Trusted Agent profile · Avon Way
★★★★★
191 reviews across 1 platform
Avon Way House, CO4 3TZ
Beyond the Box Student Limited's office in Avon Way, at Avon Way House, is rated 3.8 out of 5 across 191 reviews on 1 platform, including 191 Google reviews rated 3.8.
Every review we hold for the Avon Way office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
4/5
GoogleStaff here are very friendly and always help with any problems, rooms (at least my one) was in reasonable quality when I moved in - all problems were fixed quickly. Site is getting new areas built and rooms are planned for refurb ready for 2019 start of academic year.
Thank you for your positive feedback. Beyond the Box Hospitality
5/5
GoogleI've been staying at this place for more than 8 months now and all I can say is that it feels like I'm home at times when I needed any kind of help the office people were always ready to help. Beyond The Box is the best accommodation for students as the university is nearby and if you like to walk so can go walking as well. I've been enjoying my stay here and the people here are really helpful so it's been a delight.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5* review. I am so happy we have been able to meet and hopefully exceed your expectations and I will make sure to pass your comments onto the whole team.
1/5
GoogleDespicable service, avoid at all costs. From the very first day we moved in we realised that the accommodation we got was very different to the pictures. By our second week, we found there to be black mould in our rooms, once we reported this, the only thing they told us to do was leave the window open… in October. I will attach a picture of the mould to this review. Furthermore, during the covid pandemic my 2 flatmates and I stayed there for 3 weeks, having to pay beyond the box the full 10 months of rent as if we were still living there, no discount on rent nor utilities. At our old accommodation we were given a 40% discount and didn’t have to pay for the final month. In addition to having to pay for something we did not use, they had the cheek to charge us for leaving the hob, oven and ceiling dirty. In the report, they did not provide any photographic evidence of the hobs, oven nor the ceiling, just a stain in the blinds that had been there from the day we moved in. I tried to get a hold of beyond the box about the deposit reductions and they are still to get back to me. The contract finished at the end of august, it’s now a week into October and me and another flat mate are yet to get our deposits back. If you’re a student at Essex please avoid and just go to SUHomes on campus, they will look after you properly. The only good side of this place were the ladies at reception, very friendly and helpful.
We always advise all residents to undertake a viewing before booking your accomodation, so I can only apologise that you believe the pictures are misleading. Our video viewings and photographs are taken in the apartments they correspond to, but we do dress the rooms with fixtures and fittings to give a more lived in feel. Perhaps this is wat you feel made them look different. We tried to be as open and honest as possible during the Covid pandemic and unfortunately the site actually costs more to run during the pandemic, rather than less, so it was not possible to offer any rent reductions or rebates for your contracted period of stay. We are a small family run business and tried very hard to keep our site running in as near to normal way as possibe. In fact if you look carefully, you will find that we managed to keep all of our shared study spaces, gym/studio and other bookable spaces operating as normal throghout the Pandemic, when the university had shut all fo there, providing an irreplacable lifeline to the 65% of students who ramained with us through the entire pandemic. Please feel free to pop down to reception to discuss any particular element that you are unsatisfied with and we will do our best to work through it with you.
1/5
GoogleIf I could give this rating 0 stars, I would. To ANY student planning to move here next year, just go to SUHomes or any other housing services. Beyond the Box's unprofessionalism and lack of consideration put me and my flatmates through hell from the time we moved in. Due to the pandemic, we only lived in our flat for 3 months. One issue we experienced was no reduced rent during a global pandemic. We clearly were not using water or any utilities because we did NOT even live in our flat, so why didn't we receive any discount? With SUHomes, we received a 40% discount for our monthly rent and didn't have to pay rent for the final payment. We also experienced many issues in the house that were deducted off our deposit. With Beyond the Box, they deducted -£33 off my deposit and my other flatmates deposits, making the total £99 for just cleaning. Below you'll find pictures of the cleaning statement they've sent us. They've completely lied saying we didn't clean they stove and also didn't care to attach a picture of the dirty stove. They also said the CEILING was messy and didn't send a picture either. My flat mate called to discuss this further with them, yet they purposefully cut the phone on him TWICE. Another issue we faced was molding growing in every single one of our rooms. Sadly, I do not have video evidence of this for my room, but I do have it for my flat mates room. I'll attach a screenshot below of the mold. Once we complained about this mold, we were told to open our windows. Nevertheless, the mold ended up being cleaned and removed sometime this year, but it took over 6 months for them to clean it. We encountered many issues during our 3 month stay at BTB, yet these two issues are the only ones I will speak about. All evidence is attached below. Once again, to any STUDENTS planning on living here, please just go to SUHomes instead...
