Imperial students pay more to rent rooms in Parson’s House

Concerns have been raised about potentially excessive rents at one of Imperial’s hall of residence. Imperial College rents the first three levels of Parsons House, located on the grounds of Charing Cross Hospital, from housing company A2 Dominion and then rents out individual rooms to students for £121.82 a week. All rooms are single occupancy with a shared kitchen and bathrooms.

An anonymous source, however, told Felix, that they “pay about £290.53 a month for a 5th floor room renting from A2 Dominion directly”. Assuming a 12 month and 52 week year and including a £25 a month for internet access, which those renting from Imperial get free, this works out at £72.81 a week. This means that a student staying at Parsons House for the standard 39 week Imperial contract length will still pay more – £4750.98 –than a student renting privately for the whole year – who will pay £3786.36.

These figures have, however, been challenged by Paul Noke, Head of College Residential Services, who told Felix that the company who owns the building “currently charges rents of £105.51 per week for rooms elsewhere in the building”. However, Felix has obtained documents showing that the rooms do indeed cost around £290 per month, as stated above.

Noke explained that the higher College rents resulted primarily from the College being “obliged to pay an annual rent for the rooms (including water, electricity, planned maintenance for the building) even though the rooms currently form part of the UG accommodation portfolio [and as such] are used to accommodate Imperial students on 39 week contracts”. He further explained that “5 of the 48 rooms that form part of [the] contract are used to provide Wardening accommodation, [which] needs to be paid for”; that, “ students get hall events/parties [which are] organised by the Wardens and Hall Committee [and] are paid for by the amenities fund, which is charged for within the rent” and that privately renting residents “are also responsible for some of their own minor repairs to their flats, whereas [Imperial] students would not be expected to pay for this”. He concluded that “the £121.82 per week rent that we currently charge is correct once you divide all of the costs over the 39 week licence period” and was also careful to point out that private rooms “are rented on six month rolling tenancies, so a room only become available when a tenancy is relinquished”. This means “an undergraduate student may not be able to secure accommodation there for the whole of the academic year” unless renting from Imperial.

Claims of insufficient warden support, with the anonymous source telling Felix that “the wardens don’t seem to organise many/any social events”, were also challenged by Dr Marko Krzanric, the Head Warden of Parsons House. Dr Krzanric maintained that the Wardens and seniors have “managed to organise 60-ish events this academic year so far”, including “Freshers Fortnight events, Christmas party, weekly Sunday breakfasts, Poker nights, trips to the theatre and circus, cooking competitions, London tours, Holiday themed events (Pancake Day, Halloween, Burns Night) and even a Christmas meal and New Years party for students who could not be home during holidays”. Dr Krzanric, was keen to stress that “the welfare of our students is paramount for [the wardens]”.