The Recording Rooms, birmingham

Quite simply the worst place I have ever lived. The list of failures is long, so let me be specific. Hot water is a luxury here, available every other day if you’re lucky. The emergency reception line rings out, every single time, no matter how many times you call. Fire alarms go off weekly, sometimes twice in one week, with no explanation or follow-up. Rubbish piles up across the property because management refuses to address the actual cause, bins left without lids, and instead deflects blame onto residents. When my heater broke, a maintenance visit was arranged. The engineer’s solution? Switching it on and off. When I pointed out I had already done that, I was told it would “sort itself out.” It did not. It is still broken. What makes all of this genuinely infuriating is the contrast: basic necessities are unmet for weeks at a time, but the moment rent is due, an Account in Arrears, Pay Now email arrives within the hour. The speed and efficiency reserved exclusively for fee collection is remarkable given how unreachable management is for everything else. We are paying premium prices to live without hot water, functioning heating, or any reasonable standard of management. This is not an inconvenience. It is a failure of basic duty of care.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

DO NOT LIVE HERE!!! By far the worst accommodation to ever stay. When I moved in, the room did not have working hobs or a microwave and did not change them for weeks. There was stuck feces (poop) stuck in the toilet and the staff refused to clean it. The room smelled of cigarettes and they told me I had to pay them substantially more to move. My toilet stopped working and they didn't call the plumber for weeks (until then, I was going all the way down to the common washroom), when the plumber came, he said he couldn't do anything about it, that is when they finally moved me to another room. Furthermore, there are constant alarms going off in the building, many times, multiple times a day. The hot water stops working at least once a week. There are so many more things I could mention but I think you get the point. The fact that I am paying over £15,000 for this is actually absurd. I wish I never paid the whole year's rent upfront. Pathetic management team that only knows how to rob money from struggling students, noting else.

The room with floor-to-ceiling windows is well laid out, convenient, comfortable, spacious and bright. There are also gyms and many entertainment facilities. It's very close to the school. You can get there in just a few minutes on foot. Shopping, sending parcels, medical services and dining are all very convenient around here.

£250 a week. No hot water. No heating. No help. Avoid at all costs. This is not a home. It is a masterclass in institutional failure dressed up as accommodation. Hot water arrives every other day, if you're lucky. The fire alarm screams weekly with no explanation. And the emergency line? It rings out. Every time. Without exception. There is no emergency support. There is only a number that exists to make you feel like there is. £250 a week for cold showers, broken heating, unanswered calls, and management that treats tenants as revenue streams rather than human beings. This is not an inconvenience. This is a failure of basic duty of care. Do not live here.

This has been the best hostel I’ve stayed in. I really liked everything about this place, but the window was especially a blessing for me. It inspired me every single day. Thank you, Recording Room.”