95% lettings valuation accuracy
98% lettings fee satisfaction
Nov 17,2021
Nov 17,2021
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The Letting Game; Company number 07533620
Summary of issues that happened.
- My Mum is elderly, retired in a foreign country, inexperienced in property letting and may have been taken advantage of.
- They allowed contractors in that actively damaged the property and overpriced for the works. Although they (The Letting Game) “managed” and selected these “Trusted” contractors they (The Letting Game) were not willing to help put any issue right. Stating it happened too long ago. Not like it isn't their responsibility to ensure the property is looked after and occasionally inspected or anything?! They wiped their hands clean.
- They appear to carry out inspections, but some damage appears to go unnoticed. (nolettinggo report dated 12/02/2019, damage is visual in the peripheral of an image but not listed in the report, it appears to have gone unnoticed).
- In our opinion, at times they appeared to be an inexperienced group that shy away from offering any advice or answer questions in a technical or professional capacity. Specifically when it came to the Law surrounding Latent Defects and workmanship. (Limitation Act 1980 & Latent Damage Act 1986).
Context.
My Mum lost her partner (my dad) in 2012 and no longer needed a house so big; she bravely decided to go it alone and retire to Portugal as life is too short. She was after someone to manage the house and have her best interests to heart as she had no experience of the complicated world of property letting. The Letting Game appeared to be exactly what she was after. They were polite and responsive to her early requests. That sadly is the end to the positive experience.
Over the coming years tenants came and went, there were various issues around appropriate vetting of individuals including foreign nationals. For the most part my Mum had a consistent income with a very inconsistent surprise billing for the upkeep of the property from tenant damage and Job creation.
As an example of a surprise bill & poor workmanship without any management by the letting game:
May 2017 – The letting Game say they must replace the ensuite toilet in its entirety. It can't be repaired. They charged my Mum £328.80 for this toilet which subsequently didn't fit, wasn't screwed to the floor or the wall. And the overflow was installed running uphill (see the accompanying photos). Comical really. However due to apparent managerial negligence this went un-noticed by the letting game for years until we took back possession of the property this year in 2021. Although the contractor is selected and “managed” by the letting game they washed their hands of it effectively saying it's my Mum's problem.
Example of property damage.
There is evidence of a considerable flood from an upstairs bedroom which has caused the ceiling to sag in the back room below which requires fully redoing at a cost of nearly £1850.00. It appears likely this is from a fish tank or from watering of plants (maybe legal plants, maybe not?) these are assumptions about how the damage become to be. This damage also went unnoticed until we took back possession of the property. Effectively saying it's my Mum's problem. They are unable to claim for the damage from a deposit as they don't appear to know which tenant could have been responsible.
There are other issues i.e inconsistent gas safety checks. Sudden need for a new cooker because of a hinge that appears fine in our opinion. Sudden need for additional gas ventilation which when unnoticed throughout until 1 week before the property was handed back to us. This is already a bloated review so I will save you some time and not go into too much detail.
Their response wholly polite but of no use; from their email to us. (Without the other emails, maybe this doesn't provide you with much context but take from this as you will).
“Whilst I understand your frustrations, we cannot be held responsible for a third parties' workmanship. Unfortunately, as we no longer manage the property, we have supplied you with the contact details of the contractor who fitted the toilet however it is disappointing that you think we are simply 'washing our hands of it'.
Regarding the water damage to the ceiling, this was not brought to our attention during the tenancy and without further investigating, it would be difficult to know what caused it. I would also think it is highly unlikely to be a result of the tenants but as per my previous correspondence, should you feel it is a result of their negligence, I am happy to propose a deduction from their deposits.”
Lesson/advice.
We gave them a decent, tidy, recently refurbished property. 7 years later they give it back to us damaged far beyond any acceptable wear and tear.
If this could be done again, we would have put more importance on the experience of the company and their staff rather than the cost of their fees. The tenant appears more important than the landlord. Maybe that's just an industry/legislative issue that the tenants are provided with more protection? That is our perception of things.
