Rate your landlord

[James Shield]

Each year, the Students' Association asks everyone who rented a private house or flat in the previous academic year to complete our How To Rent Survey. Tell us what you thought of your landlord or property agent last year and we'll do the rest - we'll send them a full report on what their customers think of them, we'll publish all the results online, and if we have to, we'll take it to the University and the press.

Oh, and we'll choose one of you at random and give you £75. Simple. Best of all, it only takes two minutes to do. You'll find the survey online here:

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/howtorentsurvey

The survey will be running for a limited time so be sure to fill it out as soon as you can. Don't forget that for all the information you need to know about renting this year, the How To Rent guide has it covered - just go to www.yourunion.net/howtorent.

James Shield
Director of Representation

[RandomMusings]

Just to bump this thread back up a bit now that the exams are pretty much over.

The survey will be running for another couple of weeks and we on the SRC Accommodation Committee would love to get around 500 responses. We're just over half way, but need people to keep replying. Don't forget, you could win £75 if you fill in the survey and enter the prize draw at the end. It only takes 3 minutes!

www.yourunion.net/howtorent

Thanks for your time
Phil Pass
SRC Accommodation Officer

[starsandsparkles]

I have filled in the survey - it's a shame the comment box isn't longer!

My landlord is on the Union's approved landlords list, but myself and my flatmates feel he shouldn't be. What would be the procedure to discuss this?

[RandomMusings]

Either come into the Union and speak to Eleanor (Accommodation Advocate) and James (DoR) or e-mail me on srcaccommodation@st-and... with all the details and I can take it on for you. Hope that helps. I'll mention that a longer box is needed for next year! Thanks for the comments.

Also, forgot to mention earlier - it is really good if as many people fill in the survey as possible, as it means that the survey is more proportionate accross the student body and gives us a higher bargaining position ultimately!

Phil

[cong]

rating: pish

[RandomMusings]

Final Bump of this thread. Survey responses have been excellent so far, but we'd still like as many more as we can get.
If you know people who were in private accommodation last year (2007/2008) and haven't yet completed the survey, then direct them to www.yourunion.net/howtorent!

Cheers,
Phil (SRC Accomm)

[James Shield]

One last reminder - you only have one more day to take part, so if you haven't done it yet please do! It really does only take two minutes.

[Duggeh]

I havent got my £75 yet.

[orudge]

The whole system needs reform, there aren't enough houses in the town which are for rent, estate agents are a bunch of twats generally, University-managed accommodation isn't well advertised enough and is perceived as only for post-grads or final year students, and landlords are openly prejudiced about who they will allow to rent. It's a barely comprehensible mess that's taking advantage of students who don't have the background to cough up £600 a month for a let.

Take me, for example: spotless record of living in halls, applied last year for about seven properties and was turned down, applied this year for about the same number and wasn't even phoned to tell me I hadn't been selected. Every house I and my housemates applied for either seemed to be continuing the lease for the present occupants (why was it advertised if this was going to be the case), or was turned over to the same number of girls to live in. Sexism with a good reason, arguably, but as I said before where I live now has always been extremely clean and well-ordered for a fraternity of men, and I had thought that going into fourth year we would be considered more responsible and quieter than a bunch of second-year girls. When I went in to collect my references from the estate agent in question they hadn't even been taken out of the folder. Also, by the time I heard about the small number of University-managed properties it was already too late to apply, and seemed pointless given the indifference and lack of professionalism I had encountered when dealing with registered estate agents - why should it be any different at the union?

Estate agents -now THERE'S something to protest about.

[Duggeh]

In my experience, girls are far more untidy, unclean and or disgusting than boys, particularly when it comes to bathrooms. So I don't see a worthy basis for sexism there.

I've never had the misfortune of having to deal with the estate agents. I got a place with my first housemates via the sinner and my second via a friend. Next year I'll be living with my parents again which might turn out to be regretable.


I also still haven't been given my £75.

[What?]

I wholeheartedly agree with Duggeh. Coming into this mixed flat the girls would joke about the boys leaving the mess, but truth be told it is the females who leave the bathroom flooded and hair everywhere and neglect to do their cleaning duties meaning every few weeks I get fed up and clean the orange baterial cultures from around the taps. And all this WITH A CLEANING ROTA!!! As for the kitchen...don't get me started. There just seems to be a distinct lack of hygiene from those living here and it's disgusting.

Needless to say they have sought alternative lodgings for next year after request from the men of the house.

[Thalia]

To be honest, I think either sex can be as bad as the other, having lived with both messy girls and guys. Our landlady does seem to have this strange impression that girls make better tenants and she's told me before that she wouldn't take a group of guys. This despite the fact that the messiest people who've lived here in the time i've been here have been girls and that Duggeh is one of her favourite tenants (next to me of course, for i am awesome )

[Duggeh]

I'd like to live here again next year, it's just not a viable option.

[RandomMusings]

The first section of the results of this year's survey is now available from www.yourunion.net/howtorent/content/ind ... page=18630 - and with a little luck, the rest of the results should not be too far behind.

The prize draw has also now taken place and the winner of the £75 prize has now been contacted so congratulations to him and my huge thanks to everyone who took part in the survey this year. More people completed it than ever before and we hope that this can continue to build year on year - your opinions on the accommodation you rent is all that we can go on to find out who is good and who is less good in the town - and the more who take part, the more reliable and accurate the survey results should be.

If anyone has any questions or comments on the survey, please do contact me at srcaccommodation@st-and..... and I shall endeavour to get back to you asap (probably in a dissertation break).

Cheers,
Phil Pass
(SRC Accommodation Officer)

[What?]

No real surprises there. It shows how little property there is in this town when some unfortunate sods have to rent from Eve Brown