CODE Fairfax Street, Coventry Student Accommodation — Local services in Coventry

Cons: Terrible (and I cannot stress that enough) internet connection (upload speed is about 10mbps – welcome to 2015). Also, if you want to connect your google home you have to pay 25 pounds extra for a bundle for them to be discoverable on the network!! They claim that this is not an issue on their end since internet is provided by ask4, but in fact this is the bundle that CODE chose, since I contacted ask4.

From the first day of using the shower, the pipes were clogged, and the shower ended up a pool. When I mentioned it to the office, they told me they couldn’t do anything about it, and I needed to go and buy a liquid that unblocks the pipes. Well maybe you should consider checking it before the new tenant comes in.

This accommodation did not seem to care about the coronavirus pandemic, zero help or any other kind of compensation for people leaving early, arriving late or not being able to return to the accommodation. They only care about getting their money. (Yes, they offered compensation for unused PRE-PAID electricity – if you would consider this as a compensation). Furthermore, they didn’t have enough checks for social distancing, most people wouldn’t wear masks especially in lifts, and the common room would get overcrowded. Despite claiming they follow social distancing, the only thing that they did for this matter is put up signs. The building is used by all the tenants, some of which are vulnerable, it is unacceptable to not have any checks about masks whatsoever. Also, they didn’t provide us with any vacuum cleaners claiming it was because of covid, but other accommodations have bought 1 for each studio. That’s what caring for your tenants mean. Also, if you claim to be a student accommodation you should start acting like one, having students at your best interest. Insisting you will not offer any partial compensation for periods that the government has made an official announcement for students not to come back for a certain period, is unacceptable.

You need to pay £10/week extra if you want electricity to be included in the contract and has a cap! The fact that they told us that as a “goodwill gesture” they will give us back the amount of unused electricity because of coronavirus is at least ridiculous! Something that should have been done anyway, even with no pandemic, they consider it a goodwill gesture.

Staff’s response was usually “unfortunately that’s the way it is”.

Sometimes 2 out of 4 lifts wouldn’t work (for 22 floors and 2 blocks!) leading to long waiting times (4-5 minutes)

Location – good if you want to be next to the bus stops, but a bit further down central square, a bit scary at night when walking alone.

Laundry room is in the common room which was closed after 00:00 so can’t wash your clothes!

They charged me for steam cleaning my mattress on checkout, which I barely used since I only spent a couple of weeks there.

Pros: New rooms – no carpet Clean when I entered Coop store on the ground floor (small though) New Gym in the accommodation Efficient parcel handling service Laundry services were good-new Full size fridge/freezer Booked the Extra Large Room which was huge...

I’ve genuinely already left a stunning review about CODE I literally created a new email address to leave another one because this incredible accommodation deserves every bit of recognition and compliment it gets! CODE is genuinely stunning and you’re allowed visitors and require no strange permit and the visitors to be policed and only have a limit of spending one night they can stay for a few days or more provided the office is informed so visitors are aware of the fire evacuation process… Every visitor of mine has commented on how aesthetically pleasing my accommodation is. CODE also has incredible amenities and the city centre location is so convenient I’m near everything I need I don’t even need to travel into town if I don’t want to. Directly underneath the building there’s a Pizza Hut, Greggs, Starbucks and COOP. I regularly shop in the COOP and the Greggs the other two are great but just my personal preference. Staff are a complete dream all of them deserve some kind of special recognition honestly! I feel so looked after genuinely the staff are the best here I love staying at CODE so much! I don’t ever want to leave! I always joke with the staff once university is over I’ll have to be escorted off the premises by police😂. The 24/7 security and very secure entering and leaving system is what sold my parents on this accommodation. CODE take student safety very seriously and is an obvious priority in this accommodation! CODE have been so incredible to me genuinely I don’t have a bad word to say about the accommodation, infact any issues in regards to your room they’ll fix it straight away! There’s always a solution to some of my most bizarre issues I’ve come to realise in CODE and I do really appreciate more than they know how much the staff go that extra mile! Lauren the accommodation manager has especially been a dream to me because I can be a complete nightmare with some of my problems… Lauren always makes me feel validated and helps me to the best of her ability always! Lauren and all other staff have resolved every single one of my minor and petty issues! All the rest of the staff are incredible honestly they all deserve a special praise! CODE is great value for money! Competitors are charging more and providing far less, I did look around before ultimately deciding to book here. If you’re privileged enough to be able to book and stay here during the duration of your studies you absolutely should! CODE is a 10/10 accommodation you’ll feel at ease and home straight away! Genuinely cannot find a single fault… I love this accommodation I’ve booked again for next year and once I graduate university I’ll genuinely be sad to leave CODE. CODE also has the most stunning communal kitchen which I regularly book to host dinner parties with friends! I love hosting so much! The mirrors in the lift are a dream I regularly take outfit of the day pictures inside them and the studios are a dream!!! It’s so nice having your own space! My mum regularly comes to visit me when I get abit lonely and it’s so nice living in a self contained...

When I booked my room at CODE I was excited to return to Coventry from my placement year and had such high hopes. Unfortunately from the second I arrived and saw that the buidling wasn't even finished and we hadn't been informed of this prior to arrival I knew that my experience here would not be as good as I had hoped as a big part of choosing code was for the extras they were supposed to offer. They provided temporary facilities such as a gym but nowhere near the standard that was promised (the proper gym still wasn't complete when I left). We were without study rooms for months too and then when the study rooms were provided there was no WiFi in them so not very useful for university students who regularly need to access online research. Disappointingly no discount was given despite the building not being finished and to the advertised standard when I booked and their reasoning for this is that you pay for the room and the facilities are an added extra which is not strictly true as like most, I made my decision to pay that price and stay at CODE based on the whole package that was advertised. When I first arrived I had to spend several hours cleaning my room that had not been cleaned prior to my arrival. I had to write a letter of complaint and was offered a free room clean for the end of my tenancy. The security here is also poor. The entrance doors at the front and the side of the building are broken more often that they are working, allowing anyone access to the building. I was also disturbed in the early hours of the morning on atleast 3 occasions by someone trying to get in to my room (of course this isn't Codes fault and most likely just a drunken fool who has the wrong flat but nevertheless it has impacted on my experience at CODE). Things started to look slightly better when I won one of their competitions. This was short lived as it took me months and several emails to recieve my prize which wasn't recieved in full - I spoke to a lady at the Coventry office who suggested that I was being ungrateful for asking for the full prize because what I'd recieved was good and that ''I'd had enough'' (this was eventually sorted and I did recieve the full value of my prize with the exception of the printer credits due to lockdown). With the odd exception the staff are mostly polite and helpful when needed and the room itself was quite nice (although small so I would reccomend viewing to check it is bi enough for you before paying any money) but there is a general lack of communication between CODE and their tenants and I think this needs serious improvement as even just being prepared for things like the building not being completed would have helped. Based on my experience I would not return to CODE Coventry and unfortunately I am left wishing I had picked alternative...