John Lester and Eddie Colman Courts, salford

As a newcomer, obviously, I did not have a UK bank account at the time of arrival. I tried to pay online with 5 different cards but their wesite was down (their problem not mine). However, instead of contacting them many times beforehand, they did not let me in unless I was willing to pay 3200pounds (138Pounds per week for 24Weeks) in full. I was exhausted, I was robbed in the Manchester airport, and one of my luggages were broken and I had to carry 35KG by hand to the accommodation. Although the manager and receptions could vividly see my situation, the only kindness they did was offering me a room without key for the night(after many negotiations). Finally, their agreement is from Jan 5 until June 22 which is not 6 months in full. Now, after 1.5 month, I have to say I'm quite dissatisfied with my choice. The walls between the rooms are made of sth like wood. They are thin and you can hear your flatmates. My room is number D and I can hear the people in the kitchen as well. The atmosphere is good and it has a game/billiards/TV room with free tea and coffe. It has a So-Called Gym too. Their maintenance team is also good and address your issues. Update: Although the university promotes these accommodations and even has a dedicated section for them, they don’t do anything when issues arise. Once you move in, you’re pretty much stuck. The only good thing about this accommodation is Lee, one of the maintenance staff—he’s absolutely great. It's been almost 5 months that I am here and I have not seen support in any aspect. They do not care about anything when they take their money. That's all. Note: This comment is written based on attention to both drawbacks and advantages of the accommodation. Hope it helps you decide better.

I stayed at John Lester and Eddie Colman Courts and my experience was deeply affected by how my mental health support needs were handled during my time there. I moved in with an established safety and support arrangement in place through my university and mental health services. This was clearly communicated and was a crucial part of how I was able to cope and stay well while living independently. After changes in management, the way my support arrangements were treated changed significantly. What had previously been understood and accepted was later restricted in ways that were inconsistent and poorly communicated. At times, it felt like decisions were being made without properly considering the real-life impact on my mental health and safety. The effect of this was not minor. It had a serious and direct negative impact on my wellbeing. Losing reliable access to the support I depended on made an already difficult situation significantly worse, and left me feeling overlooked at times when support mattered most. In my experience, there was a clear failure to take into account how important consistent support is for students with mental health conditions. The approach taken felt rigid and disconnected from the reality of managing mental health in a student setting. I would strongly warn parents and especially ones of young people with mental health conditions or additional support needs to think very carefully before choosing this accommodation. It is important to ask detailed questions about how support plans are treated in practice, because my experience shows that they may not always be upheld in a consistent or reliable way. While many students may have a very different experience, mine was extremely distressing and had a lasting impact on my wellbeing. If you are in a position similar to mine, I really would suggest looking for alternative accommodation as after living here for 2 years, I really have been let down.

I stayed here for 2 years and apart from the staff who are lovely I have not enjoyed my time here. The lift has been broken since feb/march time with no idea when it will be fixed (the lift REGULARLY breaks). My heating hasn’t worked since I moved in and has been reported 6 times, which I was told that it had completely broken and will be replaced (that was over a year ago and still hasn’t been fixed). I went through 2 winters with no heating as my replacement one had broken too. Considering rent has gone up this year the quality of living has gone down astronomically. There are much nicer student accommodations in Salford you should pick if you’re coming to study at UoS.

As of writing this review, I've been a resident at John Lester and Eddie Colman (JLEC) Courts since 09/2024. The last two years of studying at the nearby University would not have been the same without this student accomodation which is only a ten-minute walk-away from campus. The staff here are very welcoming and kind, as someone is always around by the John Lester front desk if I need any help or just a simple chat, whether in-person or over the phone. I also have to give a special thanks to the maintenance team who have always shown a fast response time in addressing any technical problems I have faced in my flat which I could self-report directly from the CLV app. There are often many events advertised on the walls in each building, and posted on the CLV app as well, such as killer pool and movie nights. Events normally take place in one of the social rooms which there is one of for each building. These can also be used as lounges for residents to hang out in and make new friends, where there is also access to water dispensers, vending machines, pool tables and a TV. Another major convenience I found out about recently is that there is a dedicated study room near the main entrance of the John Lester building which is accessible anytime once get your card activated from the front desk reception team. As for outdoor spaces, there are enough seating areas such as benches to sit at and a half-court for basketball so there is never a dull moment. I also appreciate having a laundry room on the ground floor which is the same for both buildings. These rooms include a washer and a dryer that you can pay for directly on the Washstation app with a number of options to choose from for the right type of wash you need. Although my contract with JLEC is about to end in June, I have no regrets about booking my stay with them and I strongly recommend anyone to move in here for their studies. Everything included is at a reasonably affordable price. Additionally, I have always felt very safe knowing that the police station is around the corner and that I do not have to travel very far to access big chain stores and supermarkets or any other local amenities.

This place is incredibly slow when it comes to fixing things, especially the lifts. I absolutely cannot fathom the reluctance and lack of urgency management seems to have when dealing with these problems. We’ve just been told that, in the main building — during peak move-out time, by the way — neither of the lifts will be available. It’s been about 2–3 months since the initial lift broke, and only now are inspections taking place, meaning no lifts will be in service. There are 14 floors in this accommodation, and we still haven’t been given an ETA for when the lifts will be working again. Honestly, if it’s taken 3 months just to begin inspections, I have very little hope things will be resolved anytime soon. No alternatives have been provided other than being told to “bear with them.” This building is old as hell, and barely anything seems to work anymore, so I don’t understand why they don’t just continue with the demolition plan already. At this point, the place is starting to feel like a money-making scheme with very little emphasis placed on the wellbeing of its residents. The audacity to raise prices again is honestly crazy to me.