Accommodation disaster

How do I start this?

Moved into a uni accommodation a few months ago and we started noticing mushrooms growing on wood and the ceiling of our bathroom. We’ve been told that there’s been issues with our ceiling collapsing before and that it’s been rotten and that’s probs because of mold which is why the mushrooms keep coming back. Our agency won’t do anything about it unless something happens like the ceiling collapsing which is another story for another day. We’ve documented everything but just wanted to know if there’s anything we can actually do about this since it doesn’t feel right that they don’t care and it’s probs not even healthy since they grow.

Reply 1

ramblingsnail

Is this private student housing or through the university?

Either way get some advice through your student union, I'd consider contacting NUS (they sit on the boards for UUK and ANUK, if your university/agency are part of these bodies that's worth knowing). If you have a local ACORN branch they're also worth reaching out to (they're usually quite good for advice even if you're not a member).
You could also contact shelter for advice, but id turn to NUS and Acorn before contacting them. Shelter have a page on mould in private rentals that outlines your rights and your landlords responsibilities. This falls under something the landlord must fix as it's structural (mushrooms only fruit once they've eaten all available nutrients, if they're growing out of the ceiling or walls that's a serious structural concern)

Hope you get it sorted, this house doesn't sound safe to live in!!

Reply 2

Chronoscope

Volunteer Section Leader

OP, I agree with @ramblingsnail that your accomm doesn't sound safe :console:

How many flatmates are you living with? If you'd like to continue sharing with each other it's probably worth going back to a (different) estate agents or if you'd rather not live with your current flatmates again, contact your uni's student accommodation email ASAP (its worth doing this anyway for their advice). A few people are likely to be dropping out of uni right about now/leading up to Christmas, and will need people to take over their accommodation contract or your university accommodation team might have a waiting list or spare accommodation available for when things like this happen. Also contact your university's student's union.