Records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 reveal that students submitted over 11,000 service request to UCD Residences last year. The most common problems? Mould, rodents, plumbing issues, fire hazards, and even a ladybird infestation.
University College Dublin (UCD) Residences received over 11,000 service requests regarding on campus accommodation throughout the 2023/24 academic year. Information obtained by The University Observer through the Freedom of Information Act 2014 revealed that between 1 September 2023 and 20 May 2024, 11,514 separate service requests were registered with UCD Residences. Although a small number of these were duplicates, The University Observer found over 11,000 different individual complaints.
Mould
The most common topic of service requests amongst people living in UCD accommodation was regarding mould, with 314 mould related complaints submitted. A further 23 complaints were in relation to damp. Students' complaints varied from “musty smells” coming from mould on the bedframe, “mould growing on walls,” and sightings of “black specks on the bathroom ceiling.”
There’s mould in my room and bathroom. I am allergic and it's making me very sick.
Students also believed that the mould issues were contributing to illness. One resident of Merville said “there are small patches of mould growing on the walls in the top corners around the shower. We believe that this is beginning to make some of us sick,” while a resident of Ashfield said “There’s mould in my room and bathroom. I am allergic and it's making me very sick.”
Rodents
Also included in the report obtained by The University Observer were at least 17 complaints related to either rats or mice. They came in the form of suspected mouse activity with holes being found in food stored in presses as well as sightings of rodents in accommodation kitchens. Residents of one house in Glenomena found a dead mouse, which was removed by maintenance staff.
One resident in Merville reported that a mouse was seen in the kitchen. UCD Residences staff confirmed that mice “were present in numbers” and that mouse droppings had been found behind the fridge. The staff reported that the kitchen had been found “filthy” and that a bait box should be left in the kitchen “just in case”. In the end, two mice were caught by mouse traps in the apartment.
In two cases, both in Glenomena, there were complaints of mice which were confirmed by staff to be magpie attacks. According to information inputted into the report by UCD Residences staff, certain apartments have a history of magpie attacks.
Rats and mice weren't the only living creatures to feature in the report. There were five service requests related to silverfish infestations, four complaints about ants being present in apartments and one complaint of “white spiders” being found, though these spiders were never seen by staff. Fruit flies, flies, and lady bugs also featured as topics of requests.
Plumbing Issues
As expected, plumbing issues were a recurring theme in the report. One student complained of a worsening smell as their toilet had been blocked for “over a week”. Another student, living in UCD Village accommodation, issued one of few complaints written in full capital letters.
“THIS IS THE FOURTH WEEK IN A ROW THAT MY TOILET HAS BROKEN. THE FLUSH JUST STOPS WORKING AND THERE IS A CONSTANT FLOW OF WATER. I CANNOT USE MY TOILET WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED OR ELSE I NEED TO BE MOVED TO A ROOM THAT HAS A WORKING TOILET”.
Other plumbing related issues included a leaky undersink pipe, shower drains not working properly, and a shower that is “scolding hot”.
Moving In
2,983 of the service requests in the report were submitted in September, as students moved into their accommodation. Many of the complaints issued in September were related to students finding broken appliances and furniture in their room. According to the report, UCD were quick to replace a number of broken desk chairs and damaged bed frames, and were happy to replace uncomfortable mattresses, which was a popular theme throughout the report. Multiple students complained of mattresses that were difficult to sleep on, with many of these requests being remedied with replacement mattresses.
This room is really below standard especially considering the price of Belgrove has gone up this year.
One student left a detailed complaint when they moved into their accommodation in Belgrove. Stating that it was their third year in Belgrove, they said “this room is really below standard especially considering the price of Belgrove has gone up this year. The bed is broken and wobbles, one of the sockets is broken and won’t allow me to plug things in and the window also won’t open fully as the hinge is broken”. The student went on to say they were very disappointed in the new room allocation system and asked to be emailed about their complaint. The result of the request submitted by UCD Residences staff simply read, “new bed base”.
Hazards
There was one request about a leaky roof in early September. In Merville, a roofing contractor was required to fix a leak that was dripping water into the bedroom. The student submitted two different service requests - one with the original request and another a few days later complaining that it had not yet been fixed. After the second request, the leak was repaired.
The fire exit in the common dining area in the halls is locked, and the key box to open the fire exit in case of a fire is missing. Multiple people have made maintenance request [sic] however, the issue has not been fixed. This is a big concern to fire safety.
In UCD Village, a student had their service request marked as high urgency as their door was not locking. They said “anyone can access my room without my Ucard”. The records received by The University Observer did not state how this issue was resolved.
In Blackrock West Hall, one student submitted a service request that was also logged as a welfare concern. The service request read “The fire exit in the common dining area in the halls is locked and the key box to open the fire exit in case of a fire is missing. Multiple people have made maintenance request [sic] however, the issue has not been fixed. This is a big concern to fire safety. None of the windows in the common area open and this means that in case of a fire there is no exit”.
The previous instance isn't the only example of a service request mentioning that previous requests had not been resolved. One request said “This is my 3rd request for a compost bin for our apartment kitchen. Previous requests have been marked as completed even though NO compost bin have [sic] been provided to us.” Another submission about an uncomfortable mattress stated “I have requested multiple times.”
Apartment broken into
In December, an apartment in Glenomena reported that their room had been broken into. They reported that “several holes were left in the ceiling and on the wall of the living room.” Judging by the date of the complaint, it is likely that this service request was in relation to the festivities on UCD Christmas Day 2023.
Strange requests
Certain service requests certainly stood out as unique. Whether it be an input from Glenomena in February 2024 stating that eggs had been thrown at their window during the night; A UCD Village resident requesting help to retrieve their Apple Pen from behind their bed (which was not found); or the lady bug infestation in Merville, it’s fair to say that UCD Residencies receives a wide variety of service requests, and a substantial amount of them.