PICTURES: Vision investigation reveals student squalors across York

York Vision is today lifting the lid on the squalid state of student homes in the area.

Shocking images taken for the first time reveal how some students are living with extensive mould, blocked baths and toilets and even ripped off ceilings.

York Vision has been inside more than a dozen homes – from Lawrence Street and Heslington Road to Fulford and Tang Hall.

While many only had minor problems, some had extensive issues. In one property we went in, students are living without any bathroom facilities after both their toilet and bath pipes became extensively blocked. They have also been forced to use buckets to catch water dripping from the ceiling.

In another house, residents have been forced to use wardrobes to cover up extensive mould harbouring the walls and furniture. Parts of the windows are also wearing away, causing debris to fall off.

But the most shocking house we encountered had part of the kitchen ceiling collapsed. Inside the five-bedroom property on Lawrence Street, residents have been left shaken after the incident happened while one of them was on the toilet.

Images taken by York Vision show parts of debris smashed over the kitchen sink and kitchen floor.

They are also experiencing mould up the walls, holes in the interior and one resident is even using CLING FILM to prevent drafts coming through his bedroom window.

Last night, YUSU’s Welfare and Community Officer Jemima Busby described York Vision’s findings as “worrying”.

“It is always very worrying to hear that anyone may be living in these conditions, we would strongly advice a student to approach The Student Support Hub for advice and discuss their options with an adviser,” she said.

“The council accreditation scheme for private housing, ‘YorProperty Plus’ is a great way of finding properties and landlords that meet a higher standard and helps ensure a better renting experience.”