Evans Living v Code studio

Afternoon all,

Would appreciate some help on decisions or info relating to the below.

DMU is my top choice for Sep 2026, studying Software Eng or Applied computing (undecided as of now).

I am slightly older, will be just shy of my 23rd birthday when uni starts. I am 100% set on having a studio, I'm older and love to cook, do not fancy halls at all; play a lot of football, padel and badminton so will make friends that way ideally.

For over a month I have been in a toss up between Evans student living and Code studios, they both look good however Evans has a built in washer in the studio, a lot more living space and bigger kitchen & TV. Downsides compared to Code is that Evans is standalone with no gym or social space it seems, also Evans is fixed £10PW for electric whereas Code is £15PW for a set amount that it seems people have run over and had to pay extra, not sure I like that uncertainty.

With the room I would pick at Code compared to Evans, they both work out about the same (within £10-£15PW of each other) not including I would have to pay an extra £5-£10 per week at least for washing at Code.

I would like to hear from tenants at either on why they like or dislike either and what are the pros & cons of each one from real tenants.

My mind would normally be set on Evans but due to the lack of social and gym areas, plus the fact that Evans payment dates require the total yearly sum be paid by the time uni starts, scares me a bit in case I have any issues and have no leverage against them to help fix anything.

I have heard positive and negative reviews on both, generally they are both positive but common issues at code seem to be: noise, poor maintenance, damaged furnishings, rooms being always hot or cold due to restrictions on window openings & rubbish radiators and frequent attempts to hold deposits. At Evans, common issues seem to be: also poor maintenance, poor support from staff and one person complained of a silverfish infestation?

Any insights would be extremely helpful as I am torn and struggling to decide.

It sounds like from your post you're leaning towards Evans. I think that given your situation and priorities, that makes sense.
I didn't live at either FWIW, I lived in halls in 1st year and then in shared housing Upperton Road way. But I did look around Code and do some research into Code and Evans as I planned to stay in a studio in 3rd year (before my plans changed because of my placement year).
Code isn't in a great area and Bede Park is known prolifically among students for being fairly unsafe. Evans by comparison is right by the center of campus, on the edge of the main town, and round the corner from several other accomodation blocks, so the security is a fair bit better. Worth the consideration, probably.
Silverfish is common in a lot of student housing - they eat cardboard. If people move in/out every year with boxes they stick around for ages. We had them in our house in 2nd year. They're completely harmless though, just annoying. Poor maintanence is also unfortunately common with student housing. Generally the level of interaction you get with your landlord/building is notably worse than private renting.
Best of luck, hope your studies go well next year.

Apologies for delayed reply.

Thank you for the information. I was unaware that Code was in a bad area overall, however, I had heard that the shop outside the front was known for being a bit dodgy sometimes. Definitely worth the consideration.

Do you mind if I ask what you study? How is your course and the sports in general, I know DMU offers a lot of sports so that also factors into my reasoning.

Thank you!