Thank you for your review Michael, I am sorry you do not feel satisfied with out service. We tried to be as open and honest as possible during the Covid pandemic and unfortunately the site actually costs more to run during the pandemic, rather than less, so it was not possible to offer any rent reductions or rebates for your contracted period of stay. We always seek to act quickly and professionally on any maintenance issues and we would be happy to discuss any particular problems with you if you want to pop down to reception. We do have photos of all check out condition reports and again if you would like to pop down to reception we can walk you through why the specific charges you mention have been made.
5/5
GoogleI got pretty lucky to get a vacancy in what is normally a fully occupied student accommodation. Rightfully so. The rooms are well designed for optimum space utilization and are usually well lit. There are several common facilities available to the residents including gym, play area, meeting rooms and quiet study areas overlooked by an efficient management to deliver the quality promised. The location is perfect with walkable proximity to the university, including bus services from the university for late night situations and a bus stop almost by the doorstep that connects to most of the important parts of the town. The high-point for me was the lovely people (Chantelle, Brenda, Josie, Jason, Julie, Joe) in the hospitality department. They are friendly, approachable and dependable - top traits for a student who just moved across the ocean. Super grateful. Highly recommended!
Thank you Neena for taking the time to leave such a detailed review, your kind words are really appreciated and I will make sure to pass them onto the team.
5/5
GoogleI have lived her for two years and have rebooked for my final year at university. I have absolutely loved my time here, rooms are spacious and the facilities are very well managed by the staff. The staff are very helpful and respond quickly, the maintenance man is very nice and can sort out most issues very promptly. There are student wardens on site after staff leave who is very helpful and can be contacted after the main reception staff leave. Overall I would recommend this to many students as you are close to the university and Tesco's and you can met a lot of other students and it is very cosy effective. 10/10
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5* review Lauren, it is really appreciated and I am so glad that you are enjoying your time with us, I will make sure to pass it on to the hospitality team.
5/5
GoogleBeyond the Box Student accommodation is a terrific place to live at. It offers great proximity to the University and to services like Tescos, petrol station and bus services to town. It also faces the Salary Brook nature reserve which can offer great walks and open space. The studio rooms are exactly what one person needs, the shared kitchen also offers ample room to cook or even have some friends over. The one downside to the whole accommodation would be the small laundry rooms... I would recommend having bigger or more laundry rooms. The staff who work there are very nice and very helpful. They even helped me move my belongings on a last minute emergency to help me out! Overall a great experience.
Hi Conrad, thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5 star review, we really appreciate it.
1/5
GoogleDespicable service, avoid at all costs. From the very first day we moved in we realised that the accommodation we got was very different to the pictures. By our second week, we found there to be black mould in our rooms, once we reported this, the only thing they told us to do was leave the window open… in October. I will attach a picture of the mould to this review. Furthermore, during the covid pandemic my 2 flatmates and I stayed there for 3 weeks, having to pay beyond the box the full 10 months of rent as if we were still living there, no discount on rent nor utilities. At our old accommodation we were given a 40% discount and didn’t have to pay for the final month. In addition to having to pay for something we did not use, they had the cheek to charge us for leaving the hob, oven and ceiling dirty. In the report, they did not provide any photographic evidence of the hobs, oven nor the ceiling, just a stain in the blinds that had been there from the day we moved in. I tried to get a hold of beyond the box about the deposit reductions and they are still to get back to me. The contract finished at the end of august, it’s now a week into October and me and another flat mate are yet to get our deposits back. If you’re a student at Essex please avoid and just go to SUHomes on campus, they will look after you properly. The only good side of this place were the ladies at reception, very friendly and helpful.
