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We’re getting an inside look at a campus dorm at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after residents told WRAL News they’ve dealt with several issues at the complex for months.
WRAL spoke to a group of freshmen who all said they have dealt with several issues living on the ninth floor of Granville Towers. Some of them showed photos of their dorms, which included buckets filled with leaking black fluid, missing tiles from the ceiling, a light fixture filled with a mysterious liquid and stained carpets.
“It’s probably a safety and health hazard, and a concern,” said Darden Cove, a student living in one of the dorms.
WRAL News first learned of the problem after a parent reached out and shared video their daughter recently recorded. Students said the leaks started in September. Months later, they said they’re still waiting for repairs despite filing complaints to management.
“We’re scared like it’s going to rain,” said Maggie Hu, a freshman living in the dorm. “I don’t know if it’s from the rain. We’re not sure, but it’s going to rain on Saturday, so we’re a little scared.”
WRAL News has reported on several issues that affected students at the dormitory since 2019, including a broken elevator and a lack of running water in 2023, and students claiming mold in the building’s ventilation made them sick years earlier.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Granville Towers and Carolina Housing said they didn’t learn of the leaks until recently.
“After learning of the leaks at Granville Towers earlier this week, we brought in an outside contractor to make immediate repairs. We are actively working to resolve persistent small leaks as well as clean and sanitize the area,” The spokesperson said.
WRAL News asked Granville Towers why it took so long to fix the issues, but did not get an answer. The spokesperson, however, said the dorm will let residents know about their repair efforts.
For students, the response wasn’t enough.
“It’s a little sad,” Hu said. “It’s like I feel like I should be getting more and even more if I was paying less, like just some basic care.”
The annual cost for in-state undergraduate students for the 2025-26 school year is $27,766, according to UNC’s website. It includes the cost of tuition, fees, housing, food, books, supplies, travel loan fees and personal expenses.
“It feels like, maybe, we’re not being properly cared for,” Cone said. I don’t know if that’s the right words, but maybe maintenance could probably do a little more.”
Granville Towers, while an on-campus dorm, is not operated by the school.
The last time UNC has built dorms on its main campus was back in 2002, but the school is planning on building two dorms for 700 students near Jackson Hall on the north side of campus for $110 million, much of which will be funded by housing fees paid by students.
>>A $300k dorm room? UNC’s new housing prices shock even trustees
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