Tenancy review for Bramall Court Cannon Street in Irwell Riverside, Salford rented from Mears Student Living

Landlord rating: 2

The building is owned and managed by Mears Student Living. They're not willing to put any money towards fixing any of the issues, yet they are still raising the prices each year. They're ridiculous and it's foreseeable that Bramall Court will close down as they're not prepared to face any of the issues.

Property rating: 5

The flats consist of a kitchen, 2 - 4 bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchens are horribly old and worn out. Our oven is the 1989 Tricity Tiara and I'd guess the cupboards and the sides are the same age. Bramall Court's ovens have probably single-handedly caused global warming. When they're used, the kitchen heats up like hell (not bad in winter, but unbearable in summer). Separate recycling bins are not provided. Just a big wheelie-style bin that normal bin bags don't even fit in. The kitchen table is a plastic picnic/kid's table and there's no ventilation to rescue you from the heat and smoke admitted from the ancient oven. Areas of the kitchen are mouldy, probably due to the crap ventilation and the fact the windows only open 2 inches. The fridge/freezer is quite good but you might struggle for space as it's generally one shelf per person.

The bedrooms aren't too bad but they also have a mould problem. The carpets are very thin and scratchy, so you will need a pair of slippers. You're provided with a good size desk, a wardrobe and a bed. The single beds have draws under them which is convenient, but they also have small, thin mattresses that are too small for the bed! So every time you lean back against the wall (no headrest), the mattress slides down the bed and your pillows fall down the gap...personally, I had to shove old shoe boxes between the mattress and the bottom of the bed to tackle this issue but it didn't really fix it...the bedrooms range from small to extra large. My small room is a great size but some others are ridiculously small. The large rooms are a really great size and the extra large rooms are huge.

The bathrooms are basic but OK. However, they have the worst mould problem and most of them seem to have a problem with these silver-backed insects (as they prosper in damp, dark places and the bathroom has no windows). The shower is OK (no bathtub) but pretty weak. The sink and toilet are fine, although, our toilet actually leaks at the back, onto the floor...meanwhile, all the paint is peeling off of the walls.

Area rating: 6

The area is pretty good for going into the city centre. Obviously, it's advisable to be cautious when going out at night and there is an issue with people trying to steal bikes and motorbikes from the car park. Bramall does have a bike shelter which is (sort of) secure. The police are often called out to the neighbouring building and there's been lots of problems from them this year. On the bright side, it is only a 20 minute walk to the Arndale and a 15 minute walk to Salford Uni's main campus. 10 minutes walk away is the bus stop for the number 50 bus to Media City which is free for Salford students. The only other downside is that the nearest supermarket to get to on foot is the Aldi at the Arndale, which is always extremely busy. However, you can take the 50 bus to Salford Shopping City which is a lot quieter.