Dear Editor,
Our student body is in need of reliable, quality-built student housing.
With the swelling number of students attending Southern Utah University, the need for student housing is becoming more present. However, it seems that there are builders and property management teams in Cedar City that don’t understand the definition of reliable or quality.
The concept of Cedar City Apartments seemed nice at first. With private rooms and a washing machine and dryer in each unit, to me and my friends it seemed like it was an apartment from heaven, so we signed contracts and put down deposits.
Of course, it was still under construction, but the property management team assured us that it would be completed before the start of the fall semester. They emailed everyone an exact move-in date which was a week and a half before classes started. Many students prepared to move in around this time with the hopes of settling in before college classes dominated our lives.
Two days before the move-in date, the property management team sent out an email saying that the apartments would not be ready for another week or so, but would let us know as soon as possible when they would be completed. To say that we were frustrated would be an understatement, but we changed our schedules and worked out alternative ways of moving.
Days went by without any word from the property management team. They wouldn’t respond to our many emails. Many of us students were already stressed about school starting, and the added anxiety of wondering if we would have a place to live at the beginning of the semester did not help.
Finally, the management team responded to let everyone know that the move in date would be Saturday, two days before the semester began. The initial reaction to the apartment was utter confusion. Every surface was caked in a thick layer construction dust. Half of our appliances didn’t work. The carpet wasn’t installed properly.
We asked the property manager if there was a cleaning crew coming in or if they could do something about the unfinished construction. All they said was that we should just be happy that the apartment was finished.
This lack of professionalism shown on the part of the management team and the builders is unacceptable. Students should be able to move in comfortably into their apartments. If an apartment building is being advertised as new, it should be completely finished before students move in. Managers should maintain professionalism even in difficult situations. Both on and off campus student housing should be further regulated by the city to ensure that students will be safe and secure before moving into their apartments.
Submitted by: Jessica Stagg, SUU Student
