The Student Room Group

Student accommodation charging more than advertised to me! What are my rights??

Hi all, my name is Katie.

I have an offer to study Occupational Therapy in University come September over in England (I currently live in Northern Ireland). My partner also has an offer to study paramedic science in the same place. We spent a long time searching for suitable accommodation as we plan to live together during uni. The university halls do not offer dual occupancy and so we ended up looking into private student accommodation.

After a long time of searching we finally came across affordable accommodation which suited our needs perfectly. Throughout our search for accommodation I was in regular contact with the organisation and verified the price countless times with many different staff members. All stated that the room would be £7395 for the 51 week tenancy agreement and that the only cost for dual occupancy would be a one off £100 payment at the beginning of the year. This includes all bills along with various facilities in the building we can avail of.

I called to once more confirm the price before proceeding to book the room online. Near the end of the application however, the price was displayed and it was much more expensive than had been advertised to me (well over 9 thousand). This came as quite a shock to me and so I called and asked why that was the case and additionally sent an email explaining my confusion. I was reassured that the price was not correct and that it should be £7395 overall not any more. I was then told not to worry and that if I proceeded with my booking that it might rectify itself after I pay the deposit which had apparently happened before and was told that if it did not fix itself they would sort it out.

I did not feel comfortable continuing however without some form of proof that I wouldn't have to pay that much. As a result I was sent written confirmation via email stating that if it did not rectify itself that I would not have to pay that much and that I would only have to pay the £7395 as agreed. Once I received this email I called before making the booking to double check once again that if it did not change that I wouldn't have to pay that much and that someone would definitely sort it out. I was once again reassured that they would deal with it.

After placing my booking, and submitting the application, the price did drop but only by a thousand. The price was still well over 8k and was much higher than it should be. So I called and explained the situation and was told that they would get it sorted ASAP (by the same people I had been in contact with previously - they had even gotten to the point of recognizing me before I even introduced myself by now).

Days went by and I regularly called to check whether it would be sorted because it was still not changing online and as time went on I got more and more concerned and uncomfortable with the situation. Each time I called I was reassured of the price and that it was being fixed. Regardless of my growing discomfort I still continued to get my guarantor forms in for the deadline (yesterday) as the staff had all been so friendly and helpful. I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

On my way home after being with my guarantor to help to submit their forms, I received a call from the main staff member who had been dealing with me.

He apologised and explained that there had been a mistake and that the price on the booking was actually correct and that there were new changes implemented that he and his fellow colleagues had not been aware of. These changes mean that for dual occupancy, there is a 25% increase to the price.

I was told that if I want to I can cancel my booking. But I have now spent so much time focused on their accommodation that it has left me very late to find any alternative accommodation (especially with dual occupancy). I asked if I could have the room at the price arranged previously as every staff member I had talked to had told me that the price was £7395 and also considering the fact that I had even received written confirmation from him to state that I wouldn't have to pay any more than £7395 in total.

He told me that he would talk to his boss and get back to me on Monday. He sounded like he was genuinely sorry and wanted to help me out as he acknowledged that they were at fault.

I am genuinely worried that his boss will decide not to allow me to have the price they previously advertised to me. I am hoping that as per the trade discription act I should be entitled to the original pricing discussed with me.

What are my rights here?? The contract stated the higher price but I was told that this would be ammended (in the email he sent and over the phone) if it wasn't coming to £7395 after I paid the deposit. If I can't get the original price then I don't know what I'll do, I barely slept last night due to worrying about this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Original post by Kltleight
Hi all, my name is Katie.

I have an offer to study Occupational Therapy in University come September over in England (I currently live in Northern Ireland). My partner also has an offer to study paramedic science in the same place. We spent a long time searching for suitable accommodation as we plan to live together during uni. The university halls do not offer dual occupancy and so we ended up looking into private student accommodation.

After a long time of searching we finally came across affordable accommodation which suited our needs perfectly. Throughout our search for accommodation I was in regular contact with the organisation and verified the price countless times with many different staff members. All stated that the room would be £7395 for the 51 week tenancy agreement and that the only cost for dual occupancy would be a one off £100 payment at the beginning of the year. This includes all bills along with various facilities in the building we can avail of.

