Sheffield students battle giant mutant rats and mould in accommodation

Furious students are considering a rent strike

5 months ago

Max Booth | News

Students living in private halls in Sheffield have complained that they’re facing rats, mice and mould in their accommodation.

Leadmill Point and Archways on Leadmill Road are both mostly occupied by international students and are ran by the company Unite Students.

One student, who did not wish to be named, told BBC News she first saw rodents a month after she moved in: “There are so many roaming around we can’t go into our kitchen without wearing shoes.”

She claimed “almost everyone” had seen them in their flats.

Another resident said they had seen the rodents in both their bedroom and kitchen.

Some students have said they are considering withholding their rent until the issues are fixed.

Another anonymous tenant said her bathroom was “full of mould”.

She continued: “We are paying this much, we were expecting something to be nice.”

Rents paid by students in the buildings include utility bills but they are expected to be responsible for cleaning and removal of waste themselves.

Unite Students say they will be offering students extra support with cleaning where required.

A spokesperson for Unite Students said: “”We will be offering residents extra weekly cleaning support, where it’s required.”

“All our residents are encouraged to report maintenance issues via our app so repairs can be arranged.”

The students are all either at the University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam University.

Both universities said they were committed to the wellbeing of their students.

“If any of our students face issues in privately-owned accommodation, we recommend they make contact with the University’s Student Services Information Desk SSiD or the Student Unions’ Student Advice Centre, who will be able to support them in making a complaint,” a spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said.