A student has spoken of his “nightmare” room in a bid to warn others to take care before signing up to accommodation in Bristol.
Mark Dugdale, 25, claims mould could be seen in the basement room he agreed to rent in Redland.
He told Bristol Live: “It put a sort of a dampener on the whole excitement of moving to Bristol and trying a new course - it’s sort of ruined the start of it.”
Letting agency Purple Frog said it takes the welfare of tenants “extremely seriously” and worked “incredibly hard” to help Mr Dugdale, whose account, it claims, lacks some details.
In the summer Mr Dugdale, of South Wales, agreed to rent a room on Redland Road in preparation for beginning a postgraduate degree at the University of the West of England (UWE).
Mr Dugdale paid a deposit of £500 followed by the first month’s rent of £554 in late July.
He said he was quickly called by Purple Frog warning him about a “ventilation problem” in his room, which the firm said would be sorted quickly.
However, when Mr Dugdale arrived at the 13-bedroom property in early August, he was alarmed to see mould and cracked plastering - problems later diagnosed by a contractor as rising damp, he said.
“I had to crash in the living room for one night and then got my family to come and pick me up and when they saw the room and were gobsmacked,” said Mr Dugdale.
The UWE student, studying human resources management, said he contacted a solicitor as he tried to argue the room was not habitable and he ought to be released from the contract.
He said his argument was not accepted by Purple Frog, however.
Feeling “angry” and stressed, Mr Dugdale immediately moved back to Wales and waited for alternative accommodation to pop up in Bristol.
“It’s been a bit of a nightmare, really,” reflected Mr Dugdale, who has since managed to secure a room elsewhere.
He said he wanted his experience to be used as a warning for other young people dealing with letting agencies.
Purple Frog head of marketing James Mason said: “We can understand that Mr Dugdale is upset. That aside, we feel very strongly that we have tried our hardest to protect the tenant’s interests.”
In an email to Bristol Live, Mr Mason wrote that Mr Dugdale moved into the building sooner than he said he would.
When Mr Dugdale demanded to be released from his contract, according to Mr Mason, he was offered the chance to go through the formal process - meaning he would have to find a replacement tenant - but he refused.
Mr Mason wrote that Purple Frog has obtained quotes for the repairs and has been trying to make sure the work takes place “as quickly as possible” with as little disruption as possible.
A replacement tenant for Mr Dugdale has been found, wrote Mr Mason, meaning Mr Dugdale has been released from his contract.
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