Allied Students is committed to ensuring your living experience is as positive and comfortable as possible. Our goal is to create a “home from home,” where you feel supported, respected, and listened to. If something isn’t right, we want to know so we can resolve it promptly and learn from your feedback.

We hold ourselves to high standards and continuously improve based on the feedback we receive. We therefore promise to handle all complaints professionally, respectfully, and as quickly as possible. Whilst we may not always be able to make the changes requested, we will always provide a clear and honest explanation of our decisions.

This policy explains:

• How you can make a complaint
• How we will handle your complaint
• What you can do if you are unhappy with our response

1. How to Make a Complaint

If you have a concern, the best first step is to speak to a member of your accommodation team or your Property Manager. They will always try to resolve the issue quickly and informally.

We recognise that complaints can be made in many ways, including:

• In person
• By phone
• By text, WhatsApp, or WeChat
• By email
• In writing

Please report your concern as soon as possible, and within one month of the issue occurring, so that we can investigate effectively.

If we cannot resolve the matter immediately:

• We will acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays).
• We aim to provide a full response within five working days.

If the complaint requires more time to investigate, we will keep you informed of progress

and expected timescales.

2. If You Are Not Satisfied

If you feel the Property Manager has not resolved your complaint satisfactorily, or if your complaint involves the person handling it, you may escalate it to the Operations Manager by emailing [email protected]
Your email will then be passed onto the relevant person.

When escalating, please include any previous correspondence or evidence so we can understand the situation fully and without delay.

The Operations Manager will:

• Acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours (excluding weekends/public holidays)
• Provide a full response within 10 working days following their investigation

3. If You Are Still Not Satisfied

If you remain unhappy, you may request a formal review by the Director. You may only escalate to this stage when:

• You have completed Stages 1 and 2
• You believe your complaint has not been handled fairly or correctly

You must submit this request within 10 working days of receiving the Operations Manager’s response.

Please include:

• A full explanation of why you are not satisfied
• Copies of all previous correspondence and evidence

The Director will review the case and provide a final decision within 10 working days. If delays occur, we will keep you updated.

4. Independent Review

If you remain unhappy after exhausting our full complaints process, you may be able to escalate your case to an independent body.

United Kingdom:

If you believe your complaint has not been handled fairly, you may escalate it to ANUK for an independent review.

https://www.nationalcode.org/national-code-complaints-process

Allied Students is also a member of the Property Redress Scheme (PRS). If you feel we have not dealt with your complaint appropriately, you may be able to raise it with them.

Scotland:

If you live (or lived) in our accommodation in Scotland and are still dissatisfied after our process, or if we have not responded within the timescales, you may take your complaint to the First-tier Tribunal.

https://housingandpropertychamber.scot/

Confidentiality

We handle all complaints confidentially. Complaint details are only shared with staff directly involved in investigating and resolving the issue. Personal information is managed in accordance with data protection laws.

Complaints Outside This Policy

We cannot investigate:

• Anonymous complaints
• Concerns raised more than one month after the issue ➢ First-time service requests
• Complaints already given a final outcome
• Anti-social behaviour issues
• Requests for early release from tenancy
• Matters handled by another authority

Harassment Policy

Allied Students is committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. If you experience harassment, please report it through the complaints process outlined above.