100% sales valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
84% lettings valuation accuracy
72% lettings fee satisfaction
Sep 17,2013
Sep 17,2013
34
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Whirlybird Property have caused us nothing but grief since the day we moved into the property which we rented from them. Just to demonstrate a few of the issues that we had with them:
¢â‚¬Â¢ The day we moved in (a Saturday), we had no hot water and the airing cupboard door was broken so we couldn't open it to get in a turn the hot water on. Having spoken to an employee of Whirlybird who advised she would get someone out on Monday (leaving us without hot water for 2 days!), we tried to challenge this and the employee hung up on us! The managing director then called me back and was shouting at me on the phone telling me we were being unreasonable and completely ridiculous asking for it to be fixed and calling me and my family names on the phone. They eventually arranged for a handy man to come and unlock the door for us however the boiler was not working so we ended up having no hot water until the Monday as by the time the handyman came out, we would not get hold of the letting agent again until Monday.
¢â‚¬Â¢ We had also taken the tenancy, subject to having full access to the shed for our own storage. The shed was full with the landlords stuff and, having agreed to the access when we took the tenancy, Whirlybird refused to come and sort out the things in the shed telling us that we were ridiculous for asking. Leaving us with nowhere to put our stuff and all of the landlords belongings left in there for us to sort out. When we asked about this we were told that ¢â‚¬Ëœsurely you don't need access straight away?' ¢â‚¬â€œ we asked for the bike to be removed from the premises and despite chasing several times for a few weeks after we moved in, it was never collected and the landlords other belongings were never removed.
¢â‚¬Â¢ When we moved into the property, there was a crack in the bottom step on the stairs. This was already a H&S hazard when we moved into the property as we could easily trip on it however over the first few months the crack became a whole and was very dangerous. We had to chase for 5 months before this was fixed!!
¢â‚¬Â¢ Further to the boiler being broken when we moved in, we also didn't have any heating until a few months after we moved into the house and the boiler also continued not to produce consistent hot water for the duration of our tenancy, despite chasing relentlessly. This led to 2 issues ¢â‚¬â€œ lack of heating in the house led to continuous and severe condensation in the bathroom to the point where the condensation was dripping on our heads when we were in the bathroom. This caused a lot of mould over the ceiling and in the airing cupboard, damaging our belongings and potentially making us unwell. Having sent photos to Whirlybird and having seen the mould themselves, we were told to wipe the ceiling every time we showered (although this was not occurring when we showered, it was constant) and we were also told to wash off the mould ourselves! We refused to do this as the mould was not being caused by showering and was not caused by us; it has been caused by lack of heating and no ventilation in the bathroom. We were even advised to use the extractor fan when there wasn't one! Once the heating was fixed, the issue subsided however we were left with the unsightly and potentially dangerous mould. Having chased this and asked for it to be dealt with, we were again told that this was not seen as an issue and nothing would be done about it. We ended up having to threaten to bring in Environmental Health and we were given our notice. As saviour considering we were locked in for 12 months so we were stuck in a house with no hot water, mould in the bathroom (which also smelt) and a hole in the stairs.
The second issue was not having enough hot water to shower (we only had hot water for the first minute or 2 and then it would be cool at best) and we certainly couldn't have a bath at the property unless we fancied filling it up with the kettle. The hot water also completely stopped on various occasions leaving us with no hot water at all, for example, on Christmas Eve.
¢â‚¬Â¢ When we moved in, we were also told that the toilet had been replaced as the toilet would not flush. The tiling behind the toilet had not been finished, leaving a huge hole behind the toilet which had been covered with a black plastic bag and gaffer tape! When we moved in however we also could not flush the toilet. Having cut all the hedges back and deweeded the patio ourselves, as the garden had been left like a jungle and no one came back to sort it out despite being told that they would, we found a man hole cover. We noticed that every time we showered the man hole cover would leak with water onto the patio. Taking the man hole cover off, we discovered that the drains were completely full with dense raw sewerage and this had been overflowing onto our patio!! I had to spend 5 hours waiting at the house whilst a couple of guys came out and unblocked months of raw sewerage from the drains. The landlord arranged for a survey of the drains and the person who did the survey advised to us that the drains needed replacing as they had collapsed and the man hole itself was close to collapsing and not to stand on it.
Unsurprisingly, no one ever came back to do anything about this so we were regularly left with blocked drains that we had to unblock ourselves or risk the wrath of the lettings agent shouting down the phone at us.
When we moved out of the property, Whirlybird then had the audacity to try to charge us for half of the cost of the redecoration of the bathroom ceiling!!!! Along with nearly £100 for a hairline crack in the basin and £30 for a candlestick which the inventory clerk estimated we would be charged a couple of quid for! We then had to spend hours of our time gathering evidence to dispute this. I am pleased to say that the DPS agreed with us and only awarded £5 for the candlestick and £35 as a nominal fee towards the basin. They agreed that we should not pay for the cost of repairing the ceiling in the bathroom.
This isn't the whole catalogue of issues that we had whilst we were living at the property ¢â‚¬â€œ we had to pay to get the TV aerial fixed at our own cost, the outside tap did not work and we were told we were ridiculous for even mentioning it¢â‚¬Â¦.need I go on.
