0% lettings valuation accuracy
33% lettings fee satisfaction
Jan 15,2024
Jan 15,2024
0
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If you are looking to use Felicity J Lord as either a tenant or landlord, I implore you to read this beforehand. I have been renting in London for almost 20 years with and I have NEVER been subjected to the level of incompetence and unprofessionalism from a letting agent (or in fact, any organisation period) as I have the past 2 ½ years and counting, spread across the Stoke Newington, Bow and currently Islington branches.
**(tldr version: Moved out of a property 5 months ago. The company is wilfully ignoring us in an amicable negotiation with the previous landlord to receive deposit money back. Incorrect valuations caused us to spend thousands moving in AND moving out of a home we loved. Took payment from our landlord for works carried out at the rental property but didn't carry out the work)**
My 6 months pregnant partner and I were accepted to rent a property managed by FJL Stoke Newington in September 2021, subject to reference checks. We were given the incorrect salary threshold in the midst of the checks which caused a highly stressful situation where we had already given notice on our current rental and were not sure we would be able to rent the new property (and being told we would not receive our deposit back if we pulled out). By the time the mistake had been verified and rectified by us with no apology forthcoming from the letting agent, I had already instructed my accountant to file an early tax return as an extra expense we didn't need alongside the acute stress and frustration we were forced to deal with during this process as an expectant couple.
In our two years living in the property, we had issues with certain appliances and the filter system. One such event was the washing machine, which was not operating effectively. My partner and I, now new parents, called, left emails and physically visited the FJL Stoke Newington branch for MONTHS but didn't receive any assistance to our issue.
We had an ongoing request to check the extractor fan system was operating as it should be in our baby's bedroom, as the heat was going to become a big issue in the hotter months. Only after countless more calls, emails and visits to the branch, we were instructed that the property manager looking after us no longer worked at the Stoke Newington and that our property was now in the care of the Bow branch. We were put in touch with someone who could assist us. Of course, they ghosted us after an initial email. I managed to speak to a property manager on the phone who attempted to gaslight me by saying I was 'expecting things to be done on my time' and wasn't willing to be cooperative until I made a firm point at how unacceptable their behaviour and our treatment so far had been. I did receive an apology email after our call and assurance that the matter was now in their hands directly and would be dealt with accordingly. I subsequently never heard from that property manager regarding the fan again.
We were informed by the landlord towards the end of our tenancy that the rent would be going up by an EXTRA £1250pm. We were not able to afford this amount and therefore started looking for a new property in a highly volatile market. We finally managed to secure a new place when the landlord informed us that he was given an incorrect valuation by FJL, had the property valued elsewhere and would raise it to an amount that would have been acceptable to us to stay in a property we loved. By this point, we had packed up and paid a significant amount of money to move to the new property.
During our final month of the lease, FJL didn't contact us ONCE. We had to liaise directly with their partners for inspection and key-drop services, there was no courtesy email regarding our exit from the property or deposit details. I also had to email them and cc in the landlord about some work he instructed them to carry out but they didn't complete. Yet still charged the landlord in full!!
We waited almost a month to receive the check-out report and details of our deposit return from the Islington PM team. When nothing was forthcoming despite chasing, we had to go to the landlord direct to check if he had received any contact, which he hadn't. As he also had a long list of grievances to discuss with FJL, he contacted the PM team and only then did we receive the report, which suggested everything was in order and we should receive our full deposit back. However, due to the huge delay (contravening TDS regulations) by FJL in receiving the report, the landlord visited the property direct and felt that the report didn't reflect some of the wear and tear that had occurred during our stay. Out of goodwill, we agreed that he could get a quote from a contractor for work and we could negotiate from there. He also asked the PM to release 75% of our funds, which they did after weeks zero response to his request.