I felt they pulled the wool over my Mum's eyes a bit, rinsed her from time to time and cashed in monthly. Knowing full well she was in Portugal. What could she do? Other than panic and worry of course.
These are our opinions based on what we have experienced. Any statements made throughout this review can be evidenced.
Maybe this review can be used constructively help The Letting Game to improve in the future.
Summary of issues that happened.
- My Mum is elderly, retired in a foreign country, inexperienced in property letting and may have been taken advantage of.
- They allowed contractors in that actively damaged the property and overpriced for the works. Although they (The Letting Game) “managed” and selected these “Trusted” contractors they (The Letting Game) were not willing to help put any issue right. Stating it happened too long ago. Not like it isn't their responsibility to ensure the property is looked after and occasionally inspected or anything?! They wiped their hands clean.
- They appear to carry out inspections, but some damage appears to go unnoticed. (nolettinggo report dated 12/02/2019, damage is visual in the peripheral of an image but not listed in the report, it appears to have gone unnoticed).
- In our opinion, at times they appeared to be an inexperienced group that shy away from offering any advice or answer questions in a technical or professional capacity. Specifically when it came to the Law surrounding Latent Defects and workmanship. (Limitation Act 1980 & Latent Damage Act 1986).
Context.
My Mum lost her partner (my dad) in 2012 and no longer needed a house so big; she bravely decided to go it alone and retire to Portugal as life is too short. She was after someone to manage the house and have her best interests to heart as she had no experience of the complicated world of property letting. The Letting Game appeared to be exactly what she was after. They were polite and responsive to her early requests. That sadly is the end to the positive experience.
Over the coming years tenants came and went, there were various issues around appropriate vetting of individuals including foreign nationals. For the most part my Mum had a consistent income with a very inconsistent surprise billing for the upkeep of the property from tenant damage and Job creation.
As an example of a surprise bill & poor workmanship without any management by the letting game:
May 2017 – The letting Game say they must replace the ensuite toilet in its entirety. It can't be repaired. They charged my Mum £328.80 for this toilet which subsequently didn't fit, wasn't screwed to the floor or the wall. And the overflow was installed running uphill (see the accompanying photos). Comical really. However due to apparent managerial negligence this went un-noticed by the letting game for years until we took back possession of the property this year in 2021. Although the contractor is selected and “managed” by the letting game they washed their hands of it effectively saying it's my Mum's problem.
Example of property damage.
There is evidence of a considerable flood from an upstairs bedroom which has caused the ceiling to sag in the back room below which requires fully redoing at a cost of nearly £1850.00. It appears likely this is from a fish tank or from watering of plants (maybe legal plants, maybe not?) these are assumptions about how the damage become to be. This damage also went unnoticed until we took back possession of the property. Effectively saying it's my Mum's problem. They are unable to claim for the damage from a deposit as they don't appear to know which tenant could have been responsible.
There are other issues i.e inconsistent gas safety checks. Sudden need for a new cooker because of a hinge that appears fine in our opinion. Sudden need for additional gas ventilation which when unnoticed throughout until 1 week before the property was handed back to us. This is already a bloated review so I will save you some time and not go into too much detail.
Their response wholly polite but of no use; from their email to us. (Without the other emails, maybe this doesn't provide you with much context but take from this as you will).
“Whilst I understand your frustrations, we cannot be held responsible for a third parties' workmanship. Unfortunately, as we no longer manage the property, we have supplied you with the contact details of the contractor who fitted the toilet however it is disappointing that you think we are simply 'washing our hands of it'.
Regarding the water damage to the ceiling, this was not brought to our attention during the tenancy and without further investigating, it would be difficult to know what caused it. I would also think it is highly unlikely to be a result of the tenants but as per my previous correspondence, should you feel it is a result of their negligence, I am happy to propose a deduction from their deposits.”
Lesson/advice.
We gave them a decent, tidy, recently refurbished property. 7 years later they give it back to us damaged far beyond any acceptable wear and tear.
