hall of residence, called Ayton House, about 5 minutes from the main town. We have 240 rooms, including shared flats and private studios. We open in September this year.

We’re filling up fast, but places are still available. I’ve got some groups of first years and postgraduate students looking for flatmates. If you’d like more information, you can see the full details on our website, here: http://thestudenthousingcompany.com/residency/ayton-house/ or you can email me at [email protected]

In addition, if you have any questions about living in St Andrews, I’d be more than happy to help. I did my undergraduate degree here, and came back to do a Masters which I just finished! After 5 ½ years, I know the town fairly well!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Reply 1

la_banane_verte

Original post by The Student Housing Company

Your company's accommodation is ridiculously expensive, and the contracts are absolutely stupid in terms of length - who wants a 51 week contract in St Andrews?

You should be ashamed for working for a company that is clearly just out to exploit students for all the money it can get.

University of St Andrews

Reply 2

The Student Housing Company

Original post by la_banane_verte

I’m sorry you feel this way, but from my experience in St Andrews I honestly feel that The Student Housing Company is offering high quality accommodation and helping to increase the supply of private housing, which St Andrews sorely needs.

There are a number of students in St Andrews who have already booked with us and we are hoping more students will visit and see the positives of living with us. You're more than welcome to come see the flats for yourself, and we can discuss your points further. I'm in the office Monday-Friday, 11-5 if you'd like to come by.

And on a personal note: far from being ashamed, I was astounded by the quality of the accommodation on offer when I was first shown it.

In my first year (2008/09), I paid nearly £6000 for a 38 week lease in halls sharing a bathroom with 8 people, was kicked out for Christmas and Easter (forcing me to find alternative accommodation at my expense), and had a room smaller than the smallest room in Ayton. We can’t meet everyone’s needs, but for those we can, we’re providing the best accommodation we can muster.

Reply 3

Capricancer

Original post by The Student Housing Company

Yes, high quality but the quality isn't high enough for them to warrant such a high charge. For someone who's supposedly lived in St Andrews, I'm surprised you're actually defending them charging such a high price to its tenants. Look at the price that 'The Student Housing Company' charges elsewhere in the UK and the price for St Andrews is significantly higher for the same standard of accommodation. Not only are they all cheaper (with the exception of London), but they also have more flexible contract lengths.

I'm also calling you out on your "anecdote"; only in standard catered accommodation do you get kicked out of your accommodation, and that is only for during the Winter - not during Easter. Standard catered accommodation did not cost £6000 in 2008/09, standard catered hall cost £5945 for a Single in 2014/15. I sincerely doubt that there's been no price change since 08/09 as next year alone, they are raising the price by ~£200 for 2015/16. 2008/09 would have been significantly less than the £6,000 you quote. DRA also offers catered accommodation, but you do not have to vacate the premises during Winter & Easter. Student halls also includes the hall subscription fee so free pre-drinks (every so often) and cheaper ball tickets as well as cleaning.

You are charging at least £165 a week for a 51 WEEK CONTRACT (at least £8415 per annum) with NO catering provided so you can not compare it to your personal experience. Even the most expensive, DRA costs £7,681 per annum for 2015/16 with meals provided. You are a student housing company and yet your contract lengths are nearly all-year long with NO flexibility? Suppose you are a post-grad student who will require year-long accommodation, but the most basic of research will tell you that the majority of St Andrews students are undergrads (6500 undergrads vs 1500 post-grads) who will not require a 51 week contract.

It just seems like your company is happy to take advantage of the existing housing crisis and lack of affordable accommodation in St Andrews. Being a supposed alumni, it's disappointing that you are unable to connect with the current students and their problems. If anything, the company you represent is merely only driving up the price of properties in St Andrews and accentuating the problem further.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 4

la_banane_verte

Original post by Capricancer

I'm also calling you out on your "anecdote"; only in standard catered accommodation do you get kicked out of your accommodation, and that is only for during the Winter - not during Easter. Standard catered accommodation did not cost £6000 in 2008/09, standard catered hall cost £5945 for a Single in 2014/15. I sincerely doubt that there's been no price change since 08/09 as next year alone, they are raising the price by ~£200 for 2015/16. 2008/09 would have been significantly less than the £6,000 you quote. DRA also offers catered accommodation, but you do not have to vacate the premises during Winter & Easter. Student halls also includes the hall subscription fee so free pre-drinks (every so often) and cheaper ball tickets as well as cleaning.

Great reply. As someone who was at the uni in 2008/9 I also think that the anecdote is bullsh*t, and Wayback machine helps us to prove it!

http://web.archive.org/web/20080915040132/http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/accommodation/Residences/Undergraduateresidencefees2008-9/

As you said, you only get kicked out of Standard Catered (and OP must have been in Standard to be sharing a bathroom). If we look at the prices for Standard Catered, the highest is £4,445 for Sallies or JB.

Sorry OP, but you weren't paying £6000 in 08/9.

Reply 5

JTR__

Original post by The Student Housing Company

At £6000 for a 38 week contract, you're paying £157/week, which if I remember is cheaper than your most basic contract, and in this year is the approximate price of either ensuite self-catered or standard catered- either way, getting more for your money than through your company. Whilst the longer contract may be better for postgraduates, undergraduates often do not need the full year- flexibility in the length would make the private hall more accessible and affordable, considering it is currently both more expensive per week, and for a longer period of time.

In addition, our fees include free/reduced entry to an annual ball, and a variety of events throughout the year. The one thing that this town is short of is affordable accommodation- considering many students only receive a student loan of £4750 (through SLC) I don't know how you can justify rooms that may be big, but are frankly difficult for many to afford. Actually, that's probably why there are so many rooms left this late in the year, even with the intensive campaign of your PR team. Sorry.

Personally, I only managed to afford standard catered last year by finding a job straight away, and working full time over the summer beforehand. My friends are considering commuting from as far as dundee just to find somewhere that's less than £400/month, as there are very few rooms at that level around town. Please do some more research and consider adjusting some of your rooms to make them more affordable for your average student!

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 6

Tasha1986

Couldn't agree more with the other posters on this thread. I too have been a student in St Andrews for a long time, and have seen private rentals sky-rocket in price, with the university trying to keep pace by increasing residence fees - but you still get more for your money in halls than privately. Just wanted to add that a 51 week contract is only useful for postgraduates - and mostly postgraduate research students as many MLitts leave over the summer to write their dissertations elsewhere. And PGRs are the students in town, in my experience, with the least money. Your rental fees are an absolute disgrace.

Reply 7

Trish_bira

I rented an accommodation and I was later a noticed my tenancy ends dec 24 2021 which I had to look for other apartment to move into after done that successfully. The accommodation office sent me a mail that I can't move out that my tenancy is suppose to end June 22 that the noticed sent to me was not correct.To be honest staying in that house had caused me a lot health wise no day I won't fall ill because of the cold and allergies.it was really a nightmare for me.the house is filled with damp now they Don't want me to leave the apartment. They even went ahead to tell me to sign up to be release from the house but yet they refuse to do anything about it. I need advise help me