Posted at 2:00 p.m.
We have read the article published in your newspaper on August 27 entitled “Rental housing: students cheated”. We appreciate the author’s efforts to reflect our views in the article and address our perspective on an important social issue. However, we find that the overall rendering follows a pre-determined guideline, away from emerging market trends and the inherent issues of affordable student accommodation.
We believe that a story based on the testimonial of a few dissatisfied tenants and ignoring feedback from the majority of our tenants does not reflect the true customer experience we provide. Our positive online reviews and high occupancy levels are some of the things that speak to the success of our business model.
The article portrays us as a dodgy trader with a focus on an underperforming property, which made up just 3% of our portfolio and which, after a period of trial and error, is at the end of its lifespan. dissolution process.
The reporter should have put more emphasis on the unique nature of short-term furnished accommodation, established business practices and recent legal developments in the field. In any case, it would be up to the courts to make judgments on these issues.
We find it unfortunate that the article does not reflect how our company is solving a major problem, in a country where student debt alone exceeds $18 billion.
The article chooses to criticize a company offering an all-inclusive lodging option for less than $600, without mentioning that the other options charge more than $1300. In our field, it is much easier to charge a high price for a good product than to provide a fair service for $600.
We care about affordable student housing as much as we care about student well-being, and we will continue to work creatively to best meet these goals while remaining compliant with established industry norms and standards. Over the past six years, as a Canadian company, we are very proud to offer and provide affordable housing for tens of thousands of students and young professionals in the heart of urban cities in North America and the United Kingdom. -United.