We always advise all residents to undertake a viewing before booking your accomodation, so I can only apologise that you believe the pictures are misleading. Our video viewings and photographs are taken in the apartments they correspond to, but we do dress the rooms with fixtures and fittings to give a more lived in feel. Perhaps this is wat you feel made them look different. We tried to be as open and honest as possible during the Covid pandemic and unfortunately the site actually costs more to run during the pandemic, rather than less, so it was not possible to offer any rent reductions or rebates for your contracted period of stay. We are a small family run business and tried very hard to keep our site running in as near to normal way as possibe. In fact if you look carefully, you will find that we managed to keep all of our shared study spaces, gym/studio and other bookable spaces operating as normal throghout the Pandemic, when the university had shut all fo there, providing an irreplacable lifeline to the 65% of students who ramained with us through the entire pandemic. Please feel free to pop down to reception to discuss any particular element that you are unsatisfied with and we will do our best to work through it with you.
1/5
GoogleDO NOT MOVE IN. the rooms are moulding and dirty, and all house equipment is straight from the 1900s. don't breathe too hard because any extra moisture in the air will cause your walls to rot from the inside out. the bathrooms are modelled off of hospital ward bathrooms for sure. We moved in for 2020-2021 and of course with the pandemic, no one is presently at the property. despite this no rent reductions have taken place, and if it is not paid on time there will be increased charges with no mercy despite people losing jobs, and being in unfortunate financial situations.
Hello Taye, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I am not sure which student accommodation provider’s accommodation you were reviewing, but it does not appear to be one of ours. All our accommodation is Purpose Built Student Accommodation conforming to the National Code for assured student accommodation and is regularly inspected by UNIPOL inspectors. I would be most grateful if you could remove your review as it is very misleading. Many thanks.
4/5
GoogleAccommodation is well kept, well setup and overall a good place to live whilst studying a degree. The hospitality team are great! Always talkative and happy to go that extra mile for us students. Would live here again if required!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Bradly, it is really very much appreciated by all the staff.
5/5
GoogleI would like to personally thank from the bottom of my heart every single staff member of the team for providing outstanding quality for the whole two years of my stay with you. I was looking for a house - instead, I found a home. Thank you …
Thank you Dimitris for your 5* review, it is really appreciated, I will make sure to pass it on to the whole team.
5/5
GoogleAs visitors I was very impressed with the new site. Both the Student Hub and the accommodation blocks have been well designed and are pleasing to look at. The facilities are comprehensive and are designed to meet the needs of all students. The location is convenient for access to the university and the town. Having experienced student accommodation many years ago I would have loved to have had the chance to stay in a place like this!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5* review, I am so pleased you liked what you saw during your viewing, I will make sure to let the guys know.
1/5
GoogleThis accommodation is nothing but a money making scheme, not value for the amount you pay as a student; I urge to go Maltings or other accommodation before looking at Avon Way. Simon Talbot (the owner) will chase you down for your rent before it’s even due but will take weeks to reply to your issues e.g if hearings aren’t working, hot water not functioning, no gym (even though it was advertised), the list is endless. I urge all students not to come here, you’re being overcharged & should rather commute to uni rather than staying in this accommodation.
Hi, Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review. The conditions of our accommodation is our top priority, as well as ensuring all our tenants are happy and satisfied with our service. We sincerely apologise for any heating or hot water issues you may have experienced during your stay. It is our number one focus to fix emergency repairs as soon as possible and as a result none of our buildings have ever been without heating hot water for more than 24 hours. The student hub along with the studio gym was due for completion at the end of February however due to unforeseen circumstances this was delayed until the end of March. We were on course to complete when the pandemic broke out and as i am sure you can appreciate this has delayed the completion date further. If you would like to discuss this or any other issues you may have, please contact a member of the Hospitality Team or visit us at Reception.
