Glasgow students pay £952 a month for 'nightmare' halls still under construction

Tenants at the Novel Student complex - which costs £952 a month - say they have been “failed" after signing leases to the luxury apartments. 

The freshers claim that the conditions have impacted their physical and mental wellbeing with some even “unable to leave their beds”. 

One of the Cathedral Street residents said: “I have moved here from another country and living here has ruined my experience of studying in Scotland. 

“Aside from being failed of an apartment I thought I was going to be moving into, it has had a really bad impact on my mental wellbeing. I have ended up missing university lectures.

“Some of us are unable to leave our beds in the morning. It has been really draining.”

The accommodation is advertised with “top-class amenities” including a gym, gaming room, rooftop terrace and home cinema. 

But just days before students were due to move in, they were notified about the ongoing works and told they would need to stay in a hotel until they were complete. 

The tenant added: “On the day I was due to move in, I had an email to say that the builders weren’t ready and that there were still some works to be carried out.

“They asked me if I could move in at a later date but I told them my flights were non-refundable so I was put up in a hotel with my family. This was after confirming my move-in date with them three times.”

After eventually moving in, the residents say they were faced with floods in their apartments and constant fire alarms.

Shocking images show communal rooms incomplete with electrical wires hanging from the walls and tools discarded in hallways. 

The fresher said: “As soon as I arrived, I had to walk around ladders and tools. That’s how this nightmare began for me.

“There was flooding in some of the upper floors and we have had no explanation why. Since I moved in, there has been around 40 fire alarms go off.

“We’re becoming so desensitised to them, it worries me in case there is a real fire one day.”

Now, a group of students at the complex have united in a call for action from the accommodation provider as they warn the conditions are putting their safety at risk. 

One resident said: “I don’t feel safe here, I have no privacy. On several occasions, I have looked out my window to find a workman or a window cleaner outside my window at eye-level with no warning whatsoever. So, when I’m in, I don’t want to open my curtains.

“The building itself doesn’t feel secure, the fact the fire alarm continues to go off really concerns me and the flooding is an example of how it has been built very quickly.”

Another added: “I think Novel Student are really putting our physical health at risk here. The dust that comes from the construction is crazy – if I don’t vacuum every day it lies in thick sheets on top of my furniture.

“I am normally the kind of person to vacuum once a month but if I don’t do it daily here, it gives me a really bad cough. They don’t care as they haven’t answered my emails telling them about the issue.

“I was so excited to move in, I expected a study space, a place to exercise and communal areas where I could meet other people.

“It has been completely robbed of us and it doesn’t even look like the works will be near completion any time soon.

“I was really looking forward to having an apartment where I could live in and feel safe in. I don’t know an awful lot about Glasgow but I know that it is hard to get a flat at the moment due to the renting market so I felt really lucky to have found somewhere that looked so great.”

Novel Student said that it could not comment on specific matters.

A spokeswoman said: "Novel Student is committed to delivering exceptional student experiences, so we are naturally disappointed to hear of any resident experiences that fall short of that.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly presented significant challenges to our operations given the three-month construction shutdown – a universal obstacle experienced by companies working in different capacities across the real estate industry.

"It is our goal to always ensure the on-time delivery of products to residents, and given the significant challenges we have faced, we have had to accelerate this process to the best of our ability.

"We greatly appreciate the patience of our residents as we navigate these challenges and sympathize with the disruptions they have endured over the last several weeks.

"Out of respect for the privacy of the entire community, residents and staff alike, we cannot comment publicly on more specific matters concerning our residents.