Please write review about Unilodge@Melbourne 746 Swanston st in comments section…
Contact admin@donotlodge.com for further questions
The unilodge fridge sucks. Always full.. dont have space to put any of my stuffs. And the rent is too high for a 3 footstep room.
I was a resident of unilodge@melbourne for a period of six months last year. I feel that it was a period which i had a bad experience and bad service. The charges are so high and its not worth every penny residing in there. Its like you have to sit quiet in the room without any entertainment for yourself because it disturbs the neighboring rooms. Even a small bit of sound was not allowed.
Moreover, i had a friend who got assaulted by a guy and unilodge just cared about their status and situation and not my friend’s situation. Thats really bad. The place is so uncomfortable and insecure. Residents used to steal my food from the fridge and consume it. There was no privacy at all. Another issue i need to raise is that my room had rats breeding over and it was so disturbing for me. It feels that as though we are staying in rubbish dump. The management did not take any actions as i complained to them. i had live with that situation for 3 months everyday facing the rats. Why do they want to charge so much for a rubbish dump? thats simply atrocious. If the rats are sharing a room with us, then you should reduce our rent to half coz i don’t want to pay for the rats too. They are bad, irritating and unhygienic room mates.
Last but not least, smokers are not given any freedom to smoke in unilodge. It like a military camp where u only had to smoke in a restricted area where after 10p.m it will be closed by the R.A. To end it, i feel that unilodge@melbourne is like a jail. We should be treated as residents and not as convicts. Please improve on all these and take necessary actions.
Thanks….
Ajay
I have lived here for the last 1.5 yrs.
Positives:
1. Communal system which encourages social interactins and you get to meet various people from different cultures and upbringings.
2. Perfect location for city-based residents.
Negatives:
1. MANAGEMENT suckssssssss bigggggg timeeee. They donot know how to behave with the residents ( Michelle and Ainsley). When you talk to them, it feels as if they are doing you a favour by allowing you to stay in unilodge@Melbourne-746 swanston st.
2. RATS and SPIDER WEBS are a menace in the buliding and they are serious health and safety hazards. And this problem has not been resolved for the last 2 years. And the lame excuse that unilodge gives, saying that we donot keep our rooms clean, is simply pathetic.
3. The LIFT’s consistently have problems and every second day they break-down.
Alright lets get one thing straight: being able to walk 100 feet to your classes is the most convenient thing in the world.
Now heres what sucks:
-having to share a fridge with 10 people at least
-have to listen to everything that happens through the walls, i mean cmon i dont need to hear people fu****g (edited by admin) all night
-the rats
-the smell of the laundry room: they said they were going to fix this but it still smells like a dead body
-how it is always cold as hell in the hallways and the bathrooms…
thats all i have for now, but im sure something else will come up
for a communal place like this, the management’s relations skills are beyond poor. more than once, the management fail to tackle problems (rats, lifts, security issues, sexual harrasments, etc.); rather they dodge the situations like one would a bullet.
reality is, no accommodation is perfect but what is disappointing is the manner in which the management handle these issues.
one gets the impression that their approach to tackling problems is towards outcomes that will benefit the management, NOT the residents.
for all the various complaints, there seems to be a fundamental flaw in the management, more than anything else. that needs to be addressed.
Having lived at unilodge for quite awhile, let me say that I have never lived in a place that is so badly mis-managed. The management are clueless about everything. The toilets are badly cleaned- the showers are so dirty they have fungas growing in it, the kitchens are cleaned so badly that you often have old food rotting on the floor. The only thing that improves is the amount you pay, this goes up every six months.
Unilodge owed my bond. Instead of paying me, they told me that I will be taken to court. Upon consultation with the manager, it transpired that unilodge had lost my bond form, and had filled a new form without informing me, and then had the audacity to tell me that it was all my fault. In short unilodge has nice people, and a good social life- but the management are nothing more than thieves and crooks…..I would not stay here for free!
I agree with pretty much everything said above. It’s disgusting the way they treat us. Not only is the management terrible but the ultra sensitive smoke alarms and locked windows everywhere make me feel like I’m seen as a child. Really? I can’t open my window more than a couple inches? Then there’s the “we are going to fine you for anything by using our super surveillance system that makes you feel like you are in a prison” policy. The manager of this unilodge must be the laziest most incompetent person I’ve ever encountered in such a position. I don’t know how the management is at the other unilodges but they at least have great living setups (full apartments with no critters) and hassle free environments.
Like someone above said the biggest thing that pisses me off is the complete disrespect given to us so that they can save their own asses. Blaming us for the mouse problem borders on criminal, and small things like having to leave deposits for the vacuum cleaner (which is often broken or being used, not to mention there is only one for several hundred people), having kitchenware break and take days to be replaced or fixed, the elevator never being truly fixed..they just anger me.
I don’t know how it works in Australia but in the US a mouse problem constitutes a legal complaint issue that must be resolved by the landlord. Simply put it is an unlivable situation and in the states the landlord would not be allowed to charge people for rent until the problem was fixed.
And after all this they have the nerve to increase rent?
If I wasn’t leaving so soon I would look into the legal responsibilities of unilodge and see what can be done. We should be in their faces telling them they are ridiculous. I guess the overwhelming demand for housing in Melbourne makes them feel they can do anything and still have rentees.
I agree with pretty much everything said above. It’s disgusting the way they treat us. Not only is the management terrible but the ultra sensitive smoke alarms and locked windows everywhere make me feel like I’m seen as a child. Really? I can’t open my window more than a couple inches? Then there’s the “we are going to fine you for anything by using our super surveillance system that makes you feel like you are in a prison” policy. The manager of this unilodge must be the laziest most incompetent person I’ve ever encountered in such a position. I don’t know how the management is at the other unilodges but they at least have great living setups (full apartments with no critters) and hassle free environments.
Like someone said the biggest thing that pisses me off is the complete disrespect given to us so that they can save their own asses. Blaming us for the mouse problem borders on criminal, and small things like having to leave deposits for the vacuum cleaner (which is often broken or being used, not to mention there is only one for several hundred people), having kitchenware break and take days to be replaced or fixed, the elevator never being truly fixed..they just anger me.
I don’t know how it works in Australia but in the US a mouse problem constitutes a legal complaint issue that must be resolved by the landlord. Simply put it is an unlivable situation and in the states the landlord would not be allowed to charge people for rent until the problem was fixed.
And after all this they have the nerve to increase rent?
Guys.. if u have such a major problem with unilodge, why dont u find another place for urselves… if u think they’re unreasonable, go somewhere else,, they are not forcing u to stay there!!
stop complainging and acting like kids.. this is teh real world and hence face it..
am sure all u guys are above 18 and adults enough to understand how things work.. if it doesnt suit u, leave the place. but stop whiniing away like kids!!!
i am jsut trying to think wat will happen to u guys when u actually enter teh real world which has mich more than all uch trivial issues.
Good luck guys!!
The following link is of a larger than life character from Unilodge! Who do you you think this was 8-10 years ago?
hey guys,
Man whats this Monu guy talking about god does he really like unilodge oh my god and what are you talking about leaving in the real world if you take shit you would always lose out and be taken for advantage… maybe you dont understand this is also for other people who will be future residents..
probably he students who stayed in unilodge all 280 plus would move out tomo if they had another place to leave and if they were no things like contracts…
mate next time get your stuff right before you talk
and i dont know if you have also herd of customer feed back even unilodge them selves wanted us to say things like this to help us but which obviously they wont…
anyways thats all i had to say and if anyone also thinks this monu guy is wrong say so
I am sorry but i totally disagree
Monu, Monu, Monu.
what are you, dumb?
this is not about facing the real world, this is about getting what you pay for and most of all, the basic issue of respect and ethics.
look, i don’t even stay there anymore but yet everytime i hear the shit that is going on there, it irks me. it is quite clear that you fail to see the bigger issue in all this but well, i wouldn’t expect someone like you to see it, would i?
oh by the way, we don’t need you to “try and think about what would happen to us when we enter the real world.” save your brain cells for – oh wait, brain cells? hmm…
I didn’t really like unilodge, but most of the problems I found were with the residents more then the building itself.
