By Will Cassell and Madeleine Crabtree
Observer spoke to current and former students about their experiences living at residential halls at the ANU. Students reported infestations of mice and cockroaches, as well as staff painting over mould.
Allegations of hygiene issues appeared throughout student experiences. Lena Karmel Lodge was “cockroach infested for months,” according to one resident. Mice were heard “in the walls” and found “eating your food” in the pantry, according to a resident living at Burgmann Village, on the Burgmann College campus. Rather than hiring an exterminator, Burgmann staff allegedly “sealed up the entrances/exits and left [the mice] to die in the walls”.
In January 2026, UniLodge allegedly gave Lena Karmel residents 24 hours notice to temporarily move out so that staff could paint over floors and walls that were suspected of being infested with mould. There were further allegations of a lack of maintenance to buildings and addressing of living condition concerns. In March 2025, ninety residents were evacuated and sent to temporary accommodation following fire and flood damage to the Lena Karmel building. Residents reported being told their room was “completely fine” when they returned.
A former resident disclosed that, upon moving into Lena Karmel in 2023, their lights would “turn on and off sporadically”. They alleged the issue was reported to UniLodge staff who did not address it until the lights no longer turned on. The same resident also reported a broken wardrobe, which was never fixed.
Showers were “broken for weeks” with no hot water during the winter of 2024, a resident from Burton and Garran Hall stated. Despite multiple maintenance requests, staff were “inefficient with fixing it,” they said.
One resident at Davey Lodge reported that they found their room occupied when they tried to move in. UniLodge refused to provide an alternative room or compensation, the resident said. Once they moved in, the student found it was “not possible” to live there with the room “full of mould, grease… skid marks in the toilet, holes in the walls and food stains on the bench and cupboards”. The student described the experience as “disappointing”.
This month, The Canberra Times reported that Clare*, a former Lena Karmel resident, is suing the Australian National University and UniLodge for accommodation that has left her chronically ill.
“My health was in crisis – it is no exaggeration to say I nearly died”, Clare told The Canberra Times. She has been diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome and commissioned a report showing black mould in the room.
Students who live at ANU-managed student accommodation sign an Occupancy Agreement that grants the ANU the right to enter and make repairs. In November 2025, UniLodge was ordered to pay $10,000 by the ACT Civil Tribunal, after they were found to have breached a student’s occupancy agreement. Tribunal Member Mark Hanna found that ‘[t]he occupant was ultimately forced from her home, intimidated by the treatment she had received from [UniLodge].”
Observer requested comment from the Heads of the residential halls in which these allegations have been made against, however they did not provide comment. An ANU spokesperson said in a statement to Observer that “the safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority.”
“Each of the ANU residences has an allocated Property Manager Officer, as well as 24/7 cleaning and maintenance team coverage,” they said.
“Room inspections are conducted on a routine basis to ensure any maintenance issues are detected. Residents are encouraged to report any concerns immediately and are advised on how to do this.”
More to come.
* Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of students.
Graphics by Harry Dennis
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