THOUSANDS of students at Essex University are fighting a rent hike on the back of cuts to cleaning and services.

They are unhappy the number of cleaners at student accommodation has been cut and internet access has been contracted to a private supplier.

Students claim the cuts are in the wake of rent increases.

Hundreds of members of the Student Union have voted to hold demonstrations if the changes are not reversed.

Only one person out of about 130 voted against the motion.

Jake Woodier, who proposed the motion, said: “Students on campus are paying up to 10 per cent more in rent yet seeing a dramatic reduction in value for money.

“Cleaning has been reduced from five times a week to just once a week in the towers.

“Forty people were employed in the towers last year, but it has been cut to 23.”

Landline phones that enabled students to call security in an emergency have been removed and a new digital system installed.

But Mr Woodier said the new system was too complicated and calls to helpline Nightline had dropped dramatically as a result. Nick Simpson, a mature student, said: “It’s a massive backdoor privatisation of the university.”

The university is planning an open meeting so students can put questions directly to the relevant staff members.

A university spokesman said it prided itself on providing top-quality student accommodation.

She said: “During 2011/12 students will see an unprecedented level of investment in accommodation, with £1.8million spent on long-term maintenance, the highest invested in a single academic year.

“We have invested £250,000 in a new integrated internet and phone system which, despite some unfortunate initial teething problems, will be resolved in the next few weeks.

“The reduction in cleaning is part of a five-year strategy to improve services, on which students have been widely consulted.”

Essex University won second prize in the Best University Halls category, voted for by students, in the National Student Housing Survey last month. It was the third year running Essex was in the top three.