On my floor, most of the residents (Edited by admin) never spoke english, but instead were always making a mess in the kitchen, speaking loudly (Edited by admin). People stealing stuff from the fridge was annoying too, but once again, that’s the residents and not anything to do with unilodge. (unless they use they’re camera system to track down those people)
As for the rats, yes that was horrible. But that was probably the only issue I had with unilodge itself. Bond was returned in due order, etc.
Listen guys, if you don’t like the place then please move, don’t waste your time on these stupid things. Aaron, please don’t target on any race this is not fair at all, if you dont like here can may leave
Sorry for not moderating the previous message by Aaron. Definitely we are not here to target any one or group specifically.
Ken we do understand and we apologize on that matter.
Administrator
who ever has taken up theses issues…or who ever the moderator or administrator of this website is..hats off to you…and personally I would do anything for you..and I mean anything…
Unilodge is well placed its true, but there are numerous issues that i personally have with the product that they offer. Living in a double, the design of the room is extremely poor. There is a single heater next to the door that automatically shuts off after two hours, never heating the room sufficiently for two people, especially given the massive single paned windows on the other side of the room. These are set in flimsy alimunium frames, which are mottled with mould and screwed shut permanently. The one window that does open is attached to a clumsy chain pulley system, and is always open an inch due to poor design. The room is always cold, and the garbage truck servicing the adjacent building, arriving at 12 o clock every night is loud and clear, as well as the drunken revelry of anyone within 100 metres, including the tram stop. Some days there’s an alarm that goes off in the dental hospital at 6 o’clock in the morning, followed by a massive generator starting up.
The other thing that annoys me is that there’s no reasonable wear and tear mentality with the management. Living somewhere, it inevitably will be in a worse state when you leave than when you arrive, being subject to a universal law known as ENTROPY. To charge someone out of their bond for shoe marks under the desk, and for replacing a screw ($15) in a door or even a mark on the wall is ridiculous.
If you’re thinking of living in Unilodge, make sure that it’s your last choice, or only short term.
I can only agree that the management sucks big time, but i think that mainly the landlords are to blame that also put pressure on the managers of the facilities. Here some stuff that I can tell you about that.
1. Best word to describe everything is “crap”tacular
2. Everything is built the cheapest way possible
3. The Website of Unilodge has pictures that were on purpose only showing the nicer things.
4. Yes, everyone can move out, but especially if you are from overseas and are only here short time you don’t have any possibility to really change that.
5. Mice in the building and they hand out sheets saying it is all the residents fault. Yeah… sure… Mice in levels as high as 10,11 and 12 are residents fault. Actually we only had one in our room because the door to the hallway does not even close with the floor. It could come inside trough a small slit…
6. Even if you complain that something is broken they just put on their happy smiley faces and tell you it will be done but nothing happens.
7. They even tell us not to put tables from the kitchen into the TV-Room because we would damage the walls…
There is more stuff but I don’t want to write more now. I would definitely suggest anyone not to move in here. Yes it is convenient, but it is not nice at all.
I feel like live in jail
Because of the location and the convenience, I moved here 1.5 years ago… I moved up here because of the management team function and meeting and making friends in a share experience. Yes, I made a lot of friends here, however, the disappointment is greater than the happiness.
First, My room is like a match box, for the formal rent rate it is reasonable, but for the current rental and the horrible situation you are in as a shared accommodation, it is way too much.
Second, when I moved in I had my terrified guests mice… I saw them on the corridor first, then I reported to the management team, but seems like they don’t care about it at all. They did nothing, but blame that we have food in our residencial area, but come on we are human beings, we need food, and when this problem happens, as a professional management team you need to do something more important rather than blaming people, hence, I saw mice in the kitchen and corridor area first, not in the rooms, under our rooms, there is a huge gap wide enough to let little mice in, and cleaning the kichten is not what we should do. Anyway, they ignored my report, and then time by time on our floor people find mice in their rooms. I still have 3 big plastic bags now to block my room’s mice hole, so to this i am speechless.
Third, no human rights. This is a freedom country, but in here i feel like live in a place without human rights. They treat us like cold blood animals. Once, my friend leave me a note to cheer me up, she used a blu tack, but they pull it off, and i received a fine notice. Come on, a blu tack note…Another time, i am sick, i left my pods in the kitchen 1 over night, they through it away. The pods are okay, but the cooking set is coming from my parents, it means a lot to me emotionally as an international student, but when I talk to the management team, their answer is you can’t leave your pods in the kitchen more than 15 mins. without standing beside them, my question is if that so, why not you lock the kitchen and never let us cook, then probably all problem solved. When i talk to them, they don’t even care about people’s feelings, I feel like i am talking to a cold blood animal. I feel so disappointed.
There are a lot of places even suck more, the freezing bathroom, the horrible smell rubbish room, the broken washing machine, lift is not working, annoying fire alarm, kitchen facilities not working….guess what we pay for that…, and we don’t have rights to complain…:|
Once, I said to them that if they continue this management situation, you will lost your reputation and business in future, their answer is we don’t care, we are the cheapest in town, and our business is good, and people will choose us. I recognize with that attitude, they will never change and not sincere people, how they will survive in future, but I am leaving this place for sure, because I don’t want myself in trouble, but in here, I feel like one day I will.
Overall, I think generally I made a lot of friends here, and we have a good time together, but as a living place’s management team, they did a shit job. When we have a little tiny mistakes they fine as without doubt, and never let us explain or explain the reason to us, because we should know that from the lease agreement, but when they have problems, like security, maintainance, mice problems, they always find excuse to hide and avoid to solve the problem, instead, they blame us again, this is not what i paid for according to my lease agreement either, I pay for a secure room without mice at least, but this basic living condition they didn’t even offer me. That’s why I am living this shit hole, my friends are all leaving too, and I will try my best to tell other friends not to live in this place. It sucks!
This is to let you all know that the management has been checking this website (We think) because a few matters displayed on the website have been resolved.
1. Filters on the exhaust on Level 11 kitchen
have been fixed. (Check the photo on Level 11 Unilodge@Melbourne Post )
2. Security to enter the premises has been
improved as extra swipe cards which were
lost or were issued to ex residents of
Unilodge@Melbounre have all been
Deactivated.
We would like to thank you for your support, and would request you to email us pictures to admin@donotlodge.com or post your issues so that they can be rectified as soon as possible.
Administrator
admin@donotlodge.com
Does anyone else fell they were cheated by not being warned about the 11PM GARBAGE TRUCKS AT THE HOSPITAL!!!!!!!!!! F***(edited by Admin)!!!! It’s ANNOYING. Leagally they should say its all good but if you are in rooma 01-05 and any of the double rooms you will hear garbage trucks emptying at the hospital for at least one hour evry night!!
I was just thinking that we should email sites like Uni Melbourne that advertise this place as a living option for study abroad and international students. We should tell them that this place has substandard living situations and should not be advertised as an appropriate place to stay.
The administrator of this site, is an absolute f**king f**kwit (edited by admin) and obviously has no life. He has no friends at UniLodge – everyone hates him. Why the hell does he still live here? It wouldn’t surprise me if he had no where else to go coz he’s such a w**ker(edited by admin). Go back to India you c…t!!!
I bet on anything guys that nobbi is management (edited by admin) !!!
LOL
I agree with u Nobbi.. Manan is a f**king loser with no life.. I used to live at UniLodge and compared to other rental places, it ain’t all bad. Maybe you should go back to living in India with your servants…??
