Don't live at the AUC dorm!

MMPig · #1 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 03:02 PM

AUC Housing is ridiculous! Get a housing anywhere but the AUC dorm!

I lived at the dorm from January to April, 2008, and I will never want to go back. Internet, water and electricity was out periodically, especially worse during exam period when everyone is studying day-and-night at their room. Now, you can imagine not being able to take a bath or get some water to drink or surf on the net for some ValueMD fun when you are exhausted from studying in a room that is constantly >25 degrees Celsius. Plus, there was problem with the plumbing: water leaking from the ceiling, from the air conditioner and from your toilet. The room was dusty with food crumbs everywhere, and it was pest infested.

When you finally get to move out, you have to get some maintainence guys to come in to check your room to make sure it is clean before you move out, but be aware that these maintanence people are not here to make sure your room is clean but to make sure they get paid extra $$$. When I moved out, the maintenance guy came into the room, looked at my room for 1 minute and instantly said, "it's not clean" while my room was even cleaner than when I moved in.

The point is: the maintanence guys check your room, tell you it is not clean, then tell you that you can pay them $50 to "clean" your room, then they will mark it clean only if you pay them (well, I dun think they do much after they were paid, given that it was so filthy when I moved in). Otherwise, if you don't have their people "clea n" it for you, your deposit will be withheld ($100 cleaning fees + several hours of cleaning for $25/hour).

In summary, DON'T LIVE AT THE AUC DORM!!! If you are coming in May and already paid your deposit, make sure you find a nice apartment to move to in your first 2 weeks. You will get all your money back (including your deposit and rent).

Nelphus · #2 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMPig

AUC Housing is ridiculous! Get a housing anywhere but the AUC dorm!

I lived at the dorm from January to April, 2008, and I will never want to go back. Internet, water and electricity was out periodically, especially worse during exam period when everyone is studying day-and-night at their room. Now, you can imagine not being able to take a bath or get some water to drink or surf on the net for some ValueMD fun when you are exhausted from studying in a room that is constantly >25 degrees Celsius. Plus, there was problem with the plumbing: water leaking from the ceiling, from the air conditioner and from your toilet. The room was dusty with food crumbs everywhere, and it was pest infested.

When you finally get to move out, you have to get some maintainence guys to come in to check your room to make sure it is clean before you move out, but be aware that these maintanence people are not here to make sure your room is clean but to make sure they get paid extra $$$. When I moved out, the maintenance guy came into the room, looked at my room for 1 minute and instantly said, "it's not clean" while my room was even cleaner than when I moved in. My room actually looked like this before I checked out:

The point is: the maintanence guys check your room, tell you it is not clean, then tell you that you can pay them $50 to "clean" your room, then they will mark it clean only if you pay them (well, I dun think they do much after they were paid, given that it was so filthy when I moved in). Otherwise, if you don't have their people "clea n" it for you, your deposit will be withheld ($100 cleaning fees + several hours of cleaning for $25/hour).

In summary, DON'T LIVE AT THE AUC DORM!!! If you are coming in May and already paid your deposit, make sure you find a nice apartment to move to in your first 2 weeks. You will get all your money back (including your deposit and rent).

I think I'm willing to endure cleanliness problems and possible housing deposit withdrawl for the various benefits of living in the dorms mentioned previously in this forum.
My main reasons for going on campus is to take advantage of the extra convenience of being close to class and anatomy lab, having the opportunity to meet more people and become acquainted to the island and campus for the first term, lack of worrying about AC use and/or water bills....
From what I've read on this forum, the problems with water and internet outages are not exclusive to the AUC dorms, but more of a function of SXM. If you have found amazing off-campus housing that is reasonable for utilities, reliability and in a safe area within reasonable travel distance to campus, than please post it in the forums and I would be happy to check it out when I arrive on the island for possible entrance in 2nd term.
Thanks for your input

Scurvy88 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 03:21 PM

The dorms aren't as bad as you make them out to be. The experience was great as you get to meet new people in your class. A lot of the problems that you say about the dorms are MUCH worse off campus. The dorms are truely the lesser of two evils. My only real complaint was the 1st floor had bug problems, and the internet was super slow, not to say the internet was fast off campus, but it doesn't shut off as often.

