AN INVESTIGATION has been launched by BCP Council into reports a student accommodation provider in Bournemouth is letting out rooms as holiday apartments without permission.
The landlords of the Oxford Point student blocks on Oxford Road have reportedly been subletting unused rooms for £450 for three nights on sites including Bookings.com and AirBnB.
However, some guests at the holiday apartments have complained about being misled as they said they were never informed that the apartment block was student accommodation.
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Students staying in the accommodation, owned and operated by Fresh Student Living, have raised concerns about potential breaches of health and safety rules as well as Covid regulations.
University students from Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth, who have 51-week tenancies at the accommodation block, say they were not made aware that other people were due to be staying there this summer.
Students have raised a number of complaints, including being disturbed by rowdy and drunk residents during the early hours, the flouting of Covid restrictions and even finding drunk people passed out in front of their rooms.
Other residents have reportedly been verbally and physically assaulted by tourists.
One student said: “I have many complaints about the way in which Oxford Point is operated
“Ordinarily, I would consider these problems too trivial. However, we pay £215 per week in rent and utilities.
“This is blatant and frankly disgusting profiteering that preys on students that have to take out loans on which to live in the first place, and it sickens me.”
Another student, who has autism, said: “I am easily stressed and anxious, and the fact that my home, that I am paying an insane amount for, is in fact being rented to strangers, that the door is left unlocked for them to just walk in, that other girls my age have been verbally assaulted by middle aged men, is terrifying.
“For a building that claims to put students' safety first, I really don't agree with a lot of the choices they have made with deciding to let out the building in a hotel format during what is still a pandemic.
“How are we supposed to feel safe in our home?”
The council’s planning department said it is unaware of any planning application being submitted to vary permission for the student halls to be used as holiday apartments.
A council spokesman said: “We have not received an application to vary the original permission to change use to holiday apartments and are investigating the matter further to consider whether any breach of planning has occurred.”
Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth are both aware of the situation and have offered some students alternative accommodation and encouraged others to contact their accommodation team.
The building, which is owned and operated by Fresh Student Living, has 468 rooms, with around 40 students living in the accommodation at the moment and between 200 and 250 members of the public residing there during the summer at any one time.
Fresh Student Living has partnered with online property management company Lavanda, which looks after the online booking process for holiday makers.
A spokesperson for Fresh Student Living said: “We take the welfare of our residents very seriously and have spoken to the separate organisation that manages holiday lettings, as well as checking with our on-site team.
“All guests are reminded at booking, on arrival and through signage throughout the building of our stringent Covid-secure policies and practices which include increased cleaning of shared spaces. Our on-site team take appropriate action where there is evidence of non-compliance.
“We have apologised to concerned residents and informed them as to the permitted use of the building during the summer period when the majority of students have vacated. This is to make full use of otherwise empty rooms and help support the local economy in Bournemouth.”
Students have been advised by Citizens Advice to appeal individually to Fresh Student Living over the handling of resident’s safety and the enforcing of Covid measures.
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