University of Bristol Independent Student Newspaper
www.epigram.org.uk
Friday 25th September 2015
Issue 289
Epigram / Jordan Kelly-Linden
News Meet the new Vice Chancellor, Hugh Brady, in our exclusive interview Page 5
Features Becky Morton looks into government changes in maintenance grants and what they mean for you Page 8
Music One student property in Clifton, which is riddled with mould and damp, is finally having a roof assessment
Students face ‘Housing Crisis’ • •
New report shows 75 per cent of students battle with mould and damp, and one third of students wouldn’t recommend the uni based on experiences of renting private accommodation Union Officer Tom Phipps suggests there is a ‘housing crisis,’ as rents are increasing while standards decrease
Sarah Newey Editor Ben Parr Investigations Editor Over 90 per cent of Bristol students experience problems with private accommodation, according to the findings of a student housing survey conducted by Bristol SU. The damning survey found that one third of students would not recommend the University of Bristol to a friend, purely because of their experiences in the private sector rented accommodation. In fact, only two letting agencies gained an approval rating higher than 50 per cent.
The report based its conclusions on the responses of 854 students, the vast majority of which were UK based undergraduate students. Amongst other issues, the main findings were that a significant number of student properties have serious safety concerns, with 75 per cent of students finding mould or damp in their accommodation. Students voiced their frustration at both the cost of letting agents and their lack of interest in resolving problems. ‘[I] rented a seven bedroom property through [letting agency] last year, we were charged ridiculous fees and there was horrendous damp which they refused to do anything about,’ one student wrote. As well as the potential health issues of mould, damp, and broken or leaking windows, home
security was also flagged up as unacceptable. A quarter of students were unsatisfied with the security systems in their accommodation, whilst 9 per cent of students in the survey claimed not to have a working fire detectors. The report comes out at a time when the university have ended their guarantee of university advertised accommodation places for first year undergraduate students. Student house prices are also on the rise; the average cost of upfront charges, including deposits, is £600. These sorts of issues have left a third of students claiming that they would not recommend Bristol based on their experiences. This figure is far higher for disabled students at 47 per cent, although the number of students in this category was very low. continued on page 3
Head to music for an alternative guide to freshers and tips on where to head out in Bristol
Page 48
Sport A roundup of La Vuelta, the last cycling grand tour this year
Page 53