As for the cleaning guys getting $50 bucks to get back your deposit, you'll be begging for that system once you move off campus. As when you move out of solutions apartments, you'll be hoping to get most of your $1200 deposit back, let alone $1150.

Take it from a person who's experienced both.

georgelucas45 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 03:59 PM

If you think the power/water going out is bad in the dorms, be prepared to put up with a lot worse when you get off campus. I think the apartments just look really dusty b/c its a tile floor. If your place back in the US has lots of carpeting, it makes the dust much less noticeable. As for the crumbs... that's probably your fault. As far as the $50, I know people who weren't charged at all... so maybe your room wasn't as clean as you thought it was. If that's the case, the guy was doing you a favor for letting you get off for $50 instead of $(100 + $25/hour). I really like the dorms and would recommend them to any first semesters.

kemper6036 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 05:50 PM

gebe is much much worse than whatever utility problems experienced in the dorms. it seemed real bad at the time since you were still americanized, but you're in a for a lot more once you move off campus.

i would tell jj in the housing office about what is going on with the maintenance people. this has been going on for some time (since i lived in the dorm jan 2007). the school should provide an environment that protects students from getting ripped off, not promoting that atmosphere. that big guy told me to pay the cleaning ladies or they would charge me. i was on my way outa there so he told me to leave the money in the room after i left. he signed my form saying it was OK, so i turned that form into the housing office and got all my $ back. he gives me dirty looks whenever i see him around hehe

MMPig · #6 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgelucas45

As for the crumbs... that's probably your fault.

As for this part, I mentioned that the food crumbs and bugs were present in my room WHEN I MOVED IN. There are no food crumbs in the room now; it is actually cleaner than when I first moved in.

I agee that Solutions is infamous for withholding thousands of dollars of deposit. There are some other decent apartments within walking distances of AUC. The Cote de Azur and Tradewinds are pretty good. I know several people living there who has fewer electricity, water or internet problems than the dorm, and they have very nice landlords who don't withhold deposits and fix problems soon.

Also, these are not common problem to the whole island. My boyfriend lives on the French side, and he rarely has any problem with internet, water or electricity. After all, he is just 5 minutes away from school.

CaptainInsaneO · #7 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 06:06 PM

The dorms are not that bad. They are an excellent value. The pwer hardly ever went out and the water was annoying but nothing too bad except for a couple of days out of 4 months.

LabRatMD · #8 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 07:38 AM

I just checked out of the dorms and managed to negotiate out of the 150 USD cleaning fees by bribing the guy that did my check-out 50 USD. I had the same problem with the guy saying that it is not clean without even looking. When I asked him what's the problem he started searching everywhere until he found a few spots I missed in the microwave, then he went on about how it will take 2 hours to clean. I talked him down to one hour and realized that he is interested in something else, so I "accidentally" forgot 50 USD in my desk, and all of a sudden the apartment is clean. So total damage - 100 for check out fee and 50 for the bribe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgelucas45

the guy was doing you a favor for letting you get off for $50 instead of $(100 + $25/hour).\

I am not sure what's the difference between that and bribing... I got stopped by a cop in India for some odd reason (hard time understanding his English, but might have been speeding?), anyhow, ended up paying 30 USD and he did me a favor by letting me go... I am pretty sure I bribed the cop, and he did me a favor... I am wondering if I can pay the golden T a chunk of cash (greater than 50?) to let me have my MD tomorrow - if it works with the maintenance guys below it should work with the golden T up top!

Scott1981 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 09:48 AM

this is rediculous. you all should report this scam artist to auc. there is no reason he should be on the auc payroll. contact JJ and get this clown fired asap.

LabRatMD · #10 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 10:52 AM

Unfortunately it is not just one guy that's in on it, it seems a number of the maintenance guys are in on it. They will probably have to rehire the entire crew if they fire them for this. Might be their way of making more from whatever AUC pays them... anyone know how much the avg. guy gets pay on this island?

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