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3.63 / 5
3.63 / 5
1.2 mi from University of Birmingham - Edgbaston campus View map
  • 20 mins
  • 5 mins
  • 17 mins
1.2 mi from University of Birmingham - Edgbaston campus View map
  • 20 mins
  • 5 mins
  • 17 mins

How do you rate Maple Bank?

credit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/accommodation/residences/undergraduate/maple-bank-sc.aspx
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https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/accommodation/residences/undergraduate/maple-bank-sc.aspx

Most helpful review

It's definitely a value for money, and the surrounding areas are lush green and beautiful. You are getting more than your money's worth in maple bank

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By member10127461
On 18th December 24
verified Verified student
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Most helpful review

It's definitely a value for money, and the surrounding areas are lush green and beautiful. You are getting more than your money's worth in maple bank

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
By member10127461
On 18th December 24
verified Verified student
Read all reviews

Q&A


Q
Where can we wash clothes? Is there a washing machine in Maple Bank
By member1362382 On 17th September 21
Q
How many toilets are in a flat?
By member633790 On 9th September 18
Q
Whats wifi speeds do you guys get? What can you do before it lags? I.E netflix,Gaming, downloads... Im going to be doing Physics so Im gunna need me a break at some point.
By member529153 On 23rd December 17
Q

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All the Answers You Need About Student Accommodation

What tenancy length do I need?

Some students choose to stay during the academic year, whilst others – particularly international students – require a tenancy that covers the entire year. You can also find student accommodation that is available for one or two terms, classified as a “short stay” on our search filters.

Should I stay in catered student accommodation?

This is totally up to you! Catered accommodation means you will be served meals at set times in a dining hall, and you’ll likely have access to fewer kitchen facilities than if you were to stay in self-catered accommodation.

What is a guarantor and do I need one?

A guarantor is a person who signs a contract to agree to pay your rent if you are unable to. Most university accommodation requires a guarantor, and this applies to both domestic and international students.

Will I need to pay a deposit on student accommodation?

Most likely, yes, you’ll need to pay a deposit. This will be refunded at the end of your stay as long as there is no damage to the room or property.

What bills will my rent include?

If you are staying in university-run accommodation or private halls, your rent should include any utilities such as electricity, gas, water, and internet. Students are not required to pay council tax, however you may need to fill in an exemption form so make sure you check with your local council.

What is purpose-built student accommodation?

Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) are residential buildings designed for students. They are often located close to campus, boast modern facilities, include all bills, and often have staff on site to assist residents.

Will my student accommodation be furnished?

Student accommodation is typically fully furnished. Your room should include at least a bed, clothes storage, desk and chair. You’ll likely need to bring things such as bedding and kitchen utensils, but we have a full list here of everything you’ll need.


Read Maple Bank Reviews


Student Review: 4.1 /5
By member10127461 On 18th December 24 verified Verified student

It's definitely a value for money, and the surrounding areas are lush green and beautiful. You are getting more than your money's worth in maple bank

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Property management
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All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited
Reply from Maple Bank On 18th December 24
Student Review: 4.6 /5
By member6116540 On 29th September 24 verified Verified student

A great social place to stay on the vale village.

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Reply from Maple Bank On 30th September 24
Student Review: 4.4 /5
By member970007 On 15th July 22 verified Verified student

Always had a great time it was tiny but good value for money and social life

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Student Review: 5 /5
By member768191 On 14th April 22 verified Verified student

I live in Vale Village, which is home to the University of Birmingham students. It is a peaceful and clean environment in which to study and live. The campus has its own green park and lake, with swans and ducks swimming in it. And the students' accommodations are in a green park near the lake, with a beautiful view.

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member949043 On 4th June 20 verified Verified student

Maple Bank is very close to a beautiful lake and green area. It's close to the city centre, canals to uni and city, bus stops and botanic gardens which is one of the biggest advantages. Bike storage is available. No problems with WiFi. However, blocks are old and everything needs to be repaired and cleaned. Sometimes staff didn't react and sometimes we had cold water for 6 months. I had a problem with a window that didn't close and some staff member tried to fix if leaving a gap between the frame and the window so it was really cold inside;fixed one month later. Rooms are big though and there are 2 toilets. The kitchen space is enough if you have a meal plan.

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member735385 On 2nd January 19 verified Verified student

I spent the best year of my life in Maple Bank. Worth the money, not to far from anything. Kitchen size is alright.

