![[Left to right] Police outside of the flat block in October 2024 and damage inside of the building <i>(Image: Newsquest Staff and contributed)</i>](/resources/images/19115553.jpg?type=mds-article-962)
RESIDENTS at a student accommodation block in Glasgow claim they have been left without hot water 'for weeks' and suffer ‘frequent break-ins from gangs of youths’.
Tenants at Xenia Students’ Central House on Jamaica Street have raised concerns about their safety after issues reportedly began last year.
One resident told the Glasgow Times that ‘massive gangs of youngsters’ have allegedly been entering the property ‘multiple times a month’ since February 2024 which has left some people fearful.
They said: “I used Xenia when I moved to Glasgow. It was okay for two years but at the beginning of 2024, we started getting break-ins.
“There is a magnetic locked door downstairs and they’re getting past that and coming into the building.
“It’s a massive gang of kids trashing the place. I took photos and sent them to the head office but I heard nothing.
“The common rooms don’t have anything in them anymore because they’ve all been smashed up and items have been stolen.
“It’s happening multiple times a month. Kids break in, trash stuff, smash windows, turn smoke alarms off, and the fire alarms which means we’ve all got to evacuate.
“The other day someone was being threatened. I’ve been threatened. It’s so frustrating.
"You’ve got to leave the building and hope that they’re not in the common room and won’t bother you.
“I’m quite resilient but some of my neighbours say they are scared all the time.”
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Xenia Students is a large UK-based student housing provider, with several Glasgow properties, including one on Jamaica Street, one on Bath Street, and another on St Andrews Street.
They offer a range of rooms, the prices of which go up to £1020 per month.
Three teenagers aged 15, 17, 18 and a 21-year-old man were arrested and charged in connection.
Xenia Students’ website, states that Central House has 24/7 CCTV and an out-of-hours service for ‘peace of mind’.
Residents have however voiced their fears over security at the building with the company.
In an email seen by the Glasgow Times, management wrote that the security condition of the property is a ‘topic of conversation’.
Students went on to claim that they have had to purchase gym memberships to shower after the hot water supply to the building was reportedly interrupted in January.
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They said: “We haven’t had hot water for a month. First, it was no water then it was just cold water.
“It’s a horrible situation but it has definitely brought everyone together. Management claims they’ve been in touch with contractors.
“We have to pay for a membership to the gym to shower and then send Xenia the invoice to get reimbursed.
"It’s a bit cheeky to ask us to do that. We just can’t let them get away with this.”
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A second resident added: “There has been no hot water in the building for weeks. At this point, I just feel like the living conditions here are not even humane.
“The whole condition is outrageous.”
In a further email to a tenant, Xenia stated that it is ‘doing everything in its power to rectify all outstanding matters’ and that the gym memberships are a ‘temporary solution’ whilst it looks to provide a permanent fix to the hot water issue.
A Xenia Students spokesperson said: "A burst pipe originating from one room has caused damage to floor four of Central House, to stem the flow of water the supply was swiftly turned off.
"The main boilers, heaters and pumps were kept running for as long as possible until it was decided that they needed to be turned off completely.
"Xenia Estates are working as quickly as possible to find a permanent resolution to this issue and hope to have an update to all tenants by the end of the day today.
"Gym memberships are being reimbursed to any tenants who choose to take out a membership at the local gym across the road."
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