Haywood House - iQ Student Accommodation London — Attraction in London

I moved to London and found this accommodation personally, I am British and stayed there last year when I was 18. Firstly, loved the location, road the accommodation is on isn’t amazing, but West Hampstead is great. As soon as I moved in, it was a summer weekend but I actually think a sauna was cooler. No aircon - they have a real problem with heat, so if you are a person who can’t stand heat, then invest in a really really expensive fan or don’t stay here :) Common area is decent, cool pool table (I think they are changing everything around though which might mean that it becomes better). I didn’t actually get told that the accommodation was doing a massive construction throughout my entire summer stay with them though, until the day that they started the construction. Super fun, loved living on a construction site. I get that construction needs doing, but if I had just got told that I would have to be living without all the extra facilities that I had pre-paid for, then I would have obviously booked the shorter contract. lol. I had many issues with my flatmates - I had one particular flatmate (I think he’s been there 3 years already ha) but he would leave raw fish out on the kitchen counter, raw crab, and spray fishy cooking oil everywhere and not even clean up even if we asked him to. I know that you always get students like this. But the handling from reception was what just sent me over with it. I expressed to reception that I wanted to move flats because of this particular flatmate who was causing me so many issues (I couldn't cook in my kitchen it had got so bad), but I was told that I had to find a replacement flatmate or pay for two rooms if I wanted to move. They had SO many spare rooms as people had started to go home for summer, but they were just being difficult and SO unempathetic towards me. I couldn't find anyone to sublet my room from me, there were already tons of iQ rooms up for sublet on all the rental sites already, I had no chance. So I had no choice but to stay in my flat. I work in a hospital on the side of my studies, to pay for my rent here - so I simply could not afford to pay for two rooms. I think it was extra upsetting when I saw the receptionist give certain male students extra rooms and master keys, just because they had become close 'friends'. Heavy, heavy, side eye. Another situation I had here was just before I left a few weeks ago. For the entire year, one of my flatmates and I left our two guitars in the kitchen. It was safe there, as only us and the rest of our flatmates had access (and the staff) because there is a locked door into our kitchen. The rest of our flatmates knew that the guitars were in there and they were fine with that - none of them are musicians anyway. However, one day I came into the kitchen and realized that the two guitars had disappeared. I wondered how that happened, because I had seen them there only a few days prior. I asked reception to look on the cameras and they claimed they hadn’t seen anything. Hmm. Then I was trying to see how this could happen and I had discovered that the lock on our door to the kitchen was broken, and our back fire door - which leads into the next block of flats that other random students can access! I had never realized but if you push hard enough, the door just opens. So due to their poor security, my flatmates and my guitar has been stolen. I have tried contacting them so many times (I have now moved out) but I am hearing no response. Emailed and called so many times, I believe my number has been blocked. Really upsetting and disappointing. SO, if you do wanna stay in a place where you will smell fish 24/7(no choice), with unemotional reception staff (you may get special treatment tho ;)) or where you will get your things stolen, then yes go ahead and book haywood house. Best year yet! P.s. when I refer to receptionists, I am NOT talking about the lovely Laura, she’s GREAT. Bonus points for...

To anyone considering renting at IQ Haywood, I strongly advise against it. Initially, the place seems nice, but this quickly proves deceptive. Management puts great effort into attracting new customers but neglects ongoing maintenance.

Interestingly, many five-star reviews come from people who've only visited, not lived there. IQ incentivizes positive reviews by offering rewards like soda for five-star ratings, especially when mentioning staff members, as employees benefit from these mentions.

After moving in, problems rapidly accumulate. Elevators frequently break down for weeks or even months. Several residents, myself included, endured broken heaters in winter, leaving rooms freezing. Windows open only slightly due to safety restrictions, causing poor airflow and unbearable heat in summer. Curtains inadequately block city lights, affecting anyone sensitive to brightness.

Noise is another significant issue. The building is surrounded on three sides by continuously running train tracks. Even my sixth-floor room facing the courtyard experienced constant disruptive train noise. Lower-floor residents had it even worse, unable to hold conversations. The courtyard amplifies all sound, including late-night chatter, and a persistent weed smell fills the air.

The kitchens are poorly maintained and misleadingly advertised. Promised appliances like a toaster and kettle were absent, our oven was broken for six months, and the microwave smelled foul. Fridges urgently needed defrosting, soaking stored food.

Maintenance response was poor. My broken door handle was never fixed. When a neighboring block's elevator broke, residents were permitted access to our floor without informing us, causing frequent disturbances. Staff communication was non-existent.

Complaints are only accepted through an app. Room-specific maintenance might respond promptly, but broader issues are ignored. Reception staff dismiss complaints or claim helplessness, and emails receive no response.

Renovations frequently disrupt residents. Many tenants, including myself, couldn't move in during the initial week yet still had to pay. Recent unannounced renovations continue causing severe disturbances. A friend living there is currently woken daily by loud construction noises. Tenants have little legal recourse.

The price is exorbitant, even for London. Shortly after leaving IQ, I found a much better and quieter place nearby at half the cost. The contract terms are predatory, locking you into 42 or 46 weeks unless you find someone willing to assume your entire contract.

On a positive note, the location near campus and community atmosphere were enjoyable. Half the staff was friendly if you weren't requesting repairs.

Overall, I strongly advise against IQ Haywood. Management lacks motivation to improve due to high demand, but I hope sharing my experience encourages potential renters to reconsider and management to change their service.

Best regards.

P.S. I wish I could write more in detail but Google has a...

If you're looking for a comfortable and enjoyable student accommodation in London, I would advise you to look elsewhere. My experience at iQ Student Accommodation was far from satisfactory.

The atmosphere was gloomy, and the staff seemed uninterested in making my stay comfortable. The room I was provided with was cramped, and the amenities were shabby and outdated. The furniture was old and worn-out, and the bed was uncomfortable. The bathroom was poorly maintained, and the hot water took a long time to arrive.

One of the unique aspects of iQ Student Accommodation was the shared kitchen, which was expected to be a great place to socialize with fellow students. However, the kitchen was dirty, and the appliances were old and malfunctioning. The service was slow, and the staff was unhelpful when I needed assistance.

I am rating this student accommodation 1 star out of 5 because of the many issues that I faced during my stay. The lack of proper maintenance, outdated facilities, and uninterested staff make this place a less-than-ideal choice for anyone seeking comfortable student accommodation.

To improve, the management should focus on maintaining and upgrading the facilities, hiring attentive and responsive staff, and ensuring that the communal areas are clean and well-equipped. They should also provide better customer service and focus on making the living experience more comfortable and enjoyable for students.

In conclusion, I would not recommend iQ Student Accommodation in London to anyone looking for comfortable and enjoyable student accommodation. My experience left a bad impression, and I am not...