The landlord received a quote which reflected wear and tear over 5 years of the property rental, and not solely from our time. We have asked the PM in charge of the negotiation to clarify our rights and negotiate with the landlord, however haven't received a single response since December 16th 2023 from them. I spoke to one of their colleagues, who promised me twice they would look into it and is now not responding to emails and calls. I have also twice emailed the manager of the PM team (once with the Area Lettings Director cc'd) with zero response.
As one can imagine, this has been a horrible cloud hanging over us when we should have been settling into our new home and Christmas, especially in the midst of a cost of living crisis. The PM team in Islington NEVER pick up the phone on their direct line and it doesn't offer a messaging or call-back service. I have also tried calling the general office lines through the week with zero pick-up. The only employees at FJL who have treated us with any professional courtesy and empathy are the concierge switchboard team.
If you are looking to or rent in similar areas, I highly recommend Location Location. Despite not engaging with us directly, we found their agents showed genuine care and interest in their roles, customers and purpose. I don't work for or have any affiliation with them or the wider lettings industry, but good customer service is remembered and should be recommended. I am at the point with FJL that the bar they have set for customer service is so low, I consider someone picking up the phone at their offices to be a big achievement for them.
Don't be fooled by the pretty fonts and marketing of FJL, it doesn't reflect the low-grade output of the employees.
**(tldr version: Moved out of a property 5 months ago. The company is wilfully ignoring us in an amicable negotiation with the previous landlord to receive deposit money back. Incorrect valuations caused us to spend thousands moving in AND moving out of a home we loved. Took payment from our landlord for works carried out at the rental property but didn't carry out the work)**
My 6 months pregnant partner and I were accepted to rent a property managed by FJL Stoke Newington in September 2021, subject to reference checks. We were given the incorrect salary threshold in the midst of the checks which caused a highly stressful situation where we had already given notice on our current rental and were not sure we would be able to rent the new property (and being told we would not receive our deposit back if we pulled out). By the time the mistake had been verified and rectified by us with no apology forthcoming from the letting agent, I had already instructed my accountant to file an early tax return as an extra expense we didn't need alongside the acute stress and frustration we were forced to deal with during this process as an expectant couple.
In our two years living in the property, we had issues with certain appliances and the filter system. One such event was the washing machine, which was not operating effectively. My partner and I, now new parents, called, left emails and physically visited the FJL Stoke Newington branch for MONTHS but didn't receive any assistance to our issue.
We had an ongoing request to check the extractor fan system was operating as it should be in our baby's bedroom, as the heat was going to become a big issue in the hotter months. Only after countless more calls, emails and visits to the branch, we were instructed that the property manager looking after us no longer worked at the Stoke Newington and that our property was now in the care of the Bow branch. We were put in touch with someone who could assist us. Of course, they ghosted us after an initial email. I managed to speak to a property manager on the phone who attempted to gaslight me by saying I was 'expecting things to be done on my time' and wasn't willing to be cooperative until I made a firm point at how unacceptable their behaviour and our treatment so far had been. I did receive an apology email after our call and assurance that the matter was now in their hands directly and would be dealt with accordingly. I subsequently never heard from that property manager regarding the fan again.
We were informed by the landlord towards the end of our tenancy that the rent would be going up by an EXTRA £1250pm. We were not able to afford this amount and therefore started looking for a new property in a highly volatile market. We finally managed to secure a new place when the landlord informed us that he was given an incorrect valuation by FJL, had the property valued elsewhere and would raise it to an amount that would have been acceptable to us to stay in a property we loved. By this point, we had packed up and paid a significant amount of money to move to the new property.
During our final month of the lease, FJL didn't contact us ONCE. We had to liaise directly with their partners for inspection and key-drop services, there was no courtesy email regarding our exit from the property or deposit details. I also had to email them and cc in the landlord about some work he instructed them to carry out but they didn't complete. Yet still charged the landlord in full!!
