Hi All,

Unilodge has responded to our petition. The good news is that they have formally agreed to allow people to break their lease agreements without incurring any financial penalties. Also, they have made laundry free from April 20th. Residents would have also noticed that after we circulated the petition, handwash and hand sanitisers were placed in communal areas.
These significant victories are a direct consequence of all of us mobilising behind the petition, and we should be proud of our efforts.
However, Unilodge has refused to reduce our rent. They claim that the unilateral closing down of all communal spaces without any consultation with residents does not amount to a ‘reduction in amenities’. Use of these communal spaces was a crucial element of the product we purchased when we agreed to become residents. Unilodge’s refusal to reduce rent also contradicts their claims to being a socially responsible organisation which ‘cares for the people in their trust’ and the Australian Government’s call to landlords to be compassionate to their residents.
We plan to do the following (please let us know what you guys think):
• Respond to Unilodge’s email highlighting that most residents are not eligible for the social safety nets they have outlined in their response since those measures by the Australian government are restricted to citizens. In other words, this does not apply to international students. Considering that majority of residents are international students, they are the most vulnerable and their rights aren’t protected.
• Reach out to the University of Melbourne to intervene on our behalf in our negotiations with Unilodge. Unilodge is a University accommodation, and the University owes us, their students, a moral obligation to help us in negotiating with the UniLodge corporation. Especially since many of us are international students who have been hit hardest by this crisis.

We are in this together!

Best,

Residents of UniLodge Royal Melbourne and UniLodge Lincoln House

"Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting!"