Needless to say, no matter how much you love a property that Whirlybird Property have on the market I would highly recommend letting it go. We thought that we loved the house that we rented off of them but we soon felt like we were trapped in a dump with no one helping us with basic requirements of a house ¢â‚¬â€œ hot water, heating, cleanliness ¢â‚¬â€œ let alone general house maintenance. It just isn't worth it!
We have since moved to another rental property managed by Winkworth and they are brilliant. They have been extremely helpful and approachable and not at all intimidating and bully-like. Like you would expect a lettings agent to behave.
¢â‚¬Â¢ The day we moved in (a Saturday), we had no hot water and the airing cupboard door was broken so we couldn't open it to get in a turn the hot water on. Having spoken to an employee of Whirlybird who advised she would get someone out on Monday (leaving us without hot water for 2 days!), we tried to challenge this and the employee hung up on us! The managing director then called me back and was shouting at me on the phone telling me we were being unreasonable and completely ridiculous asking for it to be fixed and calling me and my family names on the phone. They eventually arranged for a handy man to come and unlock the door for us however the boiler was not working so we ended up having no hot water until the Monday as by the time the handyman came out, we would not get hold of the letting agent again until Monday.
¢â‚¬Â¢ We had also taken the tenancy, subject to having full access to the shed for our own storage. The shed was full with the landlords stuff and, having agreed to the access when we took the tenancy, Whirlybird refused to come and sort out the things in the shed telling us that we were ridiculous for asking. Leaving us with nowhere to put our stuff and all of the landlords belongings left in there for us to sort out. When we asked about this we were told that ¢â‚¬Ëœsurely you don't need access straight away?' ¢â‚¬â€œ we asked for the bike to be removed from the premises and despite chasing several times for a few weeks after we moved in, it was never collected and the landlords other belongings were never removed.
¢â‚¬Â¢ When we moved into the property, there was a crack in the bottom step on the stairs. This was already a H&S hazard when we moved into the property as we could easily trip on it however over the first few months the crack became a whole and was very dangerous. We had to chase for 5 months before this was fixed!!
¢â‚¬Â¢ Further to the boiler being broken when we moved in, we also didn't have any heating until a few months after we moved into the house and the boiler also continued not to produce consistent hot water for the duration of our tenancy, despite chasing relentlessly. This led to 2 issues ¢â‚¬â€œ lack of heating in the house led to continuous and severe condensation in the bathroom to the point where the condensation was dripping on our heads when we were in the bathroom. This caused a lot of mould over the ceiling and in the airing cupboard, damaging our belongings and potentially making us unwell. Having sent photos to Whirlybird and having seen the mould themselves, we were told to wipe the ceiling every time we showered (although this was not occurring when we showered, it was constant) and we were also told to wash off the mould ourselves! We refused to do this as the mould was not being caused by showering and was not caused by us; it has been caused by lack of heating and no ventilation in the bathroom. We were even advised to use the extractor fan when there wasn't one! Once the heating was fixed, the issue subsided however we were left with the unsightly and potentially dangerous mould. Having chased this and asked for it to be dealt with, we were again told that this was not seen as an issue and nothing would be done about it. We ended up having to threaten to bring in Environmental Health and we were given our notice. As saviour considering we were locked in for 12 months so we were stuck in a house with no hot water, mould in the bathroom (which also smelt) and a hole in the stairs.
The second issue was not having enough hot water to shower (we only had hot water for the first minute or 2 and then it would be cool at best) and we certainly couldn't have a bath at the property unless we fancied filling it up with the kettle. The hot water also completely stopped on various occasions leaving us with no hot water at all, for example, on Christmas Eve.
¢â‚¬Â¢ When we moved in, we were also told that the toilet had been replaced as the toilet would not flush. The tiling behind the toilet had not been finished, leaving a huge hole behind the toilet which had been covered with a black plastic bag and gaffer tape! When we moved in however we also could not flush the toilet. Having cut all the hedges back and deweeded the patio ourselves, as the garden had been left like a jungle and no one came back to sort it out despite being told that they would, we found a man hole cover. We noticed that every time we showered the man hole cover would leak with water onto the patio. Taking the man hole cover off, we discovered that the drains were completely full with dense raw sewerage and this had been overflowing onto our patio!! I had to spend 5 hours waiting at the house whilst a couple of guys came out and unblocked months of raw sewerage from the drains. The landlord arranged for a survey of the drains and the person who did the survey advised to us that the drains needed replacing as they had collapsed and the man hole itself was close to collapsing and not to stand on it.
Unsurprisingly, no one ever came back to do anything about this so we were regularly left with blocked drains that we had to unblock ourselves or risk the wrath of the lettings agent shouting down the phone at us.
When we moved out of the property, Whirlybird then had the audacity to try to charge us for half of the cost of the redecoration of the bathroom ceiling!!!! Along with nearly £100 for a hairline crack in the basin and £30 for a candlestick which the inventory clerk estimated we would be charged a couple of quid for! We then had to spend hours of our time gathering evidence to dispute this. I am pleased to say that the DPS agreed with us and only awarded £5 for the candlestick and £35 as a nominal fee towards the basin. They agreed that we should not pay for the cost of repairing the ceiling in the bathroom.
This isn't the whole catalogue of issues that we had whilst we were living at the property ¢â‚¬â€œ we had to pay to get the TV aerial fