Receiving the key to a corridor room in a brand new student room: sounds like a dream for any international student. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Margaretavägen are not yet satisfied.
“I love the people, but the housing is quite a rip-off,” says resident Daniel Weigert
Just very recently, LU Accommodation (earlier known as IHO) decided to rent the first floor of the elderly home Margaretahemmet and relocate it into a student corridor for international students. On August 31st, they received their keys.
Missing basics
However, some basic living aspects turned out to missing, to the discontent of many of the internationals.
“They are giving us the absolute minimum that they are obliged to give”, says German law student Daniel Weigert.
He thinks that his housing is ‘quite a rip-off’: “The kitchen equipment and the space in the fridge are insufficient. More importantly, the Internet has not been working and furniture is missing in the living room.”
During the first week, the students lacked several ‘basics’. No Internet connection had been set up, both washing machines weren’t properly working and the communal area was not furnished with couches or a television.
Sonia Voytiv from Ukraine, studying Gender Studies, was unpleasantly surprised by this. “I didn’t expect to be thrown into a place where everything was still unfinished.”
Signed a letter
The students soon informed LU Accommodation of their complaints. “We wrote a letter with the things we would like to have changed and almost the entire corridor signed.” says Sonia.
The students were told that basic elements, like the Internet and the laundry machine, would be fixed soon. However, they wouldn’t receive any additional furniture, as the right to a living room was not included in their contract.
Daniel isn’t satisfied with the lack of furniture. “They should understand that we are all international students, mostly staying here for one year. It is difficult and expensive for us to buy couches and other big items.”
“It can be very frustrating”
On Friday morning, Sara van Lunteren of LU Accommodation replied to the students’ stories:
“It is true that there are some starting-up problems at the Margaretavägen, as well as at some of the other new student buildings. We understand that this can be very frustrating. In the mean time, the laundry machines have been repaired. We have also informed the students on how to register with a provider and get an Internet connection.”
However, it turns out that this takes quite some time, so that alike many other students, the Margaretavägen inhabitants still have to do without a connection as of today.
“Our first goal is now to make sure that all basics are fixed in all the new student homes. After that, we can definitely look into the other aspects, as we understand that they started in a very empty building” says Sara van Lunteren.
“A kind of adventure”
Sonia Voytiv is not only negative about her new home: “A good aspect of this new place is of course, that the furniture in our rooms is brand new. Apart from that, I try to see this place as a kind of adventure.”
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text: Paula Dubbink
1 Comment
Daniel Strömholm
Why the heck would anyone expect a television? I’ve rented a apartment with (basic) furniture but I wouldn’t expect anything like that. Naturally the waching machine and stuff should work, but it comes off as really whiny. Lots of students get to deal with less than ideal space, subpar fridges and whatnot. Blame the insane housing shortage in town, if anything.