1/5
GoogleIt’s absolutely disgraceful that this company is still charging students for next term rent. The tenancy is up in August, therefore the maintenance loan does not stretch. Many students then have to work in order to pay the rest of their rent. Work has stopped so income is not coming in, then students are not entitled to any government assistance. Landlords are being helped by the Government, but their pride and greed tells them it’s not enough. BTB have not offered any rent reductions, or any deferrals, let alone allowing cancellations of rent. The manager is very aggressive over the phone and doesn’t like to listen. Horrible company, with a horrible team. The owner is even worse. In my humble opinion this accommodation is not all that, many only stay here because it is near the Uni, if you can find somewhere else. Not worth the stress of putting up with people like this.
I am sorry to hear that you are not satisfied. We clearly informed all residents, that we would consider requests for forbearance due to financial hardship, supported by appropriate evidence, on a case by case basis and have granted numerous rent holidays.We do not receive any support from government or the university that would enable us to waive or subsidise rents but if this situation does change we would of course pass any such support onto our residents. Our rental income is essential to continue the safe running of the site and to ensure that the business is still here, ready to support students in the autumn when the new term starts. If you would like to discuss this or any other issues you may have, please contact a member of the Hospitality Team or visit us at Reception
1/5
GoogleThe facilities they advertised before I applied were not even built by the time I left, a year later. 2 washing machines between 4 buildings, probably at least 100 people. Takes weeks for them to repair broken items that were broken before I moved in. They are trying to run a place with minimal costs, trying to get away with having inadequate living facilities for students. Beyond the box, pretty much some up the accommodation, a box! Feels like a prison.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review, we are always appreciative of constructive feedback. It helps us to improve our hospitality and customer service. The conditions of our accommodation is our top priority, as well as ensuring all our tenants are happy and satisfied with our service. We have reviewed our maintenance reporting system and cant find a single maintenance request from you. We would like to discuss this or any other issues you may have, please contact a member of the Hospitality Team or visit us at Reception. Accommodation Manager
1/5
GoogleBeyond the box have failed to meet any of the expectations they set for their students and most definitely haven’t gone “beyond” them as they say they do. Multiple students reported issues throughout their stay which were never resolved; such as privacy issues as building works took place - this was “resolved” by them by placing a white screen outside my room, which the men carrying out the building works still walked behind and could still see over. This resulted in me (a young woman) not opening my blinds for the entirety of my stay! Myself and many other students complained further about building works making noise before 8am (when they were supposed to begin) as well as questioning why some of us were made to live in the middle of a building site - unaware of this until we turned up to begin our stay. The list could go on. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic myself, my family, and fellow students have been appalled by the lack of consideration for their students (an understatement). The inconsiderate emails between beyond the box and students seemed to be copy and pasted, as well as being extremely insensitive. They claim to be a family business who are not in the “financial position” to support us in this time with a rent reduction at this time; also saying that we get our student loan so this “shouldn’t be a problem” as if it’s free money, when in actual fact we have to pay this money back and some students may need this to live at a time where they cannot work. I could go on, but in short, I would not recommend this as a place to stay for anybody who wishes to feel “at home”. I would not want any other students to go through what we have had to this year.
Hi Holly, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for us, we are always appreciative of constructive feedback. We are sorry to hear about your experience whilst staying at Avonway and understand that the construction works aren’t ideal for our current residents so we can only apologise for any inconvenience. This project is for the improvement of resident life at Avonway however we take your comments on board and will continue to improve our operations where possible. We understand that these are difficult times for everyone and have offered every student who is suffering financial hardship a rent holiday. We have over 100 students still living on site and to arbitrarily release students from their contracts early would compromise our ability to be able to maintain the safe running of the site. If you would like to discuss this or any other issues you may have, please contact a member of the Hospitality Team or visit us at Reception.
