The Arcade - iQ Student Accommodation London — Local services in London

I stayed here for my second year of University and it was pretty abysmal. There were mice all over the property, an issue that was not addressed by the staff with the exception of the occasional cruel (and ineffective) mouse trap. These glue traps were placed all over the property, frequently ruining resident's shoes. The mice infestation was only resolved for my flat when my flatmate's father trekked to London to sort the issue himself because of the staff's incompetence. This took him around an hour, which made it obvious how quickly the issue could have been resolved by iQ if they cared enough. Some of the staff were friendly, but there were many instances of myself and others being shouted at aggressively for things were not our fault. An example of this was the setting off of the fire alarm, which occurred because of the faulty extractor fan in our flat - another issue that was never resolved. A member of staff refused to accept that we were not responsible for this fire alarm until we had threatened to report his unprofessional conduct. This same member of staff frequently refused to let residents receive their parcels, even during sociable hours. It was unclear whether this was a rule implemented by iQ or his own decision but it made little sense. The flat was practically falling apart by the time our contract was nearing its end as the staff refused to fix anything, perhaps until new tenants moved in. I reported the bathroom light being broken (one of two bathrooms in a six person flat) four times. This included in person, where I was effectively dismissed and told to log a report on the company's borderline unusable app, as well as online. It was obvious they had no desire to help residents who had nothing left to pay. Other issues included half the staff appearing to be students, one of whom told us to 'just move out' following one of our first complaints about the ongoing mice issue. Residents were allowed to vape in the indoors reception area which was also a little off-putting.

The few 'redeeming' qualities of these issues are undone when considering the extortionate rent of the flats, even for the cheapest 'copper' rooms. I'd suggest...

My stay here has been disappointing. The condition of the flat itself and the attitude of staff towards issues within the flat are both below expectations.

The mice living under the kitchen cabinets was discovered months ago, and the staff knows about it. After the pest control company suggested iQ to seal the crack between the cabinets and the floor that the mice were coming out of, they have done nothing since then, and kept only telling us to keep the floor clean.

The kitchen extractor fan on the wall and on top of the hob have not been functional since the day of move in, and yet the staff is more concerned about how I was not the person to report the issue, and only tells me they are waiting for parts. I have trouble understanding why it takes so long to fix an extractor fan, and why it matters as to who submitted the report, when all of us are sharing the kitchen and know that someone has reported it.

The contractors have been working on the building for over a month for "essential roof works", which creates so much noise every day. This is happening over the most crucial months of the year for a student, as we are all revising for exams to come. It is honestly frustrating how they don't prioritize quietness, especially right before and during exam season, for a student accommodation.

The automatic door that goes to the building was also broken for about a month, having residents manually push and pull a very heavy door with no handles on it whatsoever, which also goes to show their incompetence in repairing something so crucial that affected the whole building.

They don't seem to understand the reason why we choose student accommodation. We want someone to maintain the flat while we can redirect our energy to being more productive, not spend time arguing with staff. All in all, issues are left not fixed, they do construction right in the middle of exam season, and staff are being unhelpful and speaks like it's your fault...

The Arcade is a great choice for accommodation for the price, for the quality, and for the location.

This is my first time living in London, so to begin with I wanted something close to my school (London Met). It's a short walk just down the street, as is Holloway Road Station. If the weather is bad or I'm running late, the bus to school is an option as well: it's three stops and I'm right at the school (with the Holloway Road tube station across from the school)! Between the tube and the bus, it’s a great location, wherever you wanna go.

There are also lots of options for groceries nearby. Personally I’m a Korkmaz fan (local store, lots of variety), but there’s also a Sainsbury's the opposite way down Holloway, as well as an Iceland and Lidl right across the street if you want something else closer. It’s nice having the choices.

Along with the location and wonderful plethora of stores of all kind, the flat itself is great too. I love my room, and have enjoyed making it my own with little flourishes, and there’s lots of storage to spare. The kitchen is well laid out and also has plenty of storage space, and I’ve really enjoyed cooking in it. At the end of a long day, overall the flat is a warm, comfortable place to come back to, a clean and cozy home away from home. I have especially liked getting to know my roommates and meeting other people in the building. Thus far everyone has been super friendly!

Reception is definitely also worth mentioning, as it’s full of people that are always there to help with anything you need, going above and beyond to be welcoming, accommodating, and I think genuinely kind. If I have any issues or queries, I know they will be there and willing to assist.

All things considered, I’ve found the Arcade to be a fantastic place to live, and I would highly...