Manchester House, manchester

I'm giving it a 1/5, but that's even generous, and it's only because I made it out alive. If you're planning on staying here, DON'T! The price is a scam to get you to succumb to the old and poorly built accommodation. My flat had silverfish, no hot water for almost a month and the lift broke for over a month. And their communication is useful, don't expect to report an issue because it won't get fixed. They don't respond to emails, and they don't pick up calls. You're giving them almost 10k for FREE, it's unbelievable. In the first month I moved in, there was black mould (which made me sick the entire 9 months I stayed there) all over the window, in the bathroom, and there were renovations going on. I moved in and had no shower door, the room was filthy, the kitchen was old and dingy, and there were cracks and gaps everywhere. Every time I showered, my bathroom leaked, and I had no cold water in my tap for a long time. And it took months to get these issues fixed. The mould issue was never foxed though, not to mention they don't even have an app for you to report issues. Regarding the hot water, I received compensation, but only because I chased and emailed continuously until the hot water was fixed. Can you imagine, during the winter months, I had no hot water? Inhumane. And they dared to ask me to pay rent. Furthermore, there were several cases of silverfish in the property. Whenever the maintenance team came into the kitchen was left messy and dirty, and we had to clean up after them. There is no place to receive deliveries, and the reception they tell you to go to is a 30-minute walk away, and the reception is always closed. I've sent countless emails chasing them up about my deposit, which I haven't received. Do yourself a favour, don't stay here.

Good

I had ongoing black mould in my room for around 2 months, which I reported multiple times. It was not addressed within a reasonable timeframe and started affecting my health. The situation got so bad that I had to arrange partial cleaning myself due to the delay. Even after that, the issue wasn’t handled properly and had already occurred more than once. On top of this, I experienced issues with their payment system which led to a duplicate rent payment, causing unnecessary financial stress. As a student, dealing with both a health issue and financial confusion at the same time was extremely difficult. The overall experience left me feeling stressed, unsupported, and ignored. I would strongly advise other students to think carefully before choosing this accommodation.

PLEASE READ BEFORE MOVING IN!!! I have stayed at Manchester House from August 2023. Please read the positives and negatives below before even considering moving in: Starting with the positives: - The lovely staff at Parkview (the other HomesForStudents accommodation) was friendly when I first moved in with lots of freebies - Great location about a 5 min walk to Oxford Road and a 20 min walk into central Manchester (Picadilly) - The deluxe room (the one I stayed in) is spacious with a large en-suite bathroom and a nice bath - Recently installed new radiators which heats the room quickly - Boiling water, and scolding level of hot which needs to be taken with precaution And the negatives: - When I first moved in there was remanence of w**d in the cabinet drawers, toenails on the bed, and the disgusting bathroom had not been cleaned/inspected before the new tenants (which is disclosed in the tenancy agreement) - VERY thin walls, my deluxe room has the bed head against the corridor wall so if my flatmates are chatting in the hallway I can hear every word, so bring earplugs - The doors are heavy and slam very loudly, which isn’t too bad because they do have to be fire doors. - Homeless problem, multiple homeless people were found in the apartment, squatting in the laundry room and the stairwell defecating inside the doors and in the stairs. The only solution the landlords did was to put signs up making sure students close all the doors properly (which didn’t help). I had to call the police due to our lack of safety, one homeless man did get arrested. I think this is the landlord’s job to sort this situation out NOT the tenants!!!! - The homeless man also set off the fire alarm and we all had to wait outside for 2 hours until someone could turn it off - The prices are EXTORTIONATE for the condition of the accommodation, I paid £215 a week and I have seen that the rent has risen in the past year. - The MM Helpline app is useful for issues however they are not solved quickly and most of them are brushed off, an example being the hatch to the attic fell off in our hallway (and nearly fell on my head) and that hasn’t been fixed even though I have reported it multiple times. Same with my leaking window - New fire alarms have been fitted into everyone’s room however the maintenance people couldn’t be bothered to make it look neat or sort out the crumbling plaster on my wall due to the drilling. - My bath in my ensuite has nothing connected to the overflow hole so when I take a bath, and water goes through the overflow it just floods the bathroom floor. Plus my bathroom just looks unfinished, huge sewage pipes are exposed - My roommate’s window was FIXED SHUT (which is illegal) for 4 months without fresh air, finally after threatening to press charges it was fixed. - The apartment building is un-manned so there is no close reception to contact apart from Parkview - Prices of circuit laundry are insane it currently stands at £3.80 for a regular wash and £2.60 for a dry - There are no regular inspections - Theres no places to put post so you have to wait around for the delivery driver plus packages have been stolen Just an overall uncared building as it was previously an office block and very old, and everything needs replacing, especially locks and windows also needs a lick of paint. Pointers would be to add security to the outside, as other reviewers have mentioned. 2/5 stars, would not recommend it, there’s cheaper and better student accommodation nearby

People please please please read this - I am being extremely honest here and trying to prevent newcomers from making the same mistake. The following points are in no particular order but all lead to the same conclusion. I would NEVER recommend that anyone stay here. Misleading Room Photos: The pictures of the room types are incorrect. The "Silver Room" has an incredibly small window; staying there alone is very depressing. It honestly has the vibe of Raskolnikov's home. Safety and Security Failures: It seems I lived here during the same year as Miranda B, as I experienced the same nightmare with the night sirens. They were frequently triggered by homeless people for fun. Because there is no reception staff on-site to handle emergencies, we eventually had to figure out how to turn the sirens off ourselves just to get some sleep. Zero Respect for Privacy: Staff have no respect for your personal space. After I logged a problem regarding mold on my window, they entered my room at random times without any prior notice. Furthermore, when I asked them to wear slippers rather than walking boots in my private living space, they rejected the idea with disgust—a major red flag regarding the company's attitude toward their own property and tenants. Zero Respect for your Personal Belongings: Expect your personal trash cans to be filled with broken building equipment from carpenters, etc after coming from holidays. Maintenance Failures: We had a broken microwave for two weeks that no one fixed, despite being told it would be replaced the very next day. Sanitation Issues: Once my roommates moved out, the staff left ALL THE TRASH in the shared kitchen. I was scheduled to stay there for another month during the summer. I spent that entire month fighting a fly infestation caused by the rotting trash, which was incredibly difficult and disgusting. Paper-Thin Walls: Take note that the walls are thin. If a man talks at a normal volume, his conversation is perfectly intelligible to the neighbors next door. Laundry Access: They closed the laundry room on weekends for several weeks in a row without providing any explanation. Incompetent Communication: They spam you with emails—constantly making mistakes, correcting them, and sending even more. If you stop checking them out of frustration, you might miss something vital. For example, they changed the FRONT DOOR code and my old keys stopped working. Even worse, their own call center didn't know the new code and suggested I pay £80 for an emergency call-out just to get into my own building. The "MM HelpDesk" App: They require you to download an app that looks like a 5th-grader’s first programming project. It requires your GPS to be on for no apparent reason and refuses to show the jobs you’ve already logged. It is frustrating to use and a massive waste of time. You literally never know if the team received your requests. Logistical Nightmares: Coordinating parcels is nearly impossible. Furthermore, they often expect you to make a 30-minute commute to Park View Accommodation just to collect your keys or handle basic administrative tasks.