“I would strongly advise not to use Bill free homes. ......”
2 Star Review
Jul 01,2015
By:
'NotHappy'
Jul 01,2015
Branch: Durham, 85 New Elvet
Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £400
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: DH1
Branch: Durham, 85 New Elvet
Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £400
Postcode: DH1
18
people found
this helpful
I would strongly advise not to use Bill free homes. During our tenancy we had multiple set backs with them. We were unaware that the property we had chosen was under renovation, during our tenancy. The boiler broke which took nearly a week before it was seen to, meaning we only had cold water. After which our internet failed to connect, we were advised to sort it out ourselves even though we had not engaged in the contract. It was finally sorted after constantly phoning with them back and forth and managing to sort out a temporary solution. All the while when we are swamped with our studies. It seemed whenever we had a problem it took them roughly a week to get it sorted, but if there was a problem with payment they were right on your tail.
We had constant visits from them for one reason or another, some made clear in in advance others failed to and merely showed up. Emails went ignored, when we moved in there things left from previous tenants, the house was not clean and several light bulbs were missing or broken. We listed these items to bill free homes but they went ignored. Luckily we had taken pictures upon moving in.
The icing on the cake came when our studies and time with bill free homes come to a close, we were issued with a 'moving-out pack'. Information and essential rules of what we had to do upon leaving. All of a sudden we had to hire a cleaning company and make sure all light bulbs were replaced that were broken. In the contract there is no mention of a cleaning company, it states that tenants should leave the property how they found it. This wouldn't have been difficult as the standard we found the house was poorer than how we left it. If the house failed to be up to their standard we would have our deposits deducted.
It felt as if we were constantly battling with bill free homes. Luckily we got our deposits back in full but the threat was very much felt from them. I was in contact with them more than my own mother.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Too high for what we got and others around the area were paying.
Attached Filesnbsp;
Comment on agent fees
Too high for what we got and others around the area were paying.
18
people found
this helpful
Was this helpful?
Yes
However I can comment on most of your issues in a general sense.
As regards renovations – we do carry out repairs to all properties as they arise but renovations are different in this case we do shut the house down.
Boilers do break and we have to deal with repairs, how these are dealt with depends on availability of parts - but in all cases when the internal temperature of the house is below 16 degrees we provide temporary heaters and as a matter of policy all houses have at least one electric showers to allow hot water for bathing. In exceptional circumstances boilers can take a week to fix but we cannot see how you would be having no hot water.
Regarding the internet - we make it very clear via the repairs policy posted in every house and given in all moving in packs that we subcontract out all troubleshooting of internet provision to our suppliers. We simply do not have the knowledge and very often they have to tests direct to the house involving your personal equipment – in cases of longer interruption we do offer MIFI hubs I assume that is what you mean by a temporary solution. I cannot see what more we can do, if for example your road is dug up and at the cable breaks and we give you temporary MIFI hubs these seems like a good thing and not a bad one.
We have a very traceable contact management system and 94% of tenant emails are replied to within 24 hours the balance are largely accounted by mails that come in after 6pm on a Friday which are not urgent by nature, however we do ask that tenants use our online reporting system for faults which means that nothing can ever get missed.
As regards visits – I think that we cannot comment on this without more information - we attempt at all times to give 24 hours' notice of visits which we send by email only, these are generally notices and not requests so if you have not seen the email we can only apologise but we feel that our procedures are very robust in this area.
As for your icing on the cake, we give you a moving in leaflet to help you move in so it is logical that we do the same at the end of the tenancy, the sole aim of this is to ensure that all deposits are returned in full which you say that they were so in that respect surely we deserve some credit for proactively arranging this.
One thing that still puzzles us is your comments about agency fees – we do not charge any additional agency fees so we are not sure what that relates to.
I have attached various document in support of the above including a complaints procedure as we would welcome an independent review of your claims.