If this could be done again, we would have put more importance on the experience of the company and their staff rather than the cost of their fees. The tenant appears more important than the landlord. Maybe that's just an industry/legislative issue that the tenants are provided with more protection? That is our perception of things.
I felt they pulled the wool over my Mum's eyes a bit, rinsed her from time to time and cashed in monthly. Knowing full well she was in Portugal. What could she do? Other than panic and worry of course.
These are our opinions based on what we have experienced. Any statements made throughout this review can be evidenced.
Maybe this review can be used constructively help The Letting Game to improve in the future.
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Opening Hours
Address
The Letting Game
Henleaze House, Harbury Road
Henleaze,Bristol
City of Bristol
BS9 4PN
0117 9898 215
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 95% | 98% | £400 | £5,400 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 303 | 7 | 421 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
Areas covered
- BS1
- Redland, Henleaze, Clifton
- BS2
- BS13, BS15
- BS11
- BS3, BS4
- BS34
- BS5
- BS6
- BS7
- BS8
- BS9
- BS10
Services offered
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Aug 01,2024
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Securing a tenancy with the Letting Game has been easy and efficient. Amy was responsible for the property viewings and the initial stages of securing the tenancy, and Emily took over with the admin/referencing after the holding deposit was paid. Both Amy and Emily ...
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Oct 29,2024
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Oct 24,2024
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Amy has been a pleasure to deal with and has answered all of our questions in a timely and professional manner. We felt she was doing everything she possibly could to help us secure the tenancy. Would highly recommend...
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Oct 23,2024
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Once again The Letting Game have found me a great group of students for my large HMO. The service from start to finish was excellent. Hope and Anna specifically are super organised and manage the department really well. I recognise the team continuously strive for ...
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Oct 19,2024
Oct 19,2024
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Amy was very friendly and helpful! she was well informed about the details of the house and landlord and answered all my questions....
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Oct 18,2024
Oct 18,2024
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Amy was supper supportive in the process, their was a time mishap and she came back t9 show me the property, super friendly and polite aswell - glad to have amy through the process....
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Oct 16,2024
Oct 16,2024
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It was nice experience staffs are Good friendly and punctual...
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Oct 16,2024
Oct 16,2024
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Iam happy with service so far. Very helpful and explained very well about the process....
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Oct 15,2024
Oct 15,2024
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Amy was incredibly personable and helpful in finding our Bristol flat in a fast paced market. She was professional but had great rapport. She was very responsive to messages so I felt assured that I was being kept in the loop as my application progressed....
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Oct 15,2024
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Rich was really great to deal with and made the whole process of letting my flat as easy and straightforward as it could be - which has not always been my experience in the past!...
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Oct 15,2024
Oct 15,2024
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I can't fault the service, everything moved along quickly and without hassle due to the helpful staff at The Letting Game. Amy, who did the viewing was friendly and personable, and answered all my questions easily and well. Emily, who dealt with the admin was ...
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Oct 14,2024
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Amy was so helpful in securing our flat, she got us a viewing and got all the documents sorted in the same day! She was so friendly and made us feel at ease, and answered all the questions we had. She even congratulated us when ...
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Oct 14,2024
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Our experience with Amy was very speedy and thorough. From the viewing which was very personable and positive, we felt so good about our property and the potential we could have here. Amy answered all of our questions and reassured our doubts. The admin process ...
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Sep 30,2024
Sep 30,2024
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I really appreciate all your help in securing the property. The process has been smooth and straightforward, and you've answered all my questions promptly, which I’m grateful for....
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Sep 22,2024
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Amy was great! Gave us a warm welcome and time to give the property a proper good look....
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Sep 16,2024
Sep 16,2024
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The process was smooth and stressfree, thank you for all the help....
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Sep 13,2024
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Amy has been excellent in dealing with our tenancy. She was great during the viewing and has been attentive and helpful since....
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Sep 11,2024
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I have never had the misfortune of dealing with such an inadequate, unprofessional company in my entire life. They let their properties in uninhabitable states and treat students with utter distain. The inventory stated mould needed urgent action, yet six weeks later NO action has ...
