92% sales valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
96% lettings valuation accuracy
93% lettings fee satisfaction
Jul 04,2012
Jul 04,2012
10
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing this to make people aware of some of the pitfalls that can be experienced when being a tenant, and also to highlight the inflexibility of this particular letting agent.
We had been a tenant in this particular property for approx 2.5 yrs, when an opportunity came up to purchase our own house. I rang Martin & co to let them know our plans and to be up front with them. Our rental agreement expired in the August of this year, and I enquired how much notice I would have to give in order to terminate the contract, as I could not see a clause in the lease agreement. I was advised I would be held to the August term as this was in the agreement which I had signed. If I decided to leave early, I would be charged a penalty of approx £500. When I enquired what this was for, I was advised this was for the costs associated for the letting agent to find another tenant.
The Landlady had moved to Australia, and so I decided to contact her direct, as I knew she had been considering selling the property. The landlady in fact did decide to sell and market the property, and would be in agreement with me leaving the propoerty early, if I would assist with viewings etc. I went back to Martin & co, but they were still insistent on charging me the early release fee, even though the landlady agreed to an early contract termination.
In trying to reason with Martin & co was an absolute waste of time, as they were adhering to the terms and conditions which I had signed at the start of the lease agreement. I felt Martin & co were very inflexible and unreasonable. In my opinion as the landlady had decided to sell, Martin & co could have easily waived the early release fee.
Recommendation no1: Tenant: always ensure there is a termination clause within the contract of at least 1-2 months. You may think this is not needed at the time, but circumstances can change. Read the lease agreement in detail and be sure to understand what you are signing up for.
Martin & co use an independent company "Tailor Made Inventories" for the inspection of the property at check in and check out.
Recommendation No 2: Tenants be aware this is a very, very detailed report with photographs of every little mark, cobweb or paint spill. As a tenant you maybe very pleased to have been successful in securing a new place to live, but be very wary of this report. I suggest at check in, to go through every room and compare the inventory report and highlight everything you feel is not accurate or they have missed and take photographs as evidence and report this back to the letting agent. At check out, this initial report will be used by Tailor Made Inventories to compare the current cleanliness of the property, and in my opinion their sole intention is not to be reasonable or to take into account fair wear and tear, but in fact the exact opposite.
I had spent 6 days cleaning the property and had professional people in to clean the carpets and the cooker. I was present at the check out and in my experience Tailor Made Inventories were very unreasonable and only interested in higlighting the least little mark, and in my opinion call on professional cleaners to come in at my expense. The funding for this will be taken out of the deposit. Obviously the more things wrong the less deposit will be returned. This was a very frustrating experience. Fortunately in my case, the landlady asked her parents to inspect the property after I had vacated, and they commented how clean they thought the property was. In my opinion the property was cleaner than when we had moved in. As a result the landlady authorised the full return of my deposit.
In conclusion, I have owned property, I have been a landlord and a tenant myself at various times and with different letting agents and in comparison, Martin & co have been the worst agent I have ever dealt with and it has been a very stressful an unpleasant experience. My advice is to be very careful when dealing with Martin & co and to take note all of the points raised above. Martin & co Basingstoke are definitely one to be avoided if possible in my opinion.
I am writing this to make people aware of some of the pitfalls that can be experienced when being a tenant, and also to highlight the inflexibility of this particular letting agent.
We had been a tenant in this particular property for approx 2.5 yrs, when an opportunity came up to purchase our own house. I rang Martin & co to let them know our plans and to be up front with them. Our rental agreement expired in the August of this year, and I enquired how much notice I would have to give in order to terminate the contract, as I could not see a clause in the lease agreement. I was advised I would be held to the August term as this was in the agreement which I had signed. If I decided to leave early, I would be charged a penalty of approx £500. When I enquired what this was for, I was advised this was for the costs associated for the letting agent to find another tenant.
The Landlady had moved to Australia, and so I decided to contact her direct, as I knew she had been considering selling the property. The landlady in fact did decide to sell and market the property, and would be in agreement with me leaving the propoerty early, if I would assist with viewings etc. I went back to Martin & co, but they were still insistent on charging me the early release fee, even though the landlady agreed to an early contract termination.
In trying to reason with Martin & co was an absolute waste of time, as they were adhering to the terms and conditions which I had signed at the start of the lease agreement. I felt Martin & co were very inflexible and unreasonable. In my opinion as the landlady had decided to sell, Martin & co could have easily waived the early release fee.
Recommendation no1: Tenant: always ensure there is a termination clause within the contract of at least 1-2 months. You may think this is not needed at the time, but circumstances can change. Read the lease agreement in detail and be sure to understand what you are signing up for.
Martin & co use an independent company "Tailor Made Inventories" for the inspection of the property at check in and check out.
