100% sales valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
100% lettings valuation accuracy
75% lettings fee satisfaction
Jul 16,2012
Jul 16,2012
4
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this helpful
this helpful
I am totally disguted with the level of service from Leaders, as a tennant.
I first started renting from them 3 1/2 years ago when my wife had our first child. They were very helpful in finding us a property. However, once we had moved in, there were a few issues, such as fridge/freezer inoperational, washing machine inoperational to the point where is flooded the bottom floor three times, then silly things like no door handle on the front door. After the second time the washing machine flooded the kitchen and part of the living room, we had still heard nothing from Leaders and had to use the local launderette. It took almost 6 weeks before finally the Landlord arrived on a Saturday unanounced to 'fix' the washing machine while I was having breakfast with my family. Needless to say, she had no idea what she was doing and instead of fixing the washing machine, proceeded to flood the dining room and living room - without bothering to clean it up before she left. At this point I was very upset and told the landlord that I would buy a washing machine at either my or her expense, but I did not want her 'playing' with the broken one anymore. The following Monday I was served notice that at the end of the 6 months, me and my family would have to leave.
Foolishly, I assumed this was a problem specifically with the landlord, so found another property mearby with Leaders and moved out. I was charged my full deposit of almost £1000 upon leaving the former property. This is even though myself and 2 decorator friends spent 2 days making sure the place was spottless and even touched up areas that needed it (whether by me or the previous tennant). The property was in far better condition than when I arrived.
Initially at the second property things seemed to be going a lot better there were a few problems in the first few months, which got dealt with faster. However it did not last long.
Firstly, my wife was applying for a license to babysit/nany other children, as she was going back to work part time and was going to timeshare with a friend of ours who also has a baby. As it is technically 'illegal' to look after another's baby for more than two hours we though it would be best to get official ok to do so. I contacted Leaders at the time, as one of the questions about the property I did not know. The person dealing with us at Leaders at the time, Bradley was very helpful in answering my question.
A week later, we were served notice out of the blue. I contacted Leaders to ask why and was told by Bradley that the Landlord 'had heard' we were setting up a nursery at the house as a business for my wife and was very upset, etc, etc. I managed to contact the Landlord and clarify the matter and she was completely understanding and removed the notice. I contacted Leaders to voice my upset, and specifically how I did not appreciate my family's stability being threatened by a fabricated rumor, created by Leaders themselves. I received no apology.
A few months later, in Oct, the main boiler went down. It was already very cold at night, so we contacted Leaders immiediately who said they would get someone in to inspect and fix the boiler. After 5 days of contant calls, someone finally arrived and found that a part needed replacing, so he had to go back to Leaders to get cost approval before he could carry out the work. In the meanwhile, the heating was inpoerational and we had the backup boiler on so we could have hot water, though it cost an extra £5-10 per day to run. Leaders took over 2 weeks to confirm go-ahead on the work, only after I had threatened to report them to anyone I could imagine for putting the safety of my 2 year old son at risk.
In another incident, I asked Leaders if I could put safety catches on the kitchen drawers, so my son couldn't get at the sharp kitchen utensils. I was told by Leaders that I could not do it myself, but if I provided them, they would get someone in to do it at my cost. There were 4 drawers and 5 cupboards done, for which I then received a £90 bill for fitting, even though it took about 10 minutes to do.
Late last year my wife had another baby, so we decided at the end of the lease we would move to another property, with more space to accomodate both children - not with Leaders.
We found a space and gave notice.
This time upon leaving, I made sure after the movers had been in, I had gardeners come and do the gardens at a cost of £70, followed by a professional cleaning company who cleaned the place top to bottom, following the Leaders check-out checklist at a cost of £192. I inspected everything with someone from the cleaning company before locking up and handing the property back over to Leaders.
I am now, again, being charged almost £1000, almost all of my deposit, mostly for bits I have already done. One of the charges is £90 to plug the washing machine back in, another is £180 to take away the bag of rubish left outside the house and £160 for cleaning. I am now raising a dispute with the deposit scheme as have received nothing but half-truths and half-answers from Leaders on querying.
I am now renting with Mayhews, and the experiance has been completely different. They are a LOT more friendly, the communication is caring and curtious and they have been very helpful thus far. They also had an independant inspector go through the entire property with us before we moved in, so we were both completely clear on exactly what state everything is in, so there are no issues further down the line.