Jas this is to let you know that the management maybe was doing a great job when you were around, well things have, i guess changed now since you have left. Its not about the rent, its about the management of Unilodge@Melbourne.
We are in 2008 and just for curiosity, i was just wondering how come the IP adress of your and Nobbi is the same so why are u agreeing to her.
Can’t see anyone being so moved to defend this place unless they had a bee in their bonnet about something else, probably is management or members of a group of a certain floor that are so insecure in themselves that they like to express it a pathetic pack mentality.
Nobbi n Jas nitwits…well no matter how dumb and stupid u guys are..donot forget this is a public forum to share concerns, issues and reviews..not to bring along your personal vendettas..so plzz keep ur dirt inside ur own arse..and try to have constructive argument if u can..dont spread APATHY…
When are we getting a new ping pong table ?
On the 1st of June 2008 they mentioned to be replacing it max by 10th of June…. Yuhuuu its the 17thhhhhhhhhhh of JUNE
UUUUUUUUUUUhhhhhhhhh
UNILODGE ?????????????????????????
Yeah, their performance with the table tennis table sums them up. We will only hurry if its chasing money, anything to make the residents lives better can wait! Wish I lived in RMIT village! Now that place is cool
This to let you guys know that it is illegal for the agent or the landlord to give calls to tenats and blackmail them with threats of tenancy termination. Please do not be scared as they cant give you any thing in writing ? ask them in writing ? and if you want you can actually contact VCAT (http://www.vcat.vic.gov.au/) and sue them for doing this. I have spoken to the police you dont have to worry guys believe me !!!!!! just contact VCAT for those who have been threatend !!!!!
(03) 9628 9755 thats where u can complaint and sue them …
How dare they invade your privacy and blackmail you to leave what u want ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
This is crazy ………..
This is height of being stupid………
Did you see that nice paper about energy saving in the elevator. Sadly it was only there for a short time before I could write “more ways to how can make the landlords make even more money”
UNILODGE CAN LICK MY WET HAIRY BALLS.
dude u got balls man…i hope some of the people here can realize that and have the resilience and guts to stand against such mis-management and obstruction of basic democratic-rights. I guess the unilodge management( Michelle and Ainsley) are either illiterate or come from an age of feministic power-play(if there was any)…So hats off to the admin, and good-luck to your purpose.
PLZZ DONT SPREAD APATHY!!!!!!
Guys those threats are simply useless…it is to make u fear that the managment is much powerful than u all….but in actual fact…their arse is on fire thats y…they blackmailed u guys…they wanna save thier arse so they chose this route or method to blackmail u guys….DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ALL THIS….THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TENANCY TERMIANTION UNDER THE LAW…now u guys can sue them until thier pants get went bcoz of the blackmail they issued to u….i think u guys shld do that…this is invasion of privacy…they r simply just ruining ur personal life thats all…..they wont and they cant give official notice abt leaving the grp and such…..SIMPLY ITS JUST BULLSHIT…..
now this is simple….ppl who are satisfied with unilodge and their management shut the fuck up and get ur arse away from this website…. and stop criticising and giving useless comments….those who are concerned and unsatisfied pls leave ur comments and the gr8 admin will do his job…..Pathetic unilodge and the management should learn a lesson…..
The management has started improving by taking look at your problems on this website. So lets all keep updating it so that they can make more changes.
There are pros and cons to living at Unilodge @ Melbourne. Here is a list of my opinions.
I’ll start with the pros:
1. Location – Unilodge @ Melbourne is situated directly opposite the university making it less than 5 minutes walk to lectures. It is also only a 10 minute tram ride or 20 walk into the CBD.
2. Every room contains a sink (which was not advertised on their website).
3. There is a big communal TV which film and sports subscription. As well as 3 other TV’s on different floors.
4. There are two good communal barbeques which are free to use.
5. There is a free table tennis table.
6. Some people are sociable and you can make good friends.
7. The rooms have a descent amount of storage.
Now the cons:
1. You have to pay $75 for a departure clean, which wouldn’t be too bad if when you arrive you have a clean room. However when I arrived, my room was filthy; there was someone else’s hair on the desk, carpet and bed as well as cobwebs in the corners.
2. The place is infested with mice.
3. The rubbish shoot smells terrible; like someone has been sick inside it. What’s worse is that the washing machine and tumble dryer are located in the same place.
4. The washing machine does a terrible job of cleaning clothes and cost $3 per wash.
5. There is very minimal storage space in the kitchen which you have to pay $10 for.
6. The freezer opens when you close the fridge, so food often defrosts.
7. The cookers burn food, if you follow the packaging instructions. This often sets off the fire alarm which costs you $1700 per fire engine that turns up, if it was not a real fire.
8. The toilets and showers are not cleaned every day. And when they are, they are not cleaned to a high standard that should be expected.
9. Some of the cleaners cannot speak English.
10. Some people are very antisocial and do not even recognise you, if you walk into the kitchen. They always speak in Chinese to each other, so English speakers are excluded from any conversation.
11. The pool table and foosball table both cost $2 a play.
12. The lifts are unreliable and often break down.
13. The outside of the building is made of metal, so on a hot summer’s day when the sun rises, it causes the metal to heat and expand; making a large amount of noise which often woke me up.
14. The building is also situated next to a dental hospital. And all throughout the night dustbin men come and collect the rubbish, causing a lot of noise. This too also often woke me up.
15. The walls between rooms are very thin. In fact they are so thin you can hear exactly what the person next door to you is saying.
16. The style in which the rooms are decorated is very ugly.
All in all, I would definitely NOT recommend Unilodge @ Melbourne to anyone.
While I have many problems with Unilodge @ Melbourne I don’t feel that we can complain about room size. The dimensions were given on the site (don’t get me started on those borderline fake pics though) so saying that we live in jail cells, while true, isn’t really a valid complaint. The thin walls, dirtiness, mice, weird windows, etc. are valid though. I can hear my neighbor roll his chair or scratch his arm..seriously.
Hey that handle has been fixed !!! Believe me i entered from there today after almost 1 week or may be more i guess !!
Yeah… about the Departure Clean… this is a true story (first hand):
The job for departure clean is to be outsourced professionally to outside people who charge around $50-$80 for the cleaning service and do not leave even a strand of hair on the carpet. but UniLodge management once made an R.A. clean a resident’s room after he checked out. So when a new resident moved in and paid $75… the money went straight to UniLodge account.
If only that amount was used to get Michelle a haircut or Ansely a gender reassignment!!! These bitches even drove Pauline out who was much appreciated for her humane and empathising attitude towards our problems.
ive lived in unilodge for a very long time..why u ask??? well lets just say if u go to melb uni then the location just over shadows all its flaws…and then there is lygon st just behind u with so many great places to eat and the city itself is only a 10min walk…however just because it is such a convenient place to live doesnt mean its the most value for money place or warm place to live…the rent is unreasonably high considering the very very poor living standards within the building…the management are not at all considerate about what residents have to endure to live here and instead make life even harder…how u wonder? well lets start with their inability to address the mice issue that has been there for over 2 years now…i mean come on how many complaints does it take before they will finally take us srsly!!! since ive lived there ive had 2 friends who have been forced to move in with their bf’s because of mice in their room..and will unilodge management graciously let them end their contracts?? NOOO of course not!!! they were forced to continue paying rent up until the end of their contract…be careful before u sign a contract here because unilodge doesnt honour their end of the agreement…i also know of a resident who was refused renewal of their contract for the next semester because their nextdoor neighbours made a complaint regarding the so called noise levels in their room (these noises were written in the complaint as consisting of opening and closing cupboard doors and draws!!!) ok i understand that not all residents have the same type of consideration for other ppl living with them (WHY ARE THEY IN SHARED ACCOMODATION ANYWAY!!!) but u wud have thought that the management would hear both sides or even help diffuse the situation…rather they took only one side of the story and went with it and based their deicisions on that….what purpose should a managment of a student accomodation serve??? to take care and pay attention to the needs and problems of all their student residents!! im afraid in my opinion unilodge at melbourne’s management does not fulfill this role
I stayed in unilodge Melbourne for about 6 months and have recently moved out and wow the grass is really greener on the other side.