1/5
GoogleBEYONDTHEBOX SHOWS ZERO COMPASSION TOWARDS TENANTS!! My experience at BeyondTheBox was pleasant to begin with as I stayed in the new studio flats. However my stay started to go downhill when I discovered that there was 1 washing machine and 1 tumble dryer available for me to use (there are others on site but my key fob would not allow the entrance to these buildings). This meant that I usually had to either wake up extremely early on a Sunday to wash my clothes or if I needed to do multiple washes in a week (which was quite often as I am not a stinking tramp) I would usually have to wait for 4/5 other people to be done using the machines which took hours. This wasted valuable hours of my time that I could’ve used for better things. Things became even worse when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred. Many students on site including me left their rooms to be safe at their original homes with family (as recommended by the GOVERNMENT). BeyondTheBox was aware of this yet they refused to reduce our 3rd rent instalment (which was almost £2,500 that would leave me with £500 to last me until I was able to find a job; an impossible task during the COVID outbreak) They was unable to provide a clear reason why they could not do this, I can only assume this was to pay for their extensive building works and refurbishments they were constantly doing which created excess noise onsite all the time! In addition to not receiving a reason why we was made to pay our 3rd rent instalment when we would not be living there, every single email myself and others received from BeyondTheBox at the time included the fact that they are a “family-run business”. I do not understand whether they mention this in order to gain sympathy from tenants, but it does not work as they do not display sympathy towards students themselves!! Also if you are planning to stay in the rooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms please be aware that the bathrooms have mould which hospitality refuse to deal with and instead ask the students to “open a window” to help with this (putting students health at risk).
Thank you for your feedback Gemma. In line with Department for Students guidance we have considered each request for rent forbearance on a case by case basis and that process unfortunately took some time to complete. As you are aware, we have now granted you forbearance on your rent in line with your request. I am sorry that this took longer than you expected.
2/5
GoogleI lived here for 3 years while at uni and the first 2 years were great.. nice accommodation and the rent was decent for the services however this last year was terrible, constant building works, there wasn’t a laundry room in my block so I had to search for one and they all smelt rotten, my radiator made constant noises that I chased up about constantly, and when Covid-19 struck and a lot of other private landlords reduced rates due to the worldwide pandemic BtB refused even though I wasn’t living there anymore and suggested I’d pay my student finance to them but was uncomfortable paying the extra on top because of the circumstances. Also I reported I had a thin mattress and I was scoffed at before they actually examined and agreed my mattress was as thin as a prisons mattress. I’m really disappointed from this last year but I had a great experience the first 2 years so I’m hoping they do change next year, but it did not make it easy for my final year study!
Hi Emily, Thank you for taking the time to review our accommodation and for re-booking with us for the last 3 years! We are sorry to hear that your final year was not as you anticipated and we will look to improve in any areas possible. New laundry facilities are currently being installed on site which should reduce waiting times however we do understand that this is not always ideal for current residents and can only apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you would like to discuss this or any other issues you may have, please contact a member of the Hospitality Team or visit us at Reception
3/5
GoogleVery small units, some very outdated. Good location, expensive as these places often are but with potential I'm not personally there. I dropped someone off their very recently. I mentioned potential as it was clearly unfinished. Her furniture looked very tired though, no real drawer space. Reminded me of a slight upgrade on a homeless hostel I used back in the 1980s. Like I said though, has potential
Hi Steve, thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We can't find any record of you on the system so if you could possibly let me know which apartment you were in it would be very helpful. We try our best to offer value for money for all our residents. We have apartments ranging from £107 per week up to £189 per week, a myriad of inclusive facilities (study areas, cinema room, gym/studio, workshop, bookable meeting rooms etc.) that are not available at other locations and a team of dedicated, on-site accommodation staff on hand to assist with problems or just have a chat. We genuinely believe that when taken as a whole, we offer some of the best student accommodation in Colchester. If you pop down to reception, we would welcome the oportunity to have a chat with you and walk you through all the facilities and make sure you are making full use of everything we have available.