I have told all of my friends to stay very clear of Leaders and would urge the same of you.
I first started renting from them 3 1/2 years ago when my wife had our first child. They were very helpful in finding us a property. However, once we had moved in, there were a few issues, such as fridge/freezer inoperational, washing machine inoperational to the point where is flooded the bottom floor three times, then silly things like no door handle on the front door. After the second time the washing machine flooded the kitchen and part of the living room, we had still heard nothing from Leaders and had to use the local launderette. It took almost 6 weeks before finally the Landlord arrived on a Saturday unanounced to 'fix' the washing machine while I was having breakfast with my family. Needless to say, she had no idea what she was doing and instead of fixing the washing machine, proceeded to flood the dining room and living room - without bothering to clean it up before she left. At this point I was very upset and told the landlord that I would buy a washing machine at either my or her expense, but I did not want her 'playing' with the broken one anymore. The following Monday I was served notice that at the end of the 6 months, me and my family would have to leave.
Foolishly, I assumed this was a problem specifically with the landlord, so found another property mearby with Leaders and moved out. I was charged my full deposit of almost £1000 upon leaving the former property. This is even though myself and 2 decorator friends spent 2 days making sure the place was spottless and even touched up areas that needed it (whether by me or the previous tennant). The property was in far better condition than when I arrived.
Initially at the second property things seemed to be going a lot better there were a few problems in the first few months, which got dealt with faster. However it did not last long.
Firstly, my wife was applying for a license to babysit/nany other children, as she was going back to work part time and was going to timeshare with a friend of ours who also has a baby. As it is technically 'illegal' to look after another's baby for more than two hours we though it would be best to get official ok to do so. I contacted Leaders at the time, as one of the questions about the property I did not know. The person dealing with us at Leaders at the time, Bradley was very helpful in answering my question.
A week later, we were served notice out of the blue. I contacted Leaders to ask why and was told by Bradley that the Landlord 'had heard' we were setting up a nursery at the house as a business for my wife and was very upset, etc, etc. I managed to contact the Landlord and clarify the matter and she was completely understanding and removed the notice. I contacted Leaders to voice my upset, and specifically how I did not appreciate my family's stability being threatened by a fabricated rumor, created by Leaders themselves. I received no apology.
A few months later, in Oct, the main boiler went down. It was already very cold at night, so we contacted Leaders immiediately who said they would get someone in to inspect and fix the boiler. After 5 days of contant calls, someone finally arrived and found that a part needed replacing, so he had to go back to Leaders to get cost approval before he could carry out the work. In the meanwhile, the heating was inpoerational and we had the backup boiler on so we could have hot water, though it cost an extra £5-10 per day to run. Leaders took over 2 weeks to confirm go-ahead on the work, only after I had threatened to report them to anyone I could imagine for putting the safety of my 2 year old son at risk.
In another incident, I asked Leaders if I could put safety catches on the kitchen drawers, so my son couldn't get at the sharp kitchen utensils. I was told by Leaders that I could not do it myself, but if I provided them, they would get someone in to do it at my cost. There were 4 drawers and 5 cupboards done, for which I then received a £90 bill for fitting, even though it took about 10 minutes to do.
Late last year my wife had another baby, so we decided at the end of the lease we would move to another property, with more space to accomodate both children - not with Leaders.
We found a space and gave notice.
This time upon leaving, I made sure after the movers had been in, I had gardeners come and do the gardens at a cost of £70, followed by a professional cleaning company who cleaned the place top to bottom, following the Leaders check-out checklist at a cost of £192. I inspected everything with someone from the cleaning company before locking up and handing the property back over to Leaders.
I am now, again, being charged almost £1000, almost all of my deposit, mostly for bits I have already done. One of the charges is £90 to plug the washing machine back in, another is £180 to take away the bag of rubish left outside the house and £160 for cleaning. I am now raising a dispute with the deposit scheme as have received nothing but half-truths and half-answers from Leaders on querying.
I am now renting with Mayhews, and the experiance has been completely different. They are a LOT more friendly, the communication is caring and curtious and they have been very helpful thus far. They also had an independant inspector go through the entire property with us before we moved in, so we were both completely clear on exactly what state everything is in, so there are no issues further down the line.
I have told all of my friends to stay very clear of Leaders and would urge the same of you.
