Following pressure from the Students’ Union over excessive check out costs, Alpha Residential has agreed to a number of reforms to their core business practices in a great win for students at Royal Holloway.
Following pressure from the Students’ Union over excessive check out costs, Alpha Residential has agreed to a number of reforms to their core business practices in a great win for students at Royal Holloway.
The Egham based estate agent has acknowledged that their original email to tenants would be revised in order to expand on clarity and accessibility while they have agreed to implement a clear complaints procedure on their website allowing students to raise their concerns directly with the company.
Alongside this, their customer service procedure is also being reviewed to investigate any issues that may have occurred from a staffing side. As part of this work, the Students’ Union and Alpha Residential have agreed to jointly work together on improving communications to students.
Finally, they have confirmed that students are permitted to be present during the checkout process, and that tenants are able to use their own cleaning service. They did stress however, that charges would still apply if the cleaning was not up to their standards. We will be closely monitoring this as student tenancies end and we will support you to challenge this if necessary.
We would also remind you that you have the right to challenge elements of the revised check-out procedures, including the date and need for a professional clean, if Alpha hasn’t provided you with proof your property was professionally cleaned before you moved in.
Collective Student Success
Prior to meeting with Alpha, the Students’ Union received over 60 group complaints regarding their services, and over 20 individuals and group appointments were booked on the topic of the end of tenancy email that was issued.
This collective voice enabled our Advice Centre to react in a swift and decisive manner, with the volume of complaints ensuring the estate agent had to listen to our concerns.
We hope that this resolution marks the beginning of a better working relationship between Alpha Residential and their student clients, and that the agreements made will be fulfilled.
The Students’ Union Advice Centre is still open to provide free and confidential advice, please email advice@su.rhul.ac.uk to book an appointment or for more information. You can also obtain free legal advice from the University of London Housing Service by phoning 02078628880 or by emailing housing@london.ac.uk.