Although there are benefits let this be a warning to anyone that’s thinking of moving in, save your time, money and avoid the trauma, STAY AWAY.
What’s the point in having walls if I could hear the person in the next room turning in her bed at night and gods forbid you have company. Not only are the walls paper thin there is hardly any insulation so be prepared to freeze in winter and melt in summer. Although there are heaters, they turn off automatically so waking up every 2 hours to switch it back on becomes normal.
The communal toilets and showers represent something from a cheap nursing home. The showers a cleaned at the most once a month and even that might be giving credit. Might go days with no toilet paper in some of the cubicals and there is never enough paper to dry your hands after washing them, how hygienic let alone lack of soap.
So how does the management try to make it a better place, by creating more rules like banning alcohol. No alcohol to students is like no water to fish, it’s as if they expect you to stay in your room and not leave except to take a piss.
As a final note the management are less concerned about creating a friendly stimulating environment for your benefit and more concerned about putting $$ into their bank accounts, so help others avoid making the same mistake and make sure to tell everyone back home do not lodge.
PS. Well done to the administrator for giving everyone the opportunity to voice their opinions about Unilodge, bad and good, and from what I know the management is checking this site regularly and rectifying some of the issues you guys are posting.
I lived in Unilodge for 2 years and in that time, the lifts have always been experiencing problems, in 2006 the fire alarm went off 2-3 times a day. Unilodge is a great place to socialize and there are a lot’s of great people there but Unilodge itself is a wreak.
The management is only concerned about taking money from the residents and not giving anything back in return, like fixing on-going problems plus residents being charged $1700 bills if they set off the fire alarm. In the 2 years I lived at Unilodge I have only ever heard bad things about the place in regards to mice and other pests.
Donotlodge.com is really necessary to shake the management up and hopefully for the residents that live there now will be rewarded with the appropriate services.
The toilet SUCKS!
The fridge SUCKS!
The elevator SUCKS!
The fire alarm is a BUGGER!
Courtyard must be open 24/7!
someone needs to write something about Sydunilodge cause its so much worser !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMGG especially the General Manager Alan who is a crazy fuck no wonder all the stuff is leaving
UNILODGE IS A PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1.
The toilet SUCKS!
The fridge SUCKS!
The elevator SUCKS!
The fire alarm is a BUGGER!
Courtyard must be open 24/7!
.someone needs to write something about Sydunilodge cause its so much worser !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMGG especially the General Manager Alan who is a crazy fuck no wonder all the stuff is leaving
.Sorry this is a double post, but just wanted to ask the residents. How is 740? I know its run by the same management, but is it equally bad?? We were offered rooms at 740 and @Melbourne, considering which. Help would be greatly appreciated!
740 is not bad its pretty good. Yes the management is the same but those are appartments so you have to maintain everything your self. you will be fine.
fjbnheipsssf…
Anyway, you should do your best
…
big black booty hoe pussy…
Keep the essence in mind: money are not the main thing in this case….
hi all,
I am currently living at UniLodge@ANU. It seems you guys are living in hell!
We have a great facility – loads of support, great management staff who come to all our sport games, trivia nights, theme nights and all the rest!
So far, we have had only a few problems – one of the lifts has broken down a few times and the hot water system can be a bit dodgy!
If you can/want to change to ANU, come to Davey Lodge – its amazing! (Kinloch is not so good… no culture and very boring! although they have a good common room!)
Good luck with your UniLodge!
xxx
They want to charge me $700 of my bond money for a crack line in the sink, probably caused by their frigging high pitched alarm system going off in the middle of the night!!!
Arrrrrghhhhhh.
Atrocious Management.
Dear X,
You dont have to pay $700 you can simply buy a new one and get it replaced.
It will cost you max $300-$400!
In the guide book of tenant laws, it says that if you break something you can get it fixed on behalf of the land lord.If you think $700 is too much then buy it your self.
I got mine done from STEVEN his mobile no is 0433296276.. if his no is the same call him ,show it to him and ask him to change it for you.
It is legal to get it fixed your self.
It will be cheaper to do it this way…
Best of luck, if you need any more help let us know !!
Hi guys,
first of all, thanks to the guy who created this blog. It has been a precious source of infos for me and other prospective exchange students coming at University of Melbourne in the July- December 2010 semester.
I would like to ask u some other hints about accomodation for visiting exchange students. As I already said, i will come in Melbourne the next July and I would like to get a shared flat (with my own bedroom, no shared twins); I’m not considering University of Melbourne residencial colleges because they are too expensive and there are a lot of stupid rules (No alcohol, no noise ecc).
The UoM website suggests to apply for Unilodge or RMIT Village. I was pretty sure about applying for Unilodge (preferably Unilodge@Swanston or Unilodge D2), but then i read your posts and now i’m quite confused. Can u tell me something more about RMIT Village or Unilodge others than yours? What do u think it would be the best solutions for an exchange students who wants to have a lot parties and social networking for his study-abroad semester?
Thanks a lot
bro thanks !!
i suggest u shut ur eyes and go for RMIT VILLAGE……..
thanks
waww, this stuff is really cool..
luckily, i’m staying at unilodge D2 which is a quite new apartment. I’m not gonna say much about this apartment since i got it when the rent is lower than what it should be which is a huge advantage. And because it is new, i got the stuff in a pretty good condition. My friend stay in unilodge@melb (studio room) and got the stuff in NOT a good condition. haha.. If i may make suggestion, you guys SHOULD go to a newer unilodge rather than the old one!!! A MUST!
However, i do have few bad experiences as well as my friends.. But then the one i want to point out is the internet. The speed is “OKAY”, not THAT good, BUT the cost is skyrocketing to the roof!! IT is really not worth and we dont have other choice.. And again, i don’t know how they count the usage, but why i use it very excessive. i reckon, i can’t use that much for only browsing.. Little confusion.
They also wanted to take 700 for a hairline crack in the sink from me too.
If there’s anyone else who this happened to, we might be able to make a case for something….
are there still rats in the building?
all Unilodges are bad. it’s not the only one @Melbourne. the one on a’beckett sucks too!!
Okay, you people are scaring the living daylights out of me… I made my 500$ deposit but haven’t signed my bond yet, should I reconsider going to Unilodge@Melbourne?? I’m coming as an exchange student from Canada, and quite frankly I don’t even mind walking a while to get to uni (Melbourne University), so if Unilodge’s location is its only advantage…
Hi. I’m resident at Unilodge@Auckland (New Zealand) and I see that irresponsible handling of the residences is common for all Unilodges. In general the one @ Auckland hasn’t experienced serious problems like the one @ Melbourne, but recently we had a problem with the gas, meaning we have been without hot water in our rooms or able to use the kitchen, and even though we told the useless front woman, nothing has been done to fix it almost 5 days since the problem started. Being NZ I’m not surprised at how slow they are, but 5 days! is too much when is cold outside and you are forced to bath with cold water.
Suckssss
Hi Guys,
I am currently living at unilodge@melbourne 746 swanston street, the cleanliness of this place has gone from bad to worse.
There is water leaking from the roof in the toilets on a rainy day and the showers are dirty as hell(white walls turned brown, i could post pictures). The toilet doors slam in the middle of the night as there are no door stoppers.
The stoves in the common kitchen have not been working for the past 10 months.
The management does not respond well to complaints and are rude.
Some of the rooms still have bed bugs and mice so be careful while choosing a room.
The people in the building are social and you might make friends(This is the only positive comment i can write about this place).
peace
Oh and the washing machines are really shit.