We waited almost a month to receive the check-out report and details of our deposit return from the Islington PM team. When nothing was forthcoming despite chasing, we had to go to the landlord direct to check if he had received any contact, which he hadn't. As he also had a long list of grievances to discuss with FJL, he contacted the PM team and only then did we receive the report, which suggested everything was in order and we should receive our full deposit back. However, due to the huge delay (contravening TDS regulations) by FJL in receiving the report, the landlord visited the property direct and felt that the report didn't reflect some of the wear and tear that had occurred during our stay. Out of goodwill, we agreed that he could get a quote from a contractor for work and we could negotiate from there. He also asked the PM to release 75% of our funds, which they did after weeks zero response to his request.
The landlord received a quote which reflected wear and tear over 5 years of the property rental, and not solely from our time. We have asked the PM in charge of the negotiation to clarify our rights and negotiate with the landlord, however haven't received a single response since December 16th 2023 from them. I spoke to one of their colleagues, who promised me twice they would look into it and is now not responding to emails and calls. I have also twice emailed the manager of the PM team (once with the Area Lettings Director cc'd) with zero response.
As one can imagine, this has been a horrible cloud hanging over us when we should have been settling into our new home and Christmas, especially in the midst of a cost of living crisis. The PM team in Islington NEVER pick up the phone on their direct line and it doesn't offer a messaging or call-back service. I have also tried calling the general office lines through the week with zero pick-up. The only employees at FJL who have treated us with any professional courtesy and empathy are the concierge switchboard team.
If you are looking to or rent in similar areas, I highly recommend Location Location. Despite not engaging with us directly, we found their agents showed genuine care and interest in their roles, customers and purpose. I don't work for or have any affiliation with them or the wider lettings industry, but good customer service is remembered and should be recommended. I am at the point with FJL that the bar they have set for customer service is so low, I consider someone picking up the phone at their offices to be a big achievement for them.
Don't be fooled by the pretty fonts and marketing of FJL, it doesn't reflect the low-grade output of the employees.
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Latest Reviews
15th Jan 2024
reviewed by 'Aurora'
15th Mar 2023
reviewed by 'Catherine'
16th Feb 2023
reviewed by 'Joe'
4th Sep 2020
reviewed by 'S'
21st Jun 2019
reviewed by 'Katia'
23rd Feb 2019
reviewed by 'Fabi'
Opening Hours
Address
Felicity J Lord
313 Upper Street
London
Greater London
N1 2XQ
020 7288 1681
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 0% | 33% | £2,250 | £2,700 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Areas covered
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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Jan 15,2024
Jan 15,2024
0
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If you are looking to use Felicity J Lord as either a tenant or landlord, I implore you to read this beforehand. I have been renting in London for almost 20 years with and I have NEVER been subjected to the level of incompetence and unprofessionalism ...
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Mar 15,2023
Mar 15,2023
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I was booked to see a property with these cowboys later this week but walked past it & noticed it was sold. Having enquired on the status I was told it was under offer … not what the agent Alberto told me & given it is under offer ...
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Feb 16,2023
Feb 16,2023
1
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Absolute scum of a company. The sales team are always available but if you have any issues, their incompetent property "management" team are beyond a joke. Pathetic excuses every time, no feedback, IQ's of a donut, never use them if you actually want a semblance ...
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Sep 04,2020
Sep 04,2020
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Rats in the Boat. Worst of the lot. When the covid crisis struck, they ran away with no communication or support of the landlords. I would rather no conduct any business with such a company that cannot support it's clients....
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Jun 21,2019
Jun 21,2019
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Emrecan Selmooglu is a fantastic agent, very polite and friendly. He took on board all our needs and showed us the best property to fit them. He went above and beyond trying to accommodate also our time. Hugely recommend....
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Jun 21, 2019
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(1)
Hi Katia, Thank you for your kind words, happy to have been of service to such a wonderful family. I hope to hear from you again soon. All the best.
Regards
Emrecan. ...
