Zinc Works

I’ve lived here for nearly two years, and the place still doesn’t look worn out, even though it’s not brand new anymore. The rooms are clean, and the corridors smell fresh. You can ask reception to arrange apartment cleaning for a fee. It feels welcoming, safe and secure, and the staff are kind and friendly. Repairs usually get sorted within a week or the following week. I can see how some of the negative comments might reflect Bristol’s big rise in living costs, and I completely agree with that.

The communal washing machines are tiny and always full. Four machines for 100 flats says it all. Access to the common rooms used to be open to everyone, but that was taken away, and now you can only use the rooms on your own floor. The shared areas aren’t kept as clean as they were at first, either. My dishwasher stayed broken for more than five months during my two-year stay. In my flat, the bathroom kept getting mouldy because the vents don’t run long enough. The automatic lights cause that, and they keep switching off while you’re in the shower. The sinks look like they were designed for appearance, and water splashes everywhere if you try to wash anything bigger than a cup. Our rent went up by over 30% in one year. It pushed things so far that most residents wouldn’t have passed the rental affordability check. The place was pitched as a social co-living space for young graduates, with lots of events, but the socials have dried up. Last year they didn’t even put up Christmas decorations. It’s turned into something more like a part hotel after pricing out the very people it was meant to attract. Keep a paper trail and raise a complaint about everything. They’ll do whatever they can to hold onto your deposit when you leave. It’s pretty clear the company is struggling to make a hefty investment profitable.

The rent doesn’t match the service in the end. If your room never needs maintenance, you may not have anything to worry about. But when something does go wrong, you could be waiting ages, despite what they say about the on-site team being there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to get repairs done quickly. I hardly ever leave a Google Maps review, but Zinc Works made me do it. I’ve waited two weeks for a problem in my room to be fixed. They kept saying the maintenance team would come on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, and that my issue was a priority. Nobody came. I finally went to reception and found out Zinc Works hadn’t even entered it in their maintenance system. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they might have passed it to the maintenance team in person.

The events give the building a real community feel, and I’ve even referred friends to live here. The staff are lovely and always help me with post, maintenance or whatever else comes up. The building is kept looking like new, and we have loads of shared spaces to use, including a gym and cinema room.