It costs $4/wash and $3 to dry(prices have been increased). you will spend $7 to wash your clothes and if your lucky u r clothes will dry properly otherwise u’ll have to put another $3 to dry your clothes properly.
holy sh** i wanted to apply at unilodge a’beckett or swanston because there are really close to my university ( RMIT ) but now i am kind of scared -_- i really need an accomodation.. someone has an idea ?? where could i go ? i am coming in january.
Are all the Unilodges this bad? Im running out of options and need somewhere to stay for uni!!! Which one is the best? Please help! Anyone?
I am applying for accomodation in Melbourne, Should i go for Unilodge @ Melbourne – costing £4200 for my period of exchange or go into my travel budget and spent £5500 at RMIT village. Any advice?
I am living at Unilodge Villiers St and have had an awful time. I own my apartment but have had people enter without my permission when I was not there, been billed $400 for work done without my authorisation or knowledge. There is no parking in the building for any occupants, despite being told that there would be. This is all aside from the fact that the apartment is the smallest place I have ever lived in, even though it is challed a one bedroom.
While being stalked by an outsider, rather thzn the police being called to chase the stalker, they were called about my behaviour.
I know this blog is for Swanston St but it would seem that Unilodge treats all residents with very little respect.
I would be keen to find out if any other residents at Villiers St have similar problems.
Unilodge has charged me the wrong monthly rent since the day I moved. Every time I paid the figure i was told for the month, (monthly rent changes according to number of days in a month). However when i ask about how much i have to pay the following month. They tell me I still have rent owning for the previous month. How is that possible when i paid the exact figure they asked me to.
Everytime i went to confront management about g this issue, just so they would get the amount right each time they would say they are currently looking into it as a way of stalling the settlement of the issue.
All in all, they are never accountable with your money, charge you for everything possible, and would put all blame on you just so they do not have to bear any responsibility or incur any charges.
[...] were very little recent reviews of UniLodge online. But a quick google search lead me to this site: Do Not Lodge which gave me a glimpse of what life would be, and the comments left by residents on its [...]
well it’s still on I mean most of the condition written here already are still here, it might just improve a bit, the fridge are still dirty and I bet some of them are like 4 years old at least a lot of grease and blood from meat, ppl stealing food, suck management, offensive RA, laundry machine has grease like paper and stink as hell, they just simply not hygienic… even when I moved up here there are 2 holes already and when I told them they dont give a “f*ck” about that…
I am thinking of moving into a large double studio room (Unilodge@Melbourne) with my girlfriend for doing my doctorate in Melbourne and was wondering what things are like there. The people I have contacted there don’t seem to answer my emails properly and I am applying blindly as I am in QLD right now. Any thoughts?
My girlfriend and I are thinking of moving into a studio apartment at Unilodge on Lonsdale. Does anyone have any review of that place? Any good or bad experiences to share? Thanks.
I already sent my deposit to Unilodge @ Melbourne before I saw this website. Now I am really concerned about the conditions there.
Has the conditions changed since? Is there still mice and cobwebs, etc?
Am I able to get my deposit back if I already paid and accepted the offer?
I’m really scared that my time at Melbourne will be horrible because of this place.
Thanks, please I really need information
Hey guys,
I am in the same position as concerned HELP PLEASE above in that i have paid my deposit and after reading this, i am really concerned and want my deposit refunded. Do I have any legal rights based on the grounds that I will not e moving in till mid-Feb 2013 and the fact that this place is clearly unsanitary?
I would very much appreciate anyone who could help me with this.
Thank God I didn’t choose this place, still looks pretty bad to me. Just applied to Unilodge at D1, went to see it and it looks a million times better and cleaner! This thread helped a lot. Thanks xx
I’m currently residing in UniLodge@740 so I’ll just let anyone who’s considering this place my review:
PROS:
(1) Convenience – I’m a Melbourne University student, so that’s a five minute walk. 10 minutes from Melbourne CBD.
(2) Privacy – You don’t hear other people scratching their arms in the neighboring rooms or anything, but if you open your windows, you can hear your neighbors chatting or having a party. Neighbors don’t really talk to one another. So if you’re a private person who enjoys personal space, 740 should be a lot better than UniLodge@Melbourne.
(3) Cleaniness – when I moved in, most things at first sight are in decent condition. The place is comparatively newer, and not as many users have been here, so there were no rats or cockroaches flooding the place.
CONS:
(1) They do NOT fix your problems – I submitted my maintenance applications for a number of times, and every time I got a smile and a lame “we will lodge this, and it will get through to the landlord.”
(2) Appliances don’t work – at first glance, everything looks good. Then I realized the fridge doesn’t work, and waiting for help took forever, so I bought one myself. My data socket wasn’t working – I had no internet for two months – and no matter how many times I ask for help, they direct me to the exclusive internet provider, and the customer services there was also clueless about the problems. It turned into a cycle of ringing the internet provider and talking to UniLodge with no response, so eventually I opted for a third-party internet provider, and paid for their services (with minimum charge!), only to find out at late notice that the cables cannot be linked to my room. Again, I reverted back to the original internet provider, and no response came from customer services. Eventually I had to use my mobile device for tethering and use the internet on campus at all times.
(3) No electricity for days. This happened for me as well as another resident – in moving in, the main switch was left on, and I wasn’t told anything. The electricity provider reasoned that because of safety reasons, they could not connect my electricity, and this went on for days. The second time they came around, they could not enter the building. The third time, they asked for a hundred dollars for connection on the day. Despite having the electricity connected, the fridge still did not work, and no one came by to fix it.
(4) Noise – you won’t be able to sleep until 1:00 AM as you will be directly opposite the tram station, and often there will be vehicles that zoom by at three in the morning. While D1 is not as close to the tram station, the garbage truck will be another source of disturbance.
(5) Sensitive fire alarms – happened thrice in my brief stay, and I am expecting to hear more.
(6) Parcels get redirected to the PO – will be a tough time if you are hurling something 10-20 kg back to your apartment despite it’s sent door-to-door. On the other hand, I had something sent to me that was received by UniLodge and I never got a note about it. I had to ask the delivery services after the product was two weeks overdue to find out where it went.
I warn each and every one of you before choosing UniLodge as your accomodation. I myself am looking at alternatives.. future tenants.. think through it carefully.
I live in unilodge on villiers right now, and upon moving in I had SOOOO many roaches. When I complained they tried to brush me off by saying everyone has them because of the weather. That’s bullshit. I was sooo depressed and upset my first month here and finally they hired an exterminator, I see like 5 roaches a month MAX now but I think this place is over priced for the disgusting infestation of roaches, fruit flies (currently have like 20 in my room right now- and it has nothing to do with me because I am SUPER clean. Also, they hardly ever clean out the trash bin room, so I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND this place to ANYONE. Do reasearch and live elsewhere in a much cheaper place! Also, the receptionist is a B****, No one likes her, she gets paid well and anyone from the damn phillipines would be happy with her job, but she is so miserable she should get fired. UGH.
HI jackie333, pls tell me n update me the latest situation of on Villiers pls.. is it still lots of roaches seen? What about mice? living lower ground has higher chance to see roaches is it?? u live in single studio? which floor? thank you! pls reply me asap
I just wanted to put my two cents in.
I’ve been living in Unilodge on 746 Swanston since February and honestly there is nothing good about. A lot of this has already been covered by other reviews so I’ll bulletpoint it.
A little bit about me: I moved here because i didn’t get into a college and by the end of January didn’t find a place. I’m contracted for 1 year.
Here’s the bad stuff
1) Rats and Mice everywhere. You hear them at night rustling through papers, scurrying through your room and through holes in all of the kitchens. If you ask maintenance to fix the mice problem they will fill the holes with an expanding foam which doesn’t fix the problem.