What agent could do to change your mind?
NoAttached Filesnbsp;
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Latest Reviews
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Opening Hours
Address
Leaders
9-13 The Facade, Devonshire Road
Forest Hill,London
Greater London
SE23 3HA
020 8699 1600
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 100% | 100% | £347,000 | £494,750 |
| Lettings | 100% | 75% | £950 | £2,000 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 0 | 59 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
Areas covered
- SE4
- SE27
- SE5
- SW2
- SE15
- SW16
- SE19
- SE20
- SE21
- SE22
- SE23
- SE24
- SE26
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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Feb 17,2023
Feb 17,2023
0
people found
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this helpful
Christine was a lovely and very helpful young lady, she went above and beyond to help me with a friendly but professional manner. Would highly recommend Leaders in Forest Hill....
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Dec 01,2022
Dec 01,2022
0
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Christine is very friendly & kind. She knew what I was looking for by the description I described. Although I'm new to looking for my 1st time property Christine was really informative & patience....
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Jun 10,2022
Jun 10,2022
0
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When Leaders took over the managing agent that we were using we were a little nervous about who were were getting to do business with. There was no need to be nervous at all and, 12 years later, we can safely say that we were in ...
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Mar 24,2022
Mar 24,2022
0
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My reference is towards James Henman and i will describe him as an Excellent , professional with friendly service and prompt response
..! Highly recommend Leaders in Forest Hill!...
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May 04,2021
May 04,2021
0
people found
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We sold our flat recently through Leaders Forest Hill, with Nikki Lumsden and Riz Ali's help. We found them to be a fantastic estate agent to work with. Responsive, patient, very helpful and happy to help answer our questions and reassure us where needed. They ...
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Feb 20,2020
Feb 20,2020
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
If you respect basic decency then please stay away from this estate agency. We are a family of 4 (parents and two kids), professionals with stable and permanent income. After viewing the place we made an offer for a place, but the agency came back to ...
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Nov 22,2019
Nov 22,2019
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Leaders, Forest Hill, looked after my rental property for a number of years and have just completed its sale. Both lettings and sales departments have proved efficient and always civil and charming. Timothy Holland and Nikki Lumsden from Sales were very knowledgable and enthusiastic about ...
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Feb 06,2019
Feb 06,2019
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
James was great with us. Very nice, efficient and helpful all the time! He was always available to help us and clarify our doubts! Very easy going team! Thanks!...
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Comment on agent fees
The fees could be smaller but all agencies do the same. The good thing is the no deposit option!
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May 17,2018
May 17,2018
0
people found
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Their outgoing tenants at 13B Trafalgar Avenue left a fly tip. When reported they couldn't care less. As we're at a bus stop further fly tip occured. The incoming left boxes at the front creating more waste.
In the end I've had to pay £100 private ...
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Comment on agent fees
NA have to say bad assuming Chris does pay a fee and got F.A from them for it in this respect
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Mar 21,2018
Mar 21,2018
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Very helpful service from Selwyn. He was very friendly over the phone which a lot of lettings agents lack. Very quick to arrange a viewing. Jenny showed us the property, she was a very nice and friendly person. Everything was dealt professionally and efficiently. Thank ...
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Feb 26,2018
Feb 26,2018
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Leaders are a very professional team of property specialists . Dave Lewis the manager leads his group well utilises there skills and attributes and knowledge. They have helped me run my landlord business very efficiently.
I highly recommend Dave Lewis and the Leaders team at Forest ...
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Comment on agent fees
Excellent value for money
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Jan 18,2018
Jan 18,2018
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Have let through Leaders as a landlord for nearly three years. Professional and helpful and human. Very happy with Lydia who is looking after me currently....
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Comment on agent fees
A bit toppy but peace of mind is worth some money!
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Nov 10,2017
Nov 10,2017
4
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I think the process to get a new flat with Leaders went really smooth because of their dedicated team ... thanks...
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Comment on agent fees
I think the agents fees is consistent with the market demand
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Oct 24,2016
Oct 24,2016
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Good Service, Efficient and Helpful, On hand with relevant information when needed.
In regular communication about moving details and setting up utilities details....
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Jul 02,2016
Jul 02,2016
5
people found
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this helpful
Terrible experience with this agency - did not keep us updated on our offer or subsequent move, gave us incorrect details multiple times and when unbelievably rude. The experience was so poor we moved letting agencies and luckily the landlord subsequently moved agencies so we ...