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Sep 05,2024
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letting game is fantastic, everyone there is friendly and helpful. Definitely will use next year
only downside is they use goodlord for referencing which was painful ....
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Sep 05,2024
Sep 05,2024
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Amy was very friendly and quick in responding to all the queries we had...
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Aug 31,2024
Aug 31,2024
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We were impressed with the efficiency and professionalism of the staff involved with our tenancy.
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Aug 22,2024
Aug 22,2024
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In a super competitive renting market, The Letting Game really came through!
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Aug 21,2024
Aug 21,2024
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It was excellent. Really helpful and brilliant. Thanks a lot....
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Aug 19,2024
Aug 19,2024
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Amy is very serious in replying to messages and patient in solving my problems. He is the best agent I have ever met in the UK....
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Aug 13,2024
Aug 13,2024
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Great service all around. Amy + team were helpful. Some repeated information across forms but nothing too major. Would recommend so far!...
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Aug 06,2024
Aug 06,2024
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Very nice experience. I am so happy i will recomend it....
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Tobi
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Amy
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Ben
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Jack
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Tracy
Hope
Taylor
Rich
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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.
Complaints Procedure
The Letting Game, a Member of The
Property Ombudsman, aims to provide the highest standards of service to all our
customers. To ensure that your interests are safeguarded, a complaints
procedure has been introduced. This provides for the matter to be dealt with
internally by Mr Matthew Sweetman and in the event that we are not able to deal
with the issue to our mutual satisfaction, by reference to The Property
Ombudsman. If you believe you have a complaint,
please write in the first instance to the Matthew Sweetman at the address as
below: Matthew SweetmanThe Letting GameHenleaze HouseHarbury RoadHenleazeBristolBS9 4PN. Your complaint will be acknowledged
within 24 hours but no longer than 3 working days, investigated thoroughly in
accordance with established in-house procedures and a formal reply will be sent
to you within 15 working days of receipt of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the
outcome of our initial investigation, you are provided with a further
opportunity to have the complaint reviewed by our Managing Director, at the
address given below: Jack HeadThe Letting GameHenleaze HouseHarbury RoadHenleazeBristolBS9 4PN.
In the event that the final review as
detailed above still fails to satisfy your complaint, then you are at liberty
to have the matter referred to the The Property Ombudsman. We will submit our
file to the Ombudsman on request. You are also entitled to have your complaint
referred to the Ombudsman should we fail to deal with matters promptly or do not
comply with our in-house complaints procedure within 8 weeks from the date we
receive your written notification.
Last updated at 5:04 PM 05/09/2019 by allAgents
Property Ombudsman, aims to provide the highest standards of service to all our
customers. To ensure that your interests are safeguarded, a complaints
procedure has been introduced. This provides for the matter to be dealt with
internally by Mr Matthew Sweetman and in the event that we are not able to deal
with the issue to our mutual satisfaction, by reference to The Property
Ombudsman. If you believe you have a complaint,
please write in the first instance to the Matthew Sweetman at the address as
below: Matthew SweetmanThe Letting GameHenleaze HouseHarbury RoadHenleazeBristolBS9 4PN. Your complaint will be acknowledged
within 24 hours but no longer than 3 working days, investigated thoroughly in
accordance with established in-house procedures and a formal reply will be sent
to you within 15 working days of receipt of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the
outcome of our initial investigation, you are provided with a further
opportunity to have the complaint reviewed by our Managing Director, at the
address given below: Jack HeadThe Letting GameHenleaze HouseHarbury RoadHenleazeBristolBS9 4PN.
In the event that the final review as
detailed above still fails to satisfy your complaint, then you are at liberty
to have the matter referred to the The Property Ombudsman. We will submit our
file to the Ombudsman on request. You are also entitled to have your complaint
referred to the Ombudsman should we fail to deal with matters promptly or do not
comply with our in-house complaints procedure within 8 weeks from the date we
receive your written notification.
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