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One of London's most prestigious universities is facing a costly student rent strike over "unbearable" living conditions at one of its halls.

Scores of University College London students have threatened to withhold as much as £200,000 in rent due to building work at Hawkridge House in Kentish Town, north London.

The 14 storey tower, which houses more than 230 people, is being refurbished to repair storm damage dating back to 2013, but the project has overrun by months.

Now, with exams starting at the end of April, students are demanding compensation.

Students said hammering and drilling was playing havoc with their revision and complained of an invasion of privacy with builders "chatting, singing and shouting" outside their bedroom windows.

Meanwhile, some said the noise and dust was triggering migraines and breathing problems.

Belen Desmaison, a postgraduate from Peru who is asthmatic and suffers from migraines, said the situation was "unbearable".

She added: "The fact that I have to close my curtains so that construction workers don't see me sleeping or changing my clothes does not only mean that my view is ruined, but that I now live without natural light from Monday to Friday."

The works were supposed to finish in January, but delays have seen them drag on for months.

A law master's student, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardising her hopes of staying at UCL next year, said: "The entire student experience has just gone down the drain.

"Most of us are international students and will go back home with a poor impression of living circumstances in London.

"My exams are just about to start and I'm sure my studies will be affected."

History student David Dahlborn, the UCL Union's accommodation representative, said: "It's a critical period now with exams coming up and people paying tens of thousands of pounds to study at UCL are unable to study in their own rooms."

Tenants say they were told works would be finished by January and given little warning of the scale of disruption when they signed for their flats.

The UCL student union has advised them to withhold rent unless the university takes significant steps to improve matters.

The university charges £132.20 per week but a full term's rent is due on May 8 - worth more than £200,000 in total.

Following the threat, UCL has today announced it will suspend work until the coming exams are over.

A spokesman for UCL said: "This was essential work required following storm damage in 2013.

"It was only on starting the work that the extent of damage was fully uncovered, hence the unfortunate overrun.

"UCL has obviously listened to concerns which is why work has now been suspended till after the exam period.

"Any student wishing to relocate was asked (prior to this suspension) if they wished to relocate and some places were being held for this, but none were received.

"We have also said we will consider requests for compensation. It’s obviously really unfortunate the work has overrun, and we have made every effort to keep students informed and offer solutions, but obviously this was essential."

UCL was named the fourth best university in the UK and 22nd in the world in the latest Times Higher Education rankings.