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James Owen Court Reviews

21 Reviews by Students
#37 out of 61 halls at University of Exeter

3.43 / 5
3.43 / 5
0.8 mi from University of Exeter - St Luke's Campus View map
  • 13 mins
  • 3 mins
  • 9 mins
0.8 mi from University of Exeter - St Luke's Campus View map
  • 13 mins
  • 3 mins
  • 9 mins

How do you rate James Owen Court?

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Most helpful review

james owen court (JOC) the best place about the place is its loca close to both uni and city centre

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
By member1184031
On 12th April 23
verified Verified student
Read all reviews

Most helpful review

james owen court (JOC) the best place about the place is its loca close to both uni and city centre

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
By member1184031
On 12th April 23
verified Verified student
Read all reviews

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All the Answers You Need About Student Accommodation

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Read James Owen Court Reviews


Student Review: 2.9 /5
By member1287025 On 31st May 23 verified Verified student

Sidwell street is a noisy street to live on, and dangerous. The walls are also paper thin. Laundry is overpriced, and there are only four washers and four dryers for the entire building. During the winter there is a limited amount of heat, so make sure you bring lots of blankets because I was really cold. My room was right on top of a bus stop, so other parts of the building might not be as noisy. Luck of the draw. Lots of plug ins in the room, and plenty room for knick knacks and storing clothes. My flat had the biggest shared living room/kitchen in James Owen court, so that was really nice. I still would not recommend because of the heat situation I went through during the winter and how noisy it is.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 5 /5
By member1184031 On 12th April 23 verified Verified student

james owen court (JOC) the best place about the place is its loca close to both uni and city centre

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 4 /5
By member782703 On 29th March 23 verified Verified student

I lived in James Owen Court 2020/2021 during my first year (with COVID measures). The accommodation is in a great location for the town centre and both Streatham and St Luke’s campuses. The flats are have good facilities and provide a decent kitchen, lounge and dining area, so plenty of space for socialising in your flat. The rooms are all en-suite, may not look amazing and new but they are comfortable with plenty of storage. For the year I was there we had cleaners for the kitchen and communal areas within the flats, so cleanliness was never an issue. The reception staff are great and happy to help with any issues, maintenance or parcels etc. The courtyard is a nice social space with benches and table tennis, however there are no covered areas for when the weather is poor. The accommodation is secure with plenty of gates and doors to stop anyone from walking in. Overall a great accommodation considering the price and location, as well as the benefit of en-suite rooms.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 2.6 /5
By member548322 On 17th May 20 verified Verified student

I was an international exchange student coming for a semester exchange in January from Australia. There was little interaction between international and local students. Most students formed closed friendships with people from their block corridor or from their home university. There are no activities or events within JOC to meet other students. The conditions of the rooms and the utilities were very poor. On your arrival, you are given a checklist and asked to go through your room and check that utilities such as heaters, showers, kitchen stoves, keys work. These are not checked before your arrival. The carpets are not clean and had hair from previous students on it. Many students had problems with their showers and room heaters in the first weeks resulting in complaints. In the first week, our kitchen stove in Block F did not work and had to be replaced. It usually takes 2-4 business days for anything to get fixed. The laundry machines use an old faulty app that is overpriced.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
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Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member1035673 On 27th January 19 verified Verified student

Incredible value, the cheapest accomodation with an ensuite. The location is both good and bad, very close to town but 20 mins to the campus, perfect for nights out. Also no lifts :(. No common room and the quad has no cover for smokers, has a ping pong table though. Social life is quite limited as many people are international students and stick to themselves. However, its location close to clubs is pretty good. Also there are constant fire alarms at 4am, not really the accommodations fault tbh. Overall, its not a bad accomodation just quite limited. 6/10

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 1.6 /5
By member633144 On 26th July 18 verified Verified student

Hall staff were friendly, but the area is not safe. Sidwell Street has a homelessness and drug problem, and as a woman I actually don’t feel safe here at night (none of the women here do, we walk in groups after dark). A nearby alley is known for being a spot where many women have been raped, and evenduring the day we’ve been accosted. I feel for the situation of the homeless as it’s clear the government isn’t taking care of the problem, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is simply not safe. In addition, the acoustics are terrible. You can hear people talking no matter where they are in the building, and the doors constantly slam. The furnishings outdated - the building itself is in need of a renovation. Wifi is not reliable. Not a good experience.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Reply from James Owen Court (previous provider) On 3rd September 18
Student Review: 5 /5
By mw528 On 19th July 18 verified Verified student

Cute and quaint, and good value for money

Value for money
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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member1332670 On 3rd July 18 verified Verified student

Bad Internet but the rest was OK compared to other ones. The good thing was being in the town center.

Value for money
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Student Review: 1.9 /5
By member832562 On 26th June 18 verified Verified student

Not great. Very clearly cheap.

Value for money
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Property management
Cleaning
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All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 2.4 /5
By member1027982 On 31st August 17 verified Verified student

The reception staffs are very friendly. However, the cleaners are so mean. I don't know why they are called cleaners. Their only duty is to ask you to clean the kitchen otherwise will fine you.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 2.7 /5
By member425625 On 5th January 17 verified Verified student

No cleaning provided, no proper social areas. Surprisingly good location though, near shops. Rooms are actually pretty nice!

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member915927 On 28th September 15 verified Verified student

20 minute walk to campus, which means you're a little set apart from other freshers, however you are really close to town so it's good for shopping or getting a job (and for if you're going out in the evening!) Halls are self catered and you are required to clean your own spaces, with the occasional check that you're keeping things tidy

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 4.6 /5
By member915643 On 24th September 15 verified Verified student

James Owen Court is a very lively place to live, the rooms are homely and the shared space is just the right size.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 4.5 /5
By member129858 On 3rd July 15 verified Verified student

Probably the best accommodation in Exeter. The closed off courtyard allows us to have a common area outside. There is also a ping pong table which was great fun and such an easy way to meet people.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member109710 On 2nd July 15 verified Verified student

it was good although I didn't enjoy the being woken up at 3am but that happens with any accommodation so it wasn't all bad.

Value for money
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Property management
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All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Student Review: 3.8 /5
By JLeMasonry On 2nd July 15 verified Verified student

While James Owen Court's location may put some people off - roughly a twenty-five minute walk to and from campus everyday - its location in the middle of town makes it ideal for shopping and partying. Its hall management is unfortunately not as well-run as the other halls in Exeter, but its reception is open daily throughout the week for queries. James Owen is certainly one of the cheapest halls in Exeter and this should definitely be taken advantage of, because its large common room areas, kitchens and all en-suite bedrooms mean it is real value for money.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited

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