2) General uncleanliness. My floor (the 1st floor) is the cleanest, since they use it to show off to potential new tenants, even this floor however has serious hygiene problems. The kitchens have filthy floors and worktops and stoves, the bathrooms are horrendous, the walls are brown from filth and the showers have a layer of grime on them as well as the toilets, which are shared. I used to never get sick, but now I get sore throats, stomach aches etc. from the bacteria.
3) Poorly maintained. In my room the drawers are all uneven, the cupboards don’t close and the carpet has stains. The blinds must be pulled all the way up otherwise it will slowly sag down to the floor. The walls have brown marks on them.
4) They don’t respond to complaints. I had an item stolen from the kitchens that belonged to me. There’s cameras in the kitchens so I lodged a complaint and awaited their response. They said they would check that afternoon for the thief. Three days later I had no response. The thief eventually left the item in the kitchen again and I ‘stole’ it back. The thief was never caught. There was another instance on my floor where the sinks were blocked and it wasn’t fixed for 3 weeks. This leads me to my next point.
5) Long-time residents stop caring and treat the place badly. In the 2 weeks the sink was blocked, the brown water in the sink was full of hairs, and spit and mucus because people STILL used them. Bathroom doors have been ripped off and people will often remove fire alarms and smoke inside rooms.
6) Food will be thrown away (even if it’s visibly fine). I had some frozen foods thrown away because of their ‘food only for a month’ policy. They have this policy as it helps them pass health inspections.
7) Bed bugs. I haven’t had any but friends of mine have.
Beds are unstable. Beds are put together with flimsy wood panels which break and fall off. Sit on them too hard, jump or lie on it with another person and you will fall through. This is a safety hazard.
9) They will use every opportunity to take your money. There is a $600 fee to break your contract if you want to move out prior to your contract ending. You will also have to keep paying rent once you’ve moved out until somebody else moves in. They will keep as much of your bond as possible (my friend didn’t get his bond back until 4 weeks after moving), and charge you for literally anything. They even make your buy your own lightbulbs. Laundry is $7 in total for a wash and dry.
10) Hard sleeping and studying with so much noise. On the 1st floor you can’t sleep if there is a band playing in the basement. There is a construction site next door you can hear from 7am onwards. There are fire alarms almost every week now, and at one point it was at 5am on a weekday. The walls are thin and you can hear if your neighbour is having a conversation.
11) Study areas. These are useless and not well maintained. People just use the University.
12) Internet. My internet is incredibly slow and at peak hours I cannot even watch youtube. It costs $50 a month for 60gb. If your internet is slow you have to contact an outside company.
13) Nothing works. Sinks clog, appliances break, ovens don’t work, the elevators are always broken, the vending machine breaks. Even the TV breaks.
14) College Square and Urbanest and most of the other student accommodation places are visibly cleaner and better managed.
Here are the good things:
1) You will connect with people based on shared dissatisfaction with your room and often make friends. I met my girlfriend of 3 months here.
2) It’s close to the city.
3) You won’t want to be there so much that you will go out and do social things instead.
Overall I’d give it a 1/10. I wouldn’t recommend it and any international students reading this wondering if you should take the risk. Don’t. If you can afford it go live in College Square, it’s right next door and exponentially better.
Agree with everything. Check out my website with more details regarding their unscrupulous practices. http://www.unilodge.weebly.com
Unilodge is rip-off, they hold your bond after you leave as long as they want like they kept mine for more than 2 months unlike the contract that says max 10 working days. They charge you as much as they want for leaving behind small stuff. I left a single broom and they charged 55 dollar for the inconvenience caused their house keeping to take it to trash, which that broom could be used for the next poor student who did not have any idea what a rip-off is this place.
Hi there,
I will be going to Melbourne next year to study and am in the midst of looking for a student lodging. Am considering Unilodge@Melbourne too given the fact that it is the cheapest among all Unilodges in Melbourne and includes all utilities in the fees. However, after reading all these, it really got me super scared….just want to find out if situation has gotten any better yet? Or?
Hi Unilodge Sydney,
Your employee Donald Bong came to my unit (I am an owner) to inspect a water leak, but instead of just assessing the problem he smashed the shower wall and tiles with a hammer leaving it damaged and unusable. It was then photographed and contributed to a property report that the damage already occurred before the inspection to cover it up. What does Unilodge plan on doing to compensate me for the damage he has caused whilst in your employment? My roof is leaking and I did a strats search showing that many (at least 20+) showers and floors have been recently repaired as they are falling apart. The place is a water leaking mess and the fixtures and fittings appear to have been slapped together by a bunch of low paid migrant workers and are falling apart. I have not received any responses from emails sent to Phillipa Ternes at the Sydney office. Perhaps you can pass my message message on to her or she can read it here.
On top of this the place has water leaks, smells like damp and rotting carpet, the walls are dirty, the common kitchen is cheap, the rooms are noisy and aircon doesn’t exist in most of them, the security guards keep trying to lock me out ans have threatened me with violence when I try to access my unit because Unilodge can’t keep updated and true records of owners. There are morons all through this place, so it’s run on contingency and a minimal budget looking to charge high prices on unsuspecting students. Even after emailing unilodge and showing proof of ownership to security I was denied access. The building has many problems that Unilodge, building management and the Executive committee members do not attend to. From what I have personally experienced the building is extremely poorly managed by the Owner’s corporation and Unilodge. They are only interested in getting money through any means and have no regard for the tenants experience or owners except for chasing them both for money. Good luck if you need help or ask them to deliver on their advertised services.
Unilodge sucks!! I had 6-month contract at Unilodge on A’Beckett, and they made me move to another unit when my contract is about to end less than 1 month, and gave me the notice only 2 weeks before the date I had to vacate the unit and move to another unit, which meant I had to move my things 2 times!
On the top of that, I had to cut my internet line, and had no internet line at the new unit! I asked for compensation for at least the internet connection, since the owner made me move out before the contract ends, but no.. the fucking unfriendly receptionist leisurely said, “we can’t do anything about it” and claimed that I was so lucky that I only need to move across the room. End of discussion. No effort whatsoever. Seriously, this is the worst renting experience in my whole life. I’ve never felt being treated this unfair ever. I didn’t do anything wrong, paid rent on time, and never caused any problems.
DO NOT consider renting at Unilodge. Your contract means nothing. They can do anything they want, evict you in their convenience, and don’t care about your rights. They only care about their rights and always cover up their mistakes.
Hey! In 2 weeks I am arriving in Melbourne and I have rented a room at Unilodge @Melbourne, Standard Single. After reading all this ( which I found about today eventho I did my research) I am terrified after the idea of living in such an awful place. So, has it changed ?? even a little bit?
Thanks
Anyone has any comments on Unilodge D2? Will be moving in next week and after reading all of this i am very very worried as well. Living tips on how to survive staying in unilodge maybe?
As of the 12th March 2015 I have received a VCAT notice requesting compensation.
I will be countering this claim with a rebuttal and a claim form of my own. I have seeked help from the tenants union of Victoria (who are very familiar with Unilodge).
I will be paying the amount of $511.28 to the owner to end this matter. Having said this, I will need the original purchase invoice of the bed base and mattress to prove that it is two years old. I want an invoice for the new bed and base and not just a quote. I also want in writing a statement saying that the matter will be dropped by VCAT and I will not be charged for the application fee.
I do want to continue my claim against Unilodge for the following reasons.
Point No 1. and foremost: – poor management.
I believe this issue could have been rectified months ago. I believe that having to call (no exaggeration) every day for the 2 months since I moved out to get any information is not good enough.
To be then told three different stories by three different people over the course of these 2 months’ time as to what is happening is both frustrating and unfair on all parties involved. To then be told that the information I was originally told is incorrect is terribly frustrating.
I have tried again and again to sort this out and have it finished, to no avail. There has only been a round and around of phone calls and supposed messages being passed on. In all this time of wasted calls over the last 2 months, I have received only 1 call back. The rest of the time was me trying to get information or help from Unilodge.