Recommendation No 2: Tenants be aware this is a very, very detailed report with photographs of every little mark, cobweb or paint spill. As a tenant you maybe very pleased to have been successful in securing a new place to live, but be very wary of this report. I suggest at check in, to go through every room and compare the inventory report and highlight everything you feel is not accurate or they have missed and take photographs as evidence and report this back to the letting agent. At check out, this initial report will be used by Tailor Made Inventories to compare the current cleanliness of the property, and in my opinion their sole intention is not to be reasonable or to take into account fair wear and tear, but in fact the exact opposite.
I had spent 6 days cleaning the property and had professional people in to clean the carpets and the cooker. I was present at the check out and in my experience Tailor Made Inventories were very unreasonable and only interested in higlighting the least little mark, and in my opinion call on professional cleaners to come in at my expense. The funding for this will be taken out of the deposit. Obviously the more things wrong the less deposit will be returned. This was a very frustrating experience. Fortunately in my case, the landlady asked her parents to inspect the property after I had vacated, and they commented how clean they thought the property was. In my opinion the property was cleaner than when we had moved in. As a result the landlady authorised the full return of my deposit.
In conclusion, I have owned property, I have been a landlord and a tenant myself at various times and with different letting agents and in comparison, Martin & co have been the worst agent I have ever dealt with and it has been a very stressful an unpleasant experience. My advice is to be very careful when dealing with Martin & co and to take note all of the points raised above. Martin & co Basingstoke are definitely one to be avoided if possible in my opinion.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Martin & co, could have waived the early contract release fee and been more reasonable and considerate to deal with and also Tailor Made Inventories could have been more reasonable with their check out report.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Opening Hours
Address
Martin & Co
26 London Street
Basingstoke
Hampshire
RG21 7PG
01256 859960
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 92% | 100% | £136,000 | £680,900 |
| Lettings | 96% | 93% | £450 | £1,999 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 4 | 78 | 15 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
Areas covered
- RG21
- RG26
- RG22
- RG27
- RG23
- RG28
- RG24
- RG29
- RG25
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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Jun 14,2024
Jun 14,2024
0
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Very happy with prompt and friendly service and advice to us and to our tenants...
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Jun 07,2024
Jun 07,2024
0
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Martin & Co have impressed me beyond any expectation. Having looked after my interest relative to my property when it was let, and then later successfully managing the sale of it, I felt it would have been an injustice to not write the glowing review they ...
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Feb 12,2024
Feb 12,2024
2
people found
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this helpful
Great team, so helpful and friendly. Really took the stress out of the whole moving process. Everything was very streamlined and easy, would 100% recommend...
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Feb 12,2024
Feb 12,2024
3
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Understanding and very prompt. Knows alot about the area and knowledgeable....
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Feb 01,2024
Feb 01,2024
27
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Used Martin and Co to let our property for 10 years and always found them to be excellent and dealt with problems on our behalf as they arose. Very professional company that was a pleasure to work with.
Also used them to sell the same property ...
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Feb 03, 2024
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Thank you for sharing your positive feedback about Martin & Co Basingstoke. It's great to hear that you had a positive experience with them over the 10 years of letting your property and during the selling process. If you have any specific questions or if there's anything else you'd like to know or discuss, feel free to let me know! ...
Jan 31,2024
Jan 31,2024
3
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this helpful
this helpful
The team at Martin & Co have been fantastic from start to finish. Lindsey was fantastic in helping set up viewings, sort out references and keeping us in the loop throughout the process.
Once the tenancy was arranged the rest of the team at Martin and ...
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Feb 03, 2024
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Thank you for sharing your positive experience with the team at Martin & Co Basingstoke. It's wonderful to hear that Lindsey, Mica, and Cloe provided excellent assistance throughout the process, from setting up viewings to helping with the tenancy arrangements. If you have any more feedback or if there's anything else you'd like to discuss, feel free to let me know. I'm here to help! ...
Oct 31,2023
Oct 31,2023
2
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this helpful
this helpful
We sold the house as trustees of a will trust and were most appreciative of Mike Shelton's advice up front, Mica Brown's hard work to get the work done to prepare for sale, and Andrew Sheldon's management of the sale process. Throughout, support from Martin & ...
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Feb 03, 2024
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Thank you for sharing your positive feedback about the experience with Martin & Co Basingstoke during the sale of the property as trustees of a will trust. It's great to hear that Mike Shelton, Mica Brown, and Andrew Sheldon provided valuable advice, hard work in preparation, and effective management of the sale process. If you have any further questions or if there's anything else you'd like to discuss, feel free to let me know. ...
Oct 29,2023
Oct 29,2023
23
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I have used Martin & Co as my letting agent for the past 13 years. I have been 100% satisfied with their service this entire time and would wholeheartedly recommend them.
I also used them to market and sell my property recently. Two months from start to finish! ...
