Macquarie University Village Problems (1 Viewer)

[oldnewbieraver]

Hey guys,

I was looking at accomodation options on campus and just spoke to the fellas at Macquarie University Village (MUV), but im rather mystified at their policy for new applicants.

They have still around 30% of the West Side apartments unoccupied. I arrive in Australia on 19th February but the weird thing is I cant choose to start my period of stay at MUV from 19th Feb and instead it will start within one week of sending in an application.

This means that either I apply by this week and pay like 2 weeks of rent when I am not even in the country yet or run the risk of finding that places have run out if im going to wait a while before applying. This is despite me being willing to pay all the initial fees required, but only wanting to start on 19th Feb (im not asking them to hold the room for me randomly without committing myself by paying all the initial fees).

What do you think of this? What are my options?

Cheers,
Sudheesh

 

[xeuyrawp]

I can't help you with your options, I'm afraid, but in fairness to the village, how are they supposed to keep your room free for you when there may be other people who are willing to start asap? I'm sure they've had problems in the past with people booking a room and then cancelling, so I suppose they now run on a reasonable first-come-first-serve basis.

The best thing would be to ring them and see if you can negotiate (perhaps only pay for one week extra?), or somehow reserve a room under the premise that you'll pay a cancellation fee. The alternative is to cough up the dough or wager that your room won't be taken.

I'd certainly play it safe and talk with them. If there's no choice, you'll just have to pay.

Hope you figure it out!

 

[oldnewbieraver]

Hey thanks for ur advice. Eventually I booked the place a few days earlier so they sent me contract which started a few days earlier than my arrival date. However i wrote to them to see whether they can move the contract date to my actual date of arrival and they were obliging! yay! so it's sorted out.

I was looking at the contract and it says MUV may enter ur apartment if they suspect that another person or a person other than you is residing in the
Room or the Apartment Common Areas. Is this really enforced? does anyone know? does this mean that if i hv my visiting gf over for a few days, i would get in trouble? sounds rather strict...

 

[Kegs]

They didnt used to care when I visited my lady friend. Others in the house had partners bascially living with them, and it was not enforced. No one cared, except if they were noisy/messy. This was in 2005 but, when the uni still ran the village and it wasnt a private company. Maybe it is different now.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Hey thanks for ur advice. Eventually I booked the place a few days earlier so they sent me contract which started a few days earlier than my arrival date. However i wrote to them to see whether they can move the contract date to my actual date of arrival and they were obliging! yay! so it's sorted out.

Glad to hear it. Things like this are so easily stressed over.

 

[glitterfairy]

is this 'the villiage' that there's a lot of bitching going on about atm?

If only because I'm paranoid about these sorts of things, I would ask whoever's in charge in advance what the protocol is, maybe you can pay a small additional fee for whenever the gf comes around. There's nothing worse than getting caught breaking the rules, and being kicked out or somesuch.

And congrats on getting your contract date moved

 

[oldnewbieraver]

@ glitterfairy

what bitching is going on about them?

@kegs

ooh previously it was run by the univeristy itself? hmm, so its since its being run by a private company that all the excessive rules popped up? so mebe the other accomodation arranged by the university (such as at macquarie parkland, balaclava apartments etc) wont hv such rules...oh well...i hv already paid some of my deposits and faxed them back their 15 page 'lodging contract'...

 

[oldnewbieraver]

oh, anyone here who lives at MUV by the way?

 

[glitterfairy]

@ glitterfairy

what bitching is going on about them?

@kegs

ooh previously it was run by the univeristy itself? hmm, so its since its being run by a private company that all the excessive rules popped up? so mebe the other accomodation arranged by the university (such as at macquarie parkland, balaclava apartments etc) wont hv such rules...oh well...i hv already paid some of my deposits and faxed them back their 15 page 'lodging contract'...

Basically, all the new excessive fees since it became privately owned... I don't know whether this is the exact one though, however it was Kegs that told me about it so, he's got more info than I do lol.

Hopefully everything works out well for you though, sounds like it is so far