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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Feb 25,2016
Feb 25,2016
8
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Worst service I have ever received. He asked questions which are not relevant to the service he provides. He should not be working with people or for people . He is lacking basic skills.
Extremely disappointed....
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Comment on agent fees
bad
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Jun 04,2014
Jun 04,2014
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I would strongly discourage prospective tenants from using this lettings agent. We have been renting a property through Leaders (Forest Hill Branch) for over a year and almost without exception their response to issues we have raised has been sluggish, parsimonious and disorganised, and the ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Improve internal communications, follow-up on ongoing cases in a more timely and organised fashion, reduce tenenacy renewal fees.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Mar 12,2014
Mar 12,2014
2
people found
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this helpful
Over the many years we were renting the house Linda was always helpful in solving any issues that arose and especially in tieing up issues around the end of our tenancy. She was always courteous and professional and a good representative of the organisation....
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Feb 23,2014
Feb 23,2014
1
people found
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this helpful
Excellent customer service and cooperative during the application and moving process. The display cards in the office window are very clear with good standard photos and when I had to visit the office the other members of staff were very welcoming. I will use them ...
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Feb 21,2014
Feb 21,2014
1
people found
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this helpful
Everything was dealt with professionally and efficiently. The tenants were luckily found within hours of my handing over the keys which was very good, but made it all rather fast and there were some questions in my mind about the detailed process - I'm sure ...
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Feb 11,2014
Feb 11,2014
2
people found
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this helpful
From my initial visit into the branch to discuss the letting of my newly refurbished property the service was excellent. The service was efficient and professional and my property was let in a very short space of time. The property details were well written and ...
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Feb 06,2014
Feb 06,2014
7
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Right from the viewing all the way through to us moving in, Selwyn was absolutely fantastic. Always very honest in the answers he gave to our questions and extremely efficient in everything he did. We just moved to London from Reading and I must say ...
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Jan 20,2014
Jan 20,2014
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I got the dream flat i was looking for and without lauras help and prompt responses to all things needed to get through the process of letting the property it wouldnt have been possible.
Thanx for your help laura you were great!!!...
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Nov 21,2013
Nov 21,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
All great, wish all agents were that good!.
Too many agents ignored me in the past, didn't provide, things had to be repeated, or done myself.
These guys are above expectations, really.
Highly recommended to anyone....
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Nov 13,2013
Nov 13,2013
9
people found
this helpful
this helpful
From the minute my partner and I met Selwyn Pacheco, Lettings Consultant with Leaders Forest Hill and Camberwell, outside the towering facade of our new home for our initial viewing, he was personable, professional and enthusiastic. Within minutes of entering the property, we knew that ...
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Nov 02,2013
Nov 02,2013
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
As a member of an investment company with a portfolio in property we use Leaders for the majority of our properties for continuity. We have found Leaders to be extremely proactive, professional and cost efficient. We would highly recommend them to others. It is a ...
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Nov 02,2013
Nov 02,2013
4
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Very enthusiastic from start to finish, honest and up front about all fees and charges, reassuring when we had any concerns and generally all very personable and friendly people. Have only just let the property so I can't speak for what they are like during ...
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Oct 31,2013
Oct 31,2013
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
We have always used The team in Forest Hill to help let our property.
Over the years we have established a good working relationship and
they are very professional at all times. They have always managed to find good tenants
quickly and at the rate ...
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Oct 19,2013
Oct 19,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
From the very beginning to leaving the flat I was provided a professional but genuinely friendly experience/service, I kept thinking that they worked more for what they are paid, I'm in Australia now living a new life, I feel that my flat is well ...
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Oct 18,2013
Oct 18,2013
5
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Great service, took care of absolutely everything. All staff in branch are very professional and helpful, always go the extra mile. I've dealt with quite a few letting agents in the past and can honestly say that Leaders are by far the best. Fees are ...
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No fees information available
Kindly note that legally, letting agents need to publish information about their tenancy fees, government-approved redress schemes and client money protection schemes on their website and on third party websites (on which agents are listed). For properties to lease/rent in England, agents need to keep this information up to date and precise on allAgents or specify within the property description.
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Last updated at 11:52 AM 06/03/2014 by David Montero
