Anger over ‘smelly bins and rats’ as students told to pay extra for refuse collections

Several students have raised their anger over their bins not being emptied over the lockdown period.

They said the uncollected waste led to an increase in rats and vermin in and near student accommodation on Russell street.

Several students are lacking recycling bins meaning that they are unable to separate their recycling from their general waste.

One NTU student, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We’ve been having this trouble since we moved in.

“There’s like 80 of us sharing three commercial bins, they fill up within a couple days of being emptied and the rest of the week we just have stacks of rubbish all over the car park.

“They [Uni2Rent] organised one extra delivery before Christmas after three months of arguing, sent us an email saying that it was our responsibility to arrange for extra refuse collections.

“We don’t need extra refuse collections; we need extra bins.

“I also don’t understand how they expect us to coordinate, especially as we can’t mix households and work out how to split the cost.

“It constantly smells and is attracting rats.

“We also don’t have recycling bins which is ridiculous especially in a city like Nottingham that seems to be on top of going green and being more eco-friendly.”

Sam Harris, President of the NTU Labour Society, 21, and a final year Politics and International Relations student, said: “I think it’s awful that landlords are getting away with ignoring renters about this issue.

“So many tenants have to deal with this while living in HMOs (House in Multiple Occupation).

“Landlords are willing to attempt to save £20 by not providing extra bins and leave many with overflowing bins attracting rats and other vermin.

“Especially when renters ask their landlords, they are getting away with ignoring them.”

When contacted for comment, Uni2Rent said: “Uni2 Rent refute any allegation that we have charged the Russell Street residents for extra bin collections.

“Uni2 Rent have had students living at the property since September 2020, and they have never been charged for this.

“Unfortunately, the bins are often left in a very poor state by residents, with bin bags that are dumped next to the bins despite them not being full.

Uni2 Rent have arranged on many occasions for the bin area to be cleared of rubbish and this has always been charged back to the landlord.

“We have also been in touch with other student lettings agencies whose tenants have access to the car park area to remind them these bins are only for the use of Uni2 Rent’s students.

“While we have warned the students that their continued failure to dispose of refuse correctly may result in them being charged, this has only ever been utilised as a deterrent, and no charges have been passed on to the students living there”.

Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said: “It seems that some landlords feel like they can get away with providing substandard facilities if their tenants are students.

“Adequate sanitation is the bare minimum that renters should expect from their landlord.

“They shouldn’t have to pay extra for this.”

By Kieran Burt