Pictures have revealed the extent of water damage in a student property, which has ignited discussion about the conditions students are made to live in. 

Mary Kelly Foy, the MP for the City of Durham, posted pictures online of a student property after being contacted by constituents. The images show extensive water damage in the bathroom, due to a leaking shower. Water appears to be dripping onto a faulty socket on the floor below. 

However, the property's letting agent, Frampton & Roebuck, which manages the house on behalf of a private landlord, claims that the issue is already being dealt with.

Steven Frampton, of the student letting agency, explained that the tenants were already in correspondence with the Frampton & Roebuck team, with work on repairs already underway before May Foy was contacted.

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The Northern Echo:

However, despite Frampton & Roebuck's reassurances, many online found the conditions to be unsatisfactory and unsafe. 

About the property, Mary Foy said: "Shameful and dangerous. Housing conditions like this should not be acceptable for any tenant."

Others echoed similar sentiments. One person said: "Our students deserve so much better than this; it is clearly dangerous. This is how disasters happen."

Ms Foy did update her statement following a discussion with Frampton & Roebuck. 

She said: "I am grateful that the agents were willing to engage with me and are taking the situation seriously. They had contractors out to the property yesterday morning, with one repair completed and advice was given to the tenants relating to additional work which will be needed.

"The tenants were much happier yesterday afternoon so I hope we are now on the path to a full resolution."

The Northern Echo: MP Mary Kelly Foy claims she shower was leaking onto a faulty electrical socket. MP Mary Kelly Foy claims she shower was leaking onto a faulty electrical socket. (Image: Mary Kelly Foy)

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She added: "Whilst there are often two sides to every story it is important to show the conditions students are currently putting up with. They are so easily ignored, it's a shame it comes to parents or MPs having to be involved to put things right."

Last week, in a debate run by PalTV, Durham's student television station, Mary Foy condemned the Durham student housing crisis, saying: "It is indicative of a failure of government, though letting agents are also at fault. 

"The crisis  is impacting lower income and squeezed middle students. People aren't coming to Durham and aren't going to university at all because of the rents."

In a statement, a spokesperson from Frampton and Roebuck said: "As we explained to Mary Foy, we take all reports of maintenance issues very seriously, and had already carried out a number of repairs to this property.

"Namely the installation of a shower screen (because the tenants had not been effectively using the shower curtain, and hence the visible damage had been caused to the wall, and leaking into the lounge ceiling, below), and a new extractor fan installed in the bathroom.

"The damaged décor on the walls was already scheduled to be painted this week when we knew the walls had completely dried out.

"Without question, the property is in need of updating, particularly in the bathroom. It is however the only bathroom in the property, which makes fully removing the bathroom while tenants are in residence very difficult, and we have therefore advised the landlord that replacement of the bathroom fixtures and fittings must be factored into their works  this Summer."

The letting agent did not respond to The Northern Echo's request for information about the property's rent price. Students in the city currently expect to pay between £85 and £245 per week for a room in an HMO.

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