On the 20th Dec 2013 I asked via email if I could have the mattress removed as it was causing me back pain and was so uncomfortable that I could not sleep properly.
I received a response on the 22nd saying “they can have an “RA” come look at the bed if this will help”
the next day I responded with “yes please” but I mentioned that I wouldn’t be back till the 26th dec
I emailed again on the 16th Jan as I hadn’t heard a response yet. I asked when the RA will come, as the bed is very uncomfortable and I am suffering from lack of sleep. I also mentioned that I was quite prepared to buy my own bed if only they could take the old one away.
On the 21st Jan I received an email asking if anyone had checked yet? If not, that it could be arranged on the following Friday. I responded with “yes, please do that on the Friday morning”.
I was home all day on the Friday the 24th, but no one came to check the mattress.
I called on the following Monday (27/01/2014) to check why no one came, but no one knew what had happened and I was told that someone would contact me about this.
No one did.
Point No 2.: – The change of the claim.
Originally, I acknowledged that I had done wrong and that I had thrown the mattress away. I said that I would pay for that and to take it out of my bond. The bond was $975 – $185 for the mattress (09/02/2015)
I then had to make numerous calls over the next 6 days to get an email for the bond claim form to be sent (15/02/2015). I was also informed that I had overpaid rent to the amount of $1950. Having being sent a blank claim form for bond, I filled it in immediately. Unfortunately, the other claim form for the overpaid rent was missing.
The next day (16/02/2015) I called again to say that the form for the overpaid rent hadn’t been sent, so could they please send it through. I made 4 calls to Unilodge and was told that they were very busy and would get back to me as soon as possible. No one did, so I called a fifth time and Rachel did send the right form and I filled it in and sent both forms back straight away. I also mentioned in the email to contact me if there was any problems, either through email or phone.
I called three days later on the Thursday (19/02/2015) and was told that nothing had been done yet, but that the rent would be paid within 7 days. As for the bond, Alisha wasn’t sure.
On the following Wednesday (25/02/2015) I called again, as I hadn’t heard anything. I was told “I am not sure” “I will have to pass it onto Bradley” and “we will call you when he is back”. I never heard back from unilodge.
On the Thursday (26/02/2015) I called repeatedly, but got no answer. I did leave numerous messages to call back. But still received no return call.
I called again the following Wednesday (04/03/2015) and asked to speak to Bradley. I was told that he was at a meeting, and will call me back. I didn’t get a call back.
I called twice on Thursday (05/03/2015) both times being assured that someone would get back to me. No one did.
The next day, Friday (06/03/2015) I called again and was given Bradley’s mobile number and I was told that I should contact him after his meeting. I called straight away and finally got to speak to Bradley, who seemed to be very surprised that I had his number and that I should instead send him an email because he didn’t have my details in front of him and he wasn’t at the office. I vented my frustration to him and then I called unilodge back again. No one answered, so I left a message saying can you please call me back. No one did.
I called Unilodge again (10/03/2015) and spoke to Racheal. She assured me that Bradley would contact me today, she also mentioned that she didn’t know why there would be a problem with the money being transferred. Bradley never called.
On Wednesday (11/03/2015) I called again and spoke to Racheal, who mentioned that there was a connection problem with the phones, so Racheal hung up on me. I called back again immediately and vented again to Alisha as to how unfair this whole process is.
I then called again later and finally got to speak to Bradley. He then told me that there was a problem and that they hadn’t noticed that the bed base was not the original. Understandably upset, I wanted to know why I hadn’t been let known. I asked for a price and was told that that there was not one available yet. He put me on hold and came back with the amount of $680 for the bed and the base.
I was then told by Bradley that there was a mistake with the overpaid rent as well and that I wasn’t owed two months at a total of $1950, instead it was one month and $975
I asked for a statement and said I would get back to him. Bradley said that I could have the rent paid to me straight away to the amount of $975. I refused as I was under the impression that I was to be receiving $1950
That afternoon I called Unilodge again and got the rental statement from Racheal stating that I was entitled to $975. Bradley had left the office already, so was unavailable. Racheal also mentioned that I could counter the offer of the bed and base with one of my own.
I called the Tenants union of Victoria for advice and was advised to come see them in person as I did have a case that would hold against unilodge.
I sent through my counter offer back to Unilodge of $250 as I had already replaced the bed base and was only willing to pay for the mattress which had already been agreed to be $185. I also queried as to why I was sent a blank claim form in the first place, why it had taken so long to process, why the overpaid rent had changed so drastically when I had called 3 times to confirm the amount and why I had also filled in the original claim form for that amount and it had been ignored. Very frustrated, I mentioned that I would have to get VCAT involved if I couldn’t settle this matter.
On the Thursday (12/03/2015) Bradley responded by email, saying that my counter offer was not accepted and that I was not owed any overpaid rent. He had attached a fully filled out bond claim form for me to sign and send back to him. Bradley also mentioned that if this could not be fixed that it would be taken to VCAT. Bradley had put the amount owed for the bed as $639.10 down to $511.28, saying that this was the depreciated value of the mattress and bed base. I called to discuss this and he said that I could put in another counter offer for the bed.
Friday (13/03/15) I have received a VCAT notice. A little perplexed, I called Bradley again and asked why this hadn’t been discussed further. He responded by saying that “as I hadn’t taken the owners offer of $511.28, then nothing else could be done and no more conversation was needed”.
I went to visit the Tenants union of Victoria and was assured that with the amount of evidence I had and the paper trail I had, that it should be a closed case.
-
Having said all this, I will pay the owner the amount owing, but I want to make Unilodge aware of the costly mistakes and time wasted I have endured.
I will be putting in a complaint through the Estate Agents Resolution Services (EARS) and consumer affairs. Unfortunately, this could have been all avoided if Unilodge had done the right thing in the first place.
If Unilodge had got back to me when they said they would and come and checked the bed, then they would be able to have put it in storage and all of this avoided.
If there had been proper communication between myself and Unilodge then this would all have been avoided. Although it is another matter, I had been trying to get help for a number of months from the property manager for a number of small issues since I first moved in. these things being, the internet being wrong, the fridge being faulty and smoke alarm going off all the time. Never at any time was I helped with any of these issues. Even when I tried again and again to get the property manager involved. I was continually ignored by both the property manager and Unilodge.
I am going on the exchange program to Brisbane in the coming semester and would like to stay in Unilodge on Margret, anybody was there and any comments about it?
Thank you very much.
hey, i am an exchange student coming to brisbane in july, and i was thinking very seriously on applying to stay in the uq st lucia before i found the website. Anyone has any reccomendations or comments for the place?
thank you in advance
I have the rat problem. Rats keep coming in my room through the gap under the door and I have no way to prevent them. My friends are all having the same issue and I can guarantee that if you’re stupid enough to rent a room here, you’ll definitely have the same thing!
Actually I had heard of this problem before I sighed the contract, but I thought the convenient location would somehow trade off the drawback! I was totally wrong!! The fxxking rats are so annoying that I even can’t fall asleep!! I’m going mad! The ridiculous thing is that I have NO food in my room! The rats just come to bite my shoes and make some noise and stay here!
Also, this building has thieves. One of my friend lost all her valuable belongings just after a few minutes of toilet time! The CCTV showed that there were no person coming in through the corridor, so the only possibility is that the student who lived near her stole her stuff!
I also lost my phone in the last month. The management just asked me to find it by myself or just call the police. HOW STUPID IT IS! Their CCTV doesn’t have the full range to record every corner and even police men won’t be able to search their rooms!I’ve spent 8 years living in school/university accommodations, but this is the first I time have these fxxking problems!
I’ll leave this horrible place in a few days. Hope the person who just has a thought of choosing Unilodge could see this. IT’S NOT LATE FOR YOU TO SAVE YOURSELF!
