Complaints Procedure

1. As an initial stage, complaints can be raised with your Residence team, this can be done in person, via the reception phone number or email. Once reported one of our team members will address and look into your matter accordingly. Wherever possible we aim to resolve any issues as soon as possible.

2. If you feel your complaint has not been addressed or resolved suitably, or if your complaint is in regard to the Residence Manager. Your complaint can be escalated to Senior Management. This can be done by sending your complaint to your site’s escalation email. Every Residence has an individual complaints email address (see section 5.) which goes to the management team of the residence, the Regional Management as well as various senior Head Office personnel e.g. Escalation.sitename@vitastudent.com (speak to your Residence Team for more details).

3. Alternatively, our final stage within our internal complaints process if stage 1 and 2 fail to give a suitable solution, we also have an email address (Hello@vitastudent.com) for residents to escalate their complaint to further management outside of their site team. Complaints reported via this email will then be sent on and recorded in our escalations complaints system and handled by a member of Senior Management who is not already involved in either stage 1 or 2. Complaints must be raised via stage 1 and 2 before escalating further and should only be escalated further if you believe we have failed to follow our own procedures or correct a failure on our part. If you feel this is the case please let us know your preferred method of contact for the process. Once the complaint has been investigated, the outcome is final and we will consider our complaints process exhausted. We appreciate in certain situations you may not receive the outcome you were hoping for however this will not mean that we haven’t dealt with the complaint correctly.

When raising a complaint through any of the above methods please clearly outline the nature of your complaint or the issues you are facing. Include relevant details such as dates, times, and any individuals involved, if applicable. If you have any supporting documents, please include them to help us understand and address your concerns more effectively.

You should receive an acknowledgment of your complaint, confirming that it has been received and is being investigated. Our team will thoroughly investigate your complaint, considering all relevant information and seeking a resolution. Once the investigation is complete, we will communicate the resolution to you. If applicable, we will outline any steps or actions taken to address the issue.

Response Time

Wherever possible we aim to address and action any complaints in a timely manner, with an acknowledgment to all complaints within 48 hours, this will be from the member of staff who is dealing with your complaint and will include their contact details. Most complaints and issues raised can usually be resolved by our on-site team. However, this may be subject to the nature of the complaint raised, investigation where appropriate and if there are other parties involved in the complaint or resolution actions. For complaints made via escalation and hello email, we aim to issue a full written response to any complaints within 14 days of receiving it.

We appreciate in certain situations you may not receive the outcome you were hoping for however this will not mean that we haven’t dealt with the complaint correctly.

If after raising your complaint you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the process, if you believe we have failed to follow our own procedures or if you believe a reasonable amount of time has passed with no resolution then you may be able to escalate your complaint to an independent body. Each will have their own criteria for complaints that will be accepted.

For UK sites only – If you are not satisfied with the resolution or a solution cannot be reached between both parties, following ANUKs national code, complaints can be escalated further by logging your complaint through the National Code complaint portal (https://www.nationalcode.org/forms/making-a-complaint).

Further Escalations & Disputes- Scotland

Scotland:
Current and former residents residing in accommodation in Scotland can also complain to the First Tier. Tribunal of the Scotland Housing and Property Chamber if they remain dissatisfied once the complaints process has been exhausted, or if a complaint is not processed according to the timescales described. Written complaints should be submitted to:

https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/omic/en/procedures/submitting-a-claim
First Tier Tribunal
Glasgow Tribunals Centre
20 York Street
Glasgow
G2 8GT
Telephone: 0141 302 5900
Or visit: https://www.housingandpropertychamber.scot/home

Further Escalations & Disputes- Barcelona

If you are not satisfied with the resolution or a solution cannot be reached between both parties, following the Agència Catalana del Consum, complaints can be escalated further by logging your complaint through the Oficina Municipal d’Informació a les Persones Consumidores (OMIC) portal

https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/omic/en/procedures/submitting-a-claim 

Complaints regarding the following will not be considered under this process:

• If you are asking us for a service for the first time e.g. repairs, we ask you to give us a chance to put things right and resolve the issue for you.
• A complaint that has already been fully investigated through the above complaints procedure.
• Anonymous complaints.
• A complaint about the anti-social behaviour of another resident.
• A request to be released early from your licence agreement.
• An issue that is currently or has been dealt with by another authority, such as university, ANUK tribunal and/or court.

Here at Vita Student we are dedicated to creating and delivering a sense of safety and security to our Residents, not only do we aim to acknowledge any Building Safety concerns you may have but to actively address and rectify these concerns.

We are committed to empowering our Residents to actively contribute to maintaining a safe living environment when residing in a high-rise accommodation. You are encouraged to raise complaints regarding Building Safety in order to create a safe living environment. Complaints will be handled inline with our complaints process.