Goldsmiths students have said they’re stuck in “rat-infested” flats as new Renters’ Rights rules exclude them from protections.
First-year Goldsmiths student Owen Hunt says he paid £260 a week for a Lewisham student flat that was “visibly dirty”, infested with rats and nothing like the photos he saw online.
He told the Observer he tried to challenge his 12-month contract, but because purpose-built student accommodation isn’t covered by Labour’s new Renters’ Rights Act, he was unable to leave or claim a refund.
The Act, passed on 27th October 2025, lets private renters break fixed-term contracts with two months’ notice if their home is unsafe. But students in private halls like Dean House are excluded, leaving them locked into long contracts no matter the conditions.
Owen said: “Every time you walked into the kitchen you had to brace yourself to see at least three rats, even in the day, but reception denied they were there.
“It was visibly dirty everywhere. My carpet had a huge stain and the fridge stank.”
Owen dropped out of Goldsmiths this summer, claiming the state of the flat was a major reason.
His mum, Patricia Vallejo-Gorman, later found more than 50 students with similar issues; 19 of them spent four months last winter without heating or hot water, and were refunded less than two weeks’ rent.
One former resident, Shreya Gopal, claims there was black mould, a “persistent smell … as if something is dying in the walls”, and radiators that left her either freezing or “suffocating” at night.
Students say the rat problem has continued this year. Lewisham Council has issued the halls’ management with an improvement notice.
A spokeswoman for Homes for Students said that when it took over the management of Dean House from Goldsmiths in 2021, it was aware of “historic[al] issues within the building and acted immediately, working to … undertake extensive refurbishment works”. She said that it had now taken “all necessary measures to address the issues raised by the council” and expected the improvement order to be lifted “imminently”.
Dean House via Google Maps
Nationwide, an NUS survey found 84 per cent of students experienced problems with their housing; half reported mould and one in five dealt with pests.
Guy Morris, a director of tenants’ rights group Flat Justice, which is bringing action against both Dean House and Unite, said students will still be locked into 12-month hall contracts “however appalling the conditions when they arrive”, because purpose-built blocks can continue to use fixed-term agreements under the new law.
But even with the new law, accommodation providers aren’t required to offer refunds when conditions are poor, and students in purpose-built halls remain tied to long contracts regardless of how bad things get.
At Dean House, second year student Bailey Adams stayed because he couldn’t find anywhere cheaper. “They are starting to renovate, but I don’t think the rats have gone,” he said. “The problems here aren’t historical, they are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said students “deserve good-quality homes” and cautioned providers that they must meet “the highest standards” or face penalties.
A spokesperson for Goldsmiths University of London said: “Dean House has not been part of Goldsmiths’ formal accommodation offer to students since 2020. Our students may live there under a private agreement with the landlord.
“We are nevertheless disturbed to hear these reports and have written to Homes for Students asking them to urgently investigate and take appropriate action.
“If students are having problems in private accommodation, we would strongly encourage them to contact the University of London Housing Services for free housing advice.”
Homes for Students was contacted for further comment.
Featured image via Google Maps and Canva