I called to once more confirm the price before proceeding to book the room online. Near the end of the application however, the price was displayed and it was much more expensive than had been advertised to me (well over 9 thousand). This came as quite a shock to me and so I called and asked why that was the case and additionally sent an email explaining my confusion. I was reassured that the price was not correct and that it should be £7395 overall not any more. I was then told not to worry and that if I proceeded with my booking that it might rectify itself after I pay the deposit which had apparently happened before and was told that if it did not fix itself they would sort it out.

I did not feel comfortable continuing however without some form of proof that I wouldn't have to pay that much. As a result I was sent written confirmation via email stating that if it did not rectify itself that I would not have to pay that much and that I would only have to pay the £7395 as agreed. Once I received this email I called before making the booking to double check once again that if it did not change that I wouldn't have to pay that much and that someone would definitely sort it out. I was once again reassured that they would deal with it.

After placing my booking, and submitting the application, the price did drop but only by a thousand. The price was still well over 8k and was much higher than it should be. So I called and explained the situation and was told that they would get it sorted ASAP (by the same people I had been in contact with previously - they had even gotten to the point of recognizing me before I even introduced myself by now).

Days went by and I regularly called to check whether it would be sorted because it was still not changing online and as time went on I got more and more concerned and uncomfortable with the situation. Each time I called I was reassured of the price and that it was being fixed. Regardless of my growing discomfort I still continued to get my guarantor forms in for the deadline (yesterday) as the staff had all been so friendly and helpful. I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

On my way home after being with my guarantor to help to submit their forms, I received a call from the main staff member who had been dealing with me.

He apologised and explained that there had been a mistake and that the price on the booking was actually correct and that there were new changes implemented that he and his fellow colleagues had not been aware of. These changes mean that for dual occupancy, there is a 25% increase to the price.

I was told that if I want to I can cancel my booking. But I have now spent so much time focused on their accommodation that it has left me very late to find any alternative accommodation (especially with dual occupancy). I asked if I could have the room at the price arranged previously as every staff member I had talked to had told me that the price was £7395 and also considering the fact that I had even received written confirmation from him to state that I wouldn't have to pay any more than £7395 in total.

He told me that he would talk to his boss and get back to me on Monday. He sounded like he was genuinely sorry and wanted to help me out as he acknowledged that they were at fault.

I am genuinely worried that his boss will decide not to allow me to have the price they previously advertised to me. I am hoping that as per the trade discription act I should be entitled to the original pricing discussed with me.

What are my rights here?? The contract stated the higher price but I was told that this would be ammended (in the email he sent and over the phone) if it wasn't coming to £7395 after I paid the deposit. If I can't get the original price then I don't know what I'll do, I barely slept last night due to worrying about this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Your post is very long, so I hope I remember to comment on everything that stood out to me.

1) An additional £100 sounds very cheap for dual occupancy in my opinion - I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd said it was £100 extra each month though.
2) When you got the price through the online booking system, did it itemise what the cost was for (i.e. X price for the tenancy, Y price for dual occupancy etc.)?
3) Unfortunately, by booking online and submitting your guarantor's details, you technically accepted the higher price that was quoted. I presume you also signed the tenancy agreement at the same time. The accommodation provider may have told you to do this so that you now don't have much of a case against them - you should never agree to anything when the details (as far as you know) are incorrect. Promises to amend it may have been to keep you quiet. I hope this is just my cynical view and not their real business practices, but that's how it seems right now.
4) I am not a legal expert by any means, so I don't know the value of email correspondence is in these matters. As the provider (and yourself) didn't sign anything legal pertaining to the cheaper price, then I don't think you can force them to honour it - I could be wrong however.
5) If the 'changes' that require a higher rent were implemented after you signed the contract, then I believe you'd have a case, but it seems like they were already in motion when you signed.

As it is now Monday, you may already have heard from the accommodation boss - let us know the outcome and we might be able to advise you further if need be.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 2
Thank you for your response. I heard back from them yesterday.