5/5
GoogleI recently left this place. My experience was good here. I highly recommend this place 🏠 🏢 because it provides good amenities to the students 📚 and gives a good option to live here in different rooms like 2-5 bedrooms 🛌🪑🛋 with …
Thank you so much for your 5* review, it is really appreciated, I will make sure to pass it on to the whole team.
5/5
GoogleI lived at Avon Way for two years and that was the best decision I made during my time at university. The accommodation is a 10-15 min walk to the university, there are shops across the road if you are feeling peckish or ran out of milk and there's a bus stop located close that can take you directly to the university or the town centre. Living there was great, I had no problems with the rooms or my flatmates. The common room is a great social community for students where you can make new friends, play games or watch footy on TV. All staff are welcoming and there to help, they make your stay pleasurable as they go the extra mile; there wasn't a time where they didn't make me smile on a bad day. All maintenance problems were dealt with efficiency. There's a place for bikes and cars to park and is monitored 24/7. The price and value of this accommodation is outstanding! especially compared to the prices to live on campus and in other student accommodations; the rooms are roomy, and the bathrooms and kitchens have enough space for individual use what else could you ask for?
Thank you for your very positive review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us.
5/5
GoogleI moved here in September 2017, the place was really cosy and furnished! I also have disability and they made it so much easier by adjusting it for me. They also treats you like as if you were an actual tenants which is a massive experiences for us to help us learn and grow our individual life experience for when we are adult. They are always on hands to help with anything! don't worry if the management team has gone home after their office hours, the student warden are always on hands to help. (if you are new to this accommodation, they can be identified by having a RSW Key and phone) you can trust them, as they have been trained by the team. the atmosphere feels so safe with all of the security and I feel that I can approach to the teams anytime with my issues. in summary, it is one of the best choice I made as I wasn't so sure of budget as you know.. students spend too much! but again, best choice!
I have passed on your comments to the team, it is really great to hear your possitive experiences
5/5
GoogleI lived at Avon Way for two years and that was the best decision I made during my time at university. The accommodation is a 10-15 min walk to the university, there are shops across the road if you are feeling peckish or ran out of milk and there's a bus stop located close that can take you directly to the university or the town centre. Living there was great, I had no problems with the rooms or my flatmates. The common room is a great social community for students where you can make new friends, play games or watch footy on TV. All staff are welcoming and there to help, they make your stay pleasurable as they go the extra mile; there wasn't a time where they didn't make me smile on a bad day. All maintenance problems were dealt with efficiency. There's a place for bikes and cars to park and is monitored 24/7. The price and value of this accommodation is outstanding! especially compared to the prices to live on campus and in other student accommodations; the rooms are roomy, and the bathrooms and kitchens have enough space for individual use what else could you ask for?
Thank you for your very positive review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us.
5/5
GoogleI moved here in September 2017, the place was really cosy and furnished! I also have disability and they made it so much easier by adjusting it for me. They also treats you like as if you were an actual tenants which is a massive experiences for us to help us learn and grow our individual life experience for when we are adult. They are always on hands to help with anything! don't worry if the management team has gone home after their office hours, the student warden are always on hands to help. (if you are new to this accommodation, they can be identified by having a RSW Key and phone) you can trust them, as they have been trained by the team. the atmosphere feels so safe with all of the security and I feel that I can approach to the teams anytime with my issues. in summary, it is one of the best choice I made as I wasn't so sure of budget as you know.. students spend too much! but again, best choice!
I have passed on your comments to the team, it is really great to hear your possitive experiences
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
Beyond the Box Student Limited's Avon Way office has 191 reviews across 1 platform: 191 on Google.
Beyond the Box Student Limited Avon Way House is rated 3.8 out of 5 across all 191 reviews, and 3.8 out of 5 on Google from 191 reviews.
Beyond the Box Student Limited Avon Way House, Avon Way House, CO4 3TZ.