Feb 23,2019
Feb 23,2019
0
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My experience has unfortunately been very poor. I just had a long number of problems that have been addressed very slowly.
I had rat feces in the kitchen from day one. It took them 2 months to come and clean. The second pair of keys didn't ...
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Oct 31,2018
Oct 31,2018
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Roz was very helpful, kind, friendly and professional showing me the properties I wanted. Sending a reminder email and was there right at the appoints time. Great service...
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Feb 05,2018
Feb 05,2018
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Neil was great - always punctual, informed, and ready to accommodate our needs, especially with regards a late evening viewing. Very professional....
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Jan 29,2018
Jan 29,2018
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Smooth easy purchase of a lock-up garage through Roz, backed up by Guy, thank you both for all of your help...
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Jan 24,2018
Jan 24,2018
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We used Roz for the sale of our property having already established a great relationship with her during the purchase.
Roz is efficient, patient, but also no-nonsense when she needs to be.
I personally am put off by Estate Agents who give you the big ...
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Comment on agent fees
The fees were comparable with other agents in the area.
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Jan 16,2018
Jan 16,2018
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We have been extremely happy with the service we have received from Felicity Lord Islington. We asked Guy to value our house a few years ago, and were very impressed by his understated professionalism and clear understandung of the market. Although we postponed selling, Guy ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good value for miney
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Nov 20,2017
Nov 20,2017
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Speaking as a buyer (but also a potential future seller)Hard working, and very conscientious. Prepared to work out of hours - comes up with ideals and follows up. Excellent....
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Comment on agent fees
No comment
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Jul 31,2017
Jul 31,2017
2
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As a landlord I have been my properties in Islington through another agent. Asked felicity Lord to let one of my property this time.
I wish I did not even contact them. Once the contract expires never will be dealing with them ever again.
Keeping ...
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Comment on agent fees
Branch manager helpful but nothing she can do.
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Oct 14,2015
Oct 14,2015
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As a buyer I had no choice but they are not very good. I can't work out if they are vague and unhelpful deliberately in order to confuse and deceive people or whether it's just incompetence. They have a strange system where they insist on ...
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Nov 10, 2015
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Hi there
We are really sorry to hear about your experience and the service you received. Please could you email these details, along with your property address, to [email protected]. We take all feedback very seriously and would like to look into this further.
Many thanks
Melanie Smith Customer Relations Manager ...
May 13,2015
May 13,2015
2
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As a prospective buyer and seller it was good to discover just how badly Roz treats potential buyers - very clearly having a laugh at the potential buyer's expense with her emails. Only when I told her that she had lost the sale of property ...
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May 27, 2015
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Hi JR,
I'm so sorry to hear this. Please could you email [email protected] so we can investigate.
Many thanks,
Melanie Smith
Customer Relations Manager ...
Sep 17,2014
Sep 17,2014
3
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The sort of estate agent who gives others a bad name.
While arranging the moving in, they routinely got details wrong on forms, were slow to respond, disorganised, had incorrect details about the property and kept changing their minds on how the deposit would be ...
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Comment on agent fees
The fees were high compared to the competition, but the agent's performance was among the worst.
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Sep 24, 2014
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Dear Anon,
We're really sorry to hear about this. Please can you email the details to [email protected] and we will look in to this for you.
Many thanks,
Melanie Smith, Customer Relations Manager ...
Dec 05,2013
Dec 05,2013
1
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Terrible service, we rent a property with them. Took us to view a furnished flat, never mentioned that the furniture did not belong to the landlord, after delivered the flat dirty and unfurnished. Sent a totally different furniture, that wasnt enough to furnish the flat ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Being professional and honest.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Sep 12,2012
Sep 12,2012
4
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I had a terrible experience from start to finish with F J Lord Islington while I was renting a property which they handled. First of all, when I was scheduled to do a check in (when moving in) - they turned up an hour late ...
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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
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