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Oct 14,2023
Oct 14,2023
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I have been a landlord in the area for 10 years. After Leaders closed I had a terrible experience another agency. It took us years to get rid of them and move over to Martin and Co. They are the only letting agents I can trust ...
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Sep 26,2023
Sep 26,2023
0
people found
this helpful
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Recently let my flat in Basingstoke through Martin and Co for the third time. Why do I keep going back to them? They are super-efficient, their fees are fair and above all transparent (unlike many other letting agents), and they have a stable of reasonably-priced ...
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Sep 16,2023
Sep 16,2023
0
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Very nice, friendly and helped solve problems very quickly and succinctly....
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Aug 22,2023
Aug 22,2023
25
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Amazing staff, very prompt and always ready to help. They have been managing my property for over 3 years and have been exceptional. Invoices are on time, looking for tenants, background checks and above all the regular inspection report is phenomenal (extreme attention to detail). Highly ...
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Aug 10,2023
Aug 10,2023
0
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Lindsey was amazing!!! Even though it was a bit of back and forth, she made it seamless and was on top of the communication all through the process even out of hours, she still reached out!!...
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Jul 28,2023
Jul 28,2023
0
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They are very considerate and people of get things done, I have rented through them and to be honest they are very professional and do help as much as they can....
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Jul 26,2023
Jul 26,2023
0
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Excellent communication and response.
They have been really amazing and very helpful.
Best letting experience, I have had so far.
Thank you Lindsay and Lejla....
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Jul 26,2023
Jul 26,2023
24
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Overall excellent experience with Martin&Co. Andrew was professional throughout and very responsive. Thank you so much for great help Andrew and Lindsey!...
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May 13,2023
May 13,2023
23
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Professional and incredibly helpful through the whole process. Andrew couldn’t have been more accommodating to suit my needs when looking for a flat. He was very knowledgeable, answered all of my questions and found me somewhere perfect. Without a doubt my favourite estate agents!...
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Apr 30,2023
Apr 30,2023
23
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Andrew has been excellent at giving me endless advice towards buying my own property as a first time buyer, which has given me much more confidence. Thanks Andrew!...
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Apr 03,2023
Apr 03,2023
13
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I found Martins an excellent agent to sell my property through. Days after it went on the market and getting two offers, economic mayhem broke out and the market crashed. I was most grateful to the staff there for keeping their heads, relying on their ...
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Mar 21,2023
Mar 21,2023
16
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Andrew and the team were really helpful with the entire move, I couldn't have asked for more as a tenant...
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Mar 14,2023
Mar 14,2023
14
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Martin and Co have been managing my property for a few years and I remain extremely pleased with the service that they provide. They have ensured that my property is marketed at the right price, consistently provide good tenants.
Ensuring that as landlord I have ...
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Mar 13,2023
Mar 13,2023
13
people found
this helpful
this helpful
We have used Martin & Co for a number of years now and we find them very efficient and reliable,
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them....
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Mar 12,2023
Mar 12,2023
11
people found
this helpful
this helpful
From purchasing my property to letting it out Martin & Co have been thorough, professional and friendly. Leaves you feeling totally confident in all of their dealings!...
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Mar 12,2023
Mar 12,2023
0
people found
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Super responsive, individual and knowledgeable service. Martin & Co manage a couple of properties for us and we have been extremely pleased with the service they provide. We have a number of properties in various locations so have some experience of agents and we highly recommend ...
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Mar 12,2023
Mar 12,2023
12
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Very quick to respond to our enquiry and were extremely helpful with any questions we had about the property. From viewing to move in day they were always there to help, and the proceeds was incredibly swift. Andrew was great on the day we came ...
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Mar 11,2023
Mar 11,2023
12
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Very happy with Martin & co who have managed 3 properties for me over the past 10 years. Good personal service...
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Mar 01,2023
Mar 01,2023
0
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Very welcoming and friendly in the office! It was a smooth and easy process throughout and they show great attention to detail....
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Feb 13,2023
Feb 13,2023
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
The team are responsive to questions and the letting process was clearly explained along with lots of tips on things we may not have thought about. Fast and excellent action on handling apartment issues, recommended team and agent in Basingstoke....
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Jan 07,2023
Jan 07,2023
0
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The property sold very quickly. The whole process was very smooth and I was kept informed about viewings and offers....
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Dec 16,2022
Dec 16,2022
9
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I highly recommend using Martin & Co as they are so friendly and helpful. Lindsey showed me round the property and answered all my questions despite there being a lot of interest in the property she took her time. I then met Andrew, he was very ...
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Lindsey
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Mica
(32)
Mike
(15)
Lejla
(7)
Cloe
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Petra
Vendor Fees
1% Plus VATLandlord Fees
11% Plus VATTenant Fees
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Last updated at 1:46 PM 05/03/2024 by allAgents
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