They told me that I was still able to cancel the booking. I was also given an alternative option where they could change the booking to only be within my name and to remove his name from the contract. That way they can amend the price (as it is no longer dual occupancy on paper) back down to £7395. They said that they would allow him to live there and use the facilities as usual but he simply won't be able to utilise the address for things that must be validated such as registering to vote as he won't be on the tenancy agreement.

I really wish I knew more about all the legalities of this so I could handle it better. I really appreciate your response though!


Original post by PhoenixFortune
Your post is very long, so I hope I remember to comment on everything that stood out to me.

1) An additional £100 sounds very cheap for dual occupancy in my opinion - I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd said it was £100 extra each month though.
2) When you got the price through the online booking system, did it itemise what the cost was for (i.e. X price for the tenancy, Y price for dual occupancy etc.)?
3) Unfortunately, by booking online and submitting your guarantor's details, you technically accepted the higher price that was quoted. I presume you also signed the tenancy agreement at the same time. The accommodation provider may have told you to do this so that you now don't have much of a case against them - you should never agree to anything when the details (as far as you know) are incorrect. Promises to amend it may have been to keep you quiet. I hope this is just my cynical view and not their real business practices, but that's how it seems right now.
4) I am not a legal expert by any means, so I don't know the value of email correspondence is in these matters. As the provider (and yourself) didn't sign anything legal pertaining to the cheaper price, then I don't think you can force them to honour it - I could be wrong however.
5) If the 'changes' that require a higher rent were implemented after you signed the contract, then I believe you'd have a case, but it seems like they were already in motion when you signed.

As it is now Monday, you may already have heard from the accommodation boss - let us know the outcome and we might be able to advise you further if need be.
Original post by Kltleight
Thank you for your response. I heard back from them yesterday.

They told me that I was still able to cancel the booking. I was also given an alternative option where they could change the booking to only be within my name and to remove his name from the contract. That way they can amend the price (as it is no longer dual occupancy on paper) back down to £7395. They said that they would allow him to live there and use the facilities as usual but he simply won't be able to utilise the address for things that must be validated such as registering to vote as he won't be on the tenancy agreement.

I really wish I knew more about all the legalities of this so I could handle it better. I really appreciate your response though!

Hmm, that does seem like an odd way to deal with it on their part (i.e. why can't you just reduce the rent and have him remain as a named tenant?). Tbh, it's raising a bit of a red flag for me, as I've never heard of a company allowing a student to live in their accommodation and not be on the tenancy agreement. It also presents a bit of a safety issue too - if the fire alarm went off, he wouldn't appear on tenant lists and therefore could remain unaccounted for if anything happened to him.

If I were you. I would talk to Shelter (the charity) or the Citizens Advice Bureau about the situation, just to make sure that it's all above board.
Reply 4
I agree, I was thinking of talking to the citizens advice bureau just haven't had the chance. I haven't heard about Shelter before though so thank you maybe they'll be more convenient since I'm actually with my sister at the moment who is in the early stages of labour. I'm her birthing partner haha
Original post by PhoenixFortune
Hmm, that does seem like an odd way to deal with it on their part (i.e. why can't you just reduce the rent and have him remain as a named tenant?). Tbh, it's raising a bit of a red flag for me, as I've never heard of a company allowing a student to live in their accommodation and not be on the tenancy agreement. It also presents a bit of a safety issue too - if the fire alarm went off, he wouldn't appear on tenant lists and therefore could remain unaccounted for if anything happened to him.

If I were you. I would talk to Shelter (the charity) or the Citizens Advice Bureau about the situation, just to make sure that it's all above board.
Original post by Kltleight
I agree, I was thinking of talking to the citizens advice bureau just haven't had the chance. I haven't heard about Shelter before though so thank you maybe they'll be more convenient since I'm actually with my sister at the moment who is in the early stages of labour. I'm her birthing partner haha

Good luck to your sister! :bubbles:
Reply 6
She said thank you ☺️
Original post by PhoenixFortune
Good luck to your sister! :bubbles:

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