Hi, how about unilodge on cobden or on campus? Are there roaches and mice too? I’m considering unilodge on cobden, unilodge on campus and urbanest. Urbanest seems better in facilities and management, but for me it is the last option because the rent is so expensive. Please help me choose.. Thankyou for sharing btw
HI, I just want to thank all people who have shared their experiences. It really helps me make the housing decision. I am a student going to exchange in Unimelb for spring 2016 semester.
Ok, this place is a complete an utter nightmare. Here are my reasons….
1) my bed keeps on breaking. Ive lived here for almost 2 years and it has never been fixed even though i complain about it constantly.
2) One weekend when i was away the pipe burst and wet everything in the entire room. When i returned the carpet smelt terrible and my mattress was drenched. I complained for 4 days straight after being told from the receptionist they would get back to me (when they had got in contact with the owner) about replacing the mattress. Meanwhile im forced to sleep on a fucking wet mattress in the middle of winter. Also on the fourth day of asking the receptionist she bursts into tears and starts yelling at me for constantly asking. I mean, wtf, im paying ridiculous amounts of money and yet i cant even get good service.
3) Mice everywhere, eating through clothes and scratching on things. Originally there was just one mouse in my room, it must have gotten busy because now theres another smaller mice around.
4) Oversized mutant cockroaches everywhere!!!!
5) Toilets are constantly blocked with tampons, shit, piss and toilet paper thanks to filthy people that live here.
6) human hair and vomit clogs the drains in the shower.
7) food is stolen constantly from the fridges, and even if its not stolen it goes off really fast because people leave their off meats in the fridge and never throws it out.
place is never clean and one of the cleaners is constantly seen falling asleep infront of tv in the common room or taking breaks and going to 7/11 to buy food
9)management is absolutely terrible. I check my mail everyday. One day i was given 10minutes notice that i need to evacuate because they were doing the carpets. I went and complained to reception about not giving me any notice. They said they put a letter in my mail box the day before in the afternoon. I mentioned they should have given us more notice and she tells me off for not checking my mail more rgularly with a smirk on her face.
10)A girl on my floor was being stalked by someone on another floor which included being filmed whilst showering. They kicked him out but he still keeps returning.
11) CCTV doesnt work
12) The place is so filthy there is no where nice to eat without gagging.
13) walls are thin so you constantly get told off for making noise, even if your just opening a draw or the cupboard.
14) Everyone constantly gets robbed and CCTV seems to never have any footage…
15) management is so bad i have been complaining about holes in my room, mice and the sink being clogged for almost 2 years now. Management says they will do it when they have time, then i get an email saying 6 months later saying that there computer system crashed and i need to resubmit hand written complaints.
AND LASTLY
16) the internet is so f**king crap. The wifi hasnt been working for 18months. I called up every few days to ask when it would be fixed, they said they will get back to me and never do. In total i think ive submitter 23 complaints about the wifi and they have no recollection of any of them yet still keep charging me and not reimbursing me.
Heyyyyyyyy. Any comments about Unilodge On Cobden? I am so worry now. Please reply me! thanks
I’ve just spent 12months at a unilodge in Hawthorn Melbourne and had a mixed experience with how the place is run and living there.
Im currently in the process of getting my whole bond back as they are claiming removable picture frame hooks are considered damage and since i didnt add them to the conditions report they are trying to deduct 120 but i didnt add them, i actually thought they came with the room so i didnt see them as damage, also ive rented other properties that had them pre-existing and i never got deductions.so if you decide to lease an apartment or “room” as every one refers to them since their so small, make sure you add everything that isnt furniture and add the smallest markings, and try out electrical equipment as they give you three working days to complete it, the fridge was broken when i moved in, the freezer part they told me most are although its a tiny little drinks freezer but you can buy an external one if you need. tv has built in DVD and USB and SD functions but non worked and the DVD part tried to eat my DVDs.
aside from that, make sure you become close friends with the RA’s as it will make loosing key cards, being locked out or even needing a spear key card very easy. they claim how expensive the cards are and charge you 50 for replacements and extra costs for making them do their jobs.. yet clearly dont keep track of them as they give them away for free to people they know. unfair to the people who dont have time to buddy up or even meet people who live in the building.
its a nice feeling knowing their are lots of other students living in the same building as you, if you use the common areas you will make friends as most people living in these dont know any one or little people in the country, city ect but ive heard some other locations are dont really have these areas or they are really bad so no one goes there. however, there will be people you dont get on with or disrespect you..you are know stuck with those people until they or yourself leave. its like being back in high school. youll make friends if you want but unless you make tight friendships..tighter than you think, dont expect those people to be there when you need it or when you leave, its a strange environment but most are ‘friends for a reason’.
it varies from place to place with age brackets but in the building i had there were students clearly over the age of 40 living there but that said, its aimed at 17-35 year olds and youll meet people from around the world, so dont expect a Western environment. students from the middle east tend to stick together and Indians and Sri Lankens, and after awhile most Aussies are grouped together but thats not to say students dont mix or make friends from other countries. its nice making friends from other countries because to can teach each other things if the are open minded.
that said, a lot of international student are here with a scholarship that covers their uni fees and living costs so most dont work but a lot of them had their countries push them to study in Australia and youll quickly learn they dont like Australia and dont want to be there but they got a free ride so.. so expect some students to be in your face about they way they do things in their country or trying to stir you to get a rise about commenting on Australian government ect
also unilodge charge you a fee to cover costs for parties and excursions, take part in the activities where free food is on offer but unless you would like to make friends, dont bother..meaning dont think for a second that ‘oh $3 for a movie, that’s so cheap!’ because it isnt, you’ve paid something like 130/170 for it, no choice in the matter and then they want you to pay more! for activities, your not getting your moneys worth, taking part in one activity or all of them, your just spending more money. also at the beginning you will be charge for a ‘communications fee’ that they say is optional, after several emails back and forth knowing i dont want a phone or internet connection they refused to even respond in a manner that they understood. they kept sending back highlighted parts saying to read it..and im like yer! thats what im referring to you say its optional but are still trying to charge me 170 for something i dont want and it clearly says it optional! basically all the optional extras, youll have to pay..
..unilodge charge min of 5 thousand per semester to the owners of each apartment for their services (and pay 40 per night to RA’s, so you can get a job there if you wish) the only up side of this is that if you need to speak to someone right away, they are there.
unilodge is only worth it if you are new to Australia or the area, werent able to get a place on campus, arent going to be living in the area for more than 12months, the apartments are right next to your university so you can save on transport or if youre happy paying over a thousand each month for a tiny apartment for your self.
im sure there is more i missed but basically there will be things you like and thing you dont, if your choices are limited try it for 6months but be aware you will have to re pay certain fees if you continue :/
I have never seen such bad management group. I can’t even believe that they treated me like nobody. I bought the service but felt like I owed them
ive no idea how bad is it until the first day at Melbourne I rented at Unilodge. My family were shocked with the condition but I have no choice but to stay for a year there as I’ve pay for the bond and rental fee before I come to Australia for study purposes. There are mice running around and came into my room. Not one but four. I was quite shocked and frighten as I just realize that I’m sleeping with mice. I couldn’t get rid of them as they run into my room by the gap under my door. There is a bad smell along the hallway of my floor. Every friends of mine come to visit me will always ask the same question. ‘What kind of smell is that’. I feel quite embarrassed and the room was really small. It is noisy sometimes during the night that makes me couldn’t concentrate at my studies. I’ve been charged to pay for the broken premises even though I’m not the one who break them. I feel really disappointed for stay over there for a year and actually I’m glad to leave that place. Right now I’m staying with a caring and good housemate and the rental fees is much more cheaper.
The fridges are always dirty and no space for me to put my groceries. They signed a contract with a other person even before deadline as stated in the letter. I hate them so much!!!
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