A University of Lincoln graduate has set up a website to try to tackle rogue student housing landlords after what she describes as a horror experience.
Natasha Leya Hopewell, 23, claims her student house in Lincoln didn’t have hot water for ten weeks, landlords would regularly make unannounced visits and maintenance men would let themselves into her room while she was sleeping.
She said she was then forced to use the same student letting agent in her third year and had another terrible experience. After making a complaint, she was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Those experiences motivated Natasha to set up a website called Crib Advisor with her friends Laurence Thorpe and Dominic O’ Connor.
Since the site when live, over 420 students have left anonymous reviews for letting agents, landlords and student halls.
Natasha, who studied law at the University of Lincoln, said that students are not clued up enough about their rights when it comes to renting.
She said: “When students get to university it will be the first time that they rent, so they don’t know what to expect or what they can do when standards drop.
“It’s not just about bad experiences though, we are keen to highlight the good landlords on our website.”
West End Student Properties, Jones Students Property and Wright Properties are some of the highest-rated on the site.
While Properties on the Market, Loc8me Lincoln and Ochre Property have some of the lowest ratings.
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Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has confirmed plans to jet-wash blocked gullies in Leadenham following persistent flooding, which has left residents and businesses in constant fear of property damage during heavy rainfall.
The council intends to jet the A607 outside Leadenham Post Office as an urgent measure to mitigate ongoing flood risks, with a full clean scheduled for January. The announcement comes after a plea from Leadenham Parish Councillor Martyn Everett, who highlighted significant flooding along Sleaford Road.
A senior lecturer recently celebrated the news that East Midlands Railway will increase its train capacity on what he felt was an “overcrowded” service between Lincoln and Leicester.
Amir Badiee lives in Loughborough and for the past seven years has been commuting to his job at the University of Lincoln, but over the last two years he believes the train service has got worse. When he complained back in March he said he didn’t receive any response, but he believes his recent concerns aired in The Lincolnite helped to prompt a positive outcome.
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