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By Hbhowrse On 16th July 18 verified Verified student

The cheapest accommodation available, but far too expensive? Itsonly luck to get it and it was still above my student loan by £1300. My loan was £3800, the rent £5100. Thid is unnaceptable that my loan cannoy cover the loewst rent the uni provides! The uni should provide rent well below ££3800, so that I might be able to live off my maintenance loan and a part time job and not have to ask my parebtw for £1200 just to help rent, let alone asking them each month for more money to provide food and other necessities. You can look at my maintenance loan and say I got the lowest category, so my parents must have good jobs. Yes, dad has a good job, mum is a TA at primary school only part time, because I have 4 siblings and one is a baby sister. All the money goes into living expenses. My oldest brother is now at uni too, so thdyreforking our large sums for his rent too to cover it. It's not good enough. I want to be able to cover myself, be a proper adult who has her own rent to pay.

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Student Review: 5 /5
By member732652 On 2nd July 18 verified Verified student

Brilliant halls, the vale is beautiful and not far from the city centre.

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By tamarab123 On 4th October 17 verified Verified student

Good fun, everyone's quite friendly

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member925258 On 18th December 16 verified Verified student

Everyone is so frindly and easy to talk to; very easy place to get to know people with The Hub a 30 second walk away. The campus is a 15/20 minute walk away and Morrisons even quicker. Maintaince can take a little too long to arrive to fix a job sometimes.

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member724077 On 24th September 16 verified Verified student

Maple Bank is definitely the best value for money accommodation, but do not be surprised if things are falling apart and everything seems pretty old. It's the oldest halls on the Vale and it shows. Whilst you're guaranteed to have fun there is very little space to have parties. The kitchens are the only communal area in each flat and this is way too small to have a decent number of people.

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Student Review: 2.1 /5
By member422745 On 5th June 16 verified Verified student

do not apply for this accommodation. The kitchen is absolutely tiny and so gets really messy when your living with people that don't want to wash up. Our fridge and freezer doors didn't shut properly and maintenance never came to fix this. There was mould all over my floor when I arrived and not much was done about it. There is absolutely no social area other than 1 tiny sofa crammed into the corner. Worth paying a bit more to get nicer halls in my opinion.

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member422058 On 28th April 16 verified Verified student

Cheap and cheerful, wonderful place with wonderful people.

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Student Review: 3.9 /5
By member1121902 On 16th April 16 verified Verified student

Its a bit of a trek from campus compared to closer halls, but only 20 minutes which is doable! Also right next to the canal, meaning you can get to Uni station within 15 minutes which is great! Perfect to cycle down too, get to uni in no time! Especially as Maple has its own bike shed! Also one of the few halls to have a laundrette onsite to get washing done without carrying it around the vale! Rooms are decent sized, bathrooms are new, kitchen is modern however it is small. This is the only draw back really! But it is adequate to fit people in to for parties/pre's and is a perfect size for cooking/socialising as a flat!

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Student Review: 2.9 /5
By member921865 On 14th April 16 verified Verified student

Is quite small in size but feels cozy. The accommodation is good value for money.

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Student Review: 2.4 /5
By member421859 On 14th April 16 verified Verified student

Cheapest accommodation offered and you definitely get what you pay for. Kitchen is tiny, but bedrooms are decent sized. Everything tends to break a lot and often doesn't get fixed for a while - we had no hot water or heating for a long time.

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member621857 On 14th April 16 verified Verified student

While the kitchen space is small, it is adequate for cooking (and a surprisingly large number of people can fit in reasonably comfortably for pre-drinks). The bedrooms are also quite spacious. It's a reasonable 20 minute walk to campus. There are also Hall events, usually to a nightclub, which are good fun. Maple bank provides by far the best value for money out of all the accommodations in my opinion (I advise against the meal plan option as it is much cheaper to cook for yourself). The only let down is the sheer incompetence of maintenance: they take weeks to fix even minor problems. I suspect this is either because they are understaffed or the organisation is poor. However, I believe all the residents on the Vale suffer from this, so this problem is not limited to Maple Bank.

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member1121738 On 10th April 16 verified Verified student

Cheapest accommodation for University of Birmingham, but it does the trick! While the kitchen/dining area is too small for mass socialising, the bedrooms are a reasonable size, and sharing a bathroom is no big deal provided you live with decent people. Would recommend!

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Student Review: 2.6 /5
By member421737 On 10th April 16 verified Verified student

It is a long walk from the Uni (30 mins more or less) and the kitchens are tiny so it's not like you can have huge pres there! Also, I was very unlucky and lived in a really unsocial block...

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Student Review: 3.1 /5
By member818464 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Best value for money, but everything is broken and there is no maintenance and it's very small

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member618269 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Friendly, very social feel. Location means it can be relaxing, and a nice calm spot, but also at times really lively and fun. Amazing value for money too.

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member918235 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Best value for money by far, half the price of many others. Obviously fairly basic, but does the job, especially for meal plan students. Fantastic social atmosphere, and within easy reach of all facilities.

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member1117035 On 20th October 15 verified Verified student

Great environment to make friends, parties, very social.

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member1016862 On 17th October 15 verified Verified student

I Think it is the cheapest, and sometimes it may seem that way, but its perfectly good as first year accommodation! There is only a small living space/kitchen in terms of social space, but it brings everyone together. A few problems the first couple of weeks - e.g. leak under sink, hot water didn't work - but the repairs desk/team sorted these out in maximum of 2 days. Its probably the furthest accommodation from campus/lecture theatres etc, but only about 5/10 minutes walk further away than the other accommodations. Right next to laundrette which is a really good facility. The maple bank bike shed is good and secure, but can get very crowded/busy with bikes at times and is messy a lot. 15/20 minute walk to a Morrisons supermarket. Close to the Hub for the bar/costcutter/pizza. I wouldn't change my accommodation choice if I could go back in time and change it, so I hope that says it all!

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member816826 On 16th October 15 verified Verified student

I loved this hall as you got exactly what you payed for. Although it is small this is perfect as a student as everyone got to know each other and it is a very social environment. Simple and fun.

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member716658 On 13th October 15 verified Verified student

You're a walk from Uni (30 mins-ish), but you've got a laundrette right next door, and you're very close to the Hub. 20 min walk to the Morrisons. 20 min walk to Five Ways train station. Block 1 neighbours the train track and a primary school which can get annoying if you leave your window open when you're trying to work. The social area is quite small, but you can work with it. The kitchen and bathroom are pretty decently sized. Bedrooms are very nice. Tends to be a good community environment, lots of flats and even blocks are friends with each other. It's not on meal plan and you don't get cleaners so as long as you're out with students who clean up after themselves you're sorted. Basically it's what you want if you're looking for something cheap, social, but still nice.

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Student Review: 2.6 /5
By member1016356 On 5th October 15 verified Verified student

not too bad, chose the cheapest so what can you expect

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By spricey97 On 5th October 15 verified Verified student

Near Hub, facilities are a bit dodgy and need people out a lot to repair. Really social though with flats of 5 and flats next door and upstairs. Big desks and good wardrobe space. Kitchen is small which isn't an issue if on meal plan.

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member816184 On 2nd October 15 verified Verified student

Great place to stay, it's the cheapest place to stay on the Vale and cheapest offered by the Uni. However it's the worst looking, but still a good laugh. Bathrooms are shared, kitchen is tiny, the sofa in there is tiny and uncomfortable. But it's a great place to live, 15 minute walk to campus, 1 minute to the student hub for all my food. I'd recommend to anyone that doesn't mind not having an ensuite.

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member515843 On 27th September 15 verified Verified student

Here's the thing, it's crap but great. Half the stuff in our flat doesn't work but it has a nice character, it's dirt cheap, the rooms are surprisingly big got all the space you need and everyone in the building is wonderful, I definitely recommend it. Though bring a bike, half hour walk to campus :/

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Student Review: 4.4 /5
By member1115319 On 7th September 15 verified Verified student

Great value for money and social

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member1315035 On 25th August 15 verified Verified student

Best place to live on the vale!

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Student Review: 4.8 /5
By Sarah On 27th June 15 verified Verified student

Maple Bank is the best value for money on The Vale. You actually get larger bedrooms than other halls but you have a much smaller living area/kitchen. The location means it is a 20/25 minute walk from Old Joe, you can even walk directly down the canal path for a more scenic route directly to the Uni Station. The one drawback is that it is up a hill on the way back from Uni. The Hall management is good, you can report maintenace issues at the Hub in Shackleton or from the phone in your room. Issues are resolved quickly. Also, when you have flat parties, because the accommodation is older, you don't have to worry so much about breaking things. The Duck is a great night out when you can't make it to Broad Street and a quick 3 minute stagger home. Drinks are very affordable and there's a pub quiz every weekend with good prices.

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member56742 On 23rd April 15 verified Verified student

Amazing, might be small but atmosphere is amazing and definitely most fun at Birmingham!

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member95715 On 28th March 15 verified Verified student

Really fun place to live, but a bit far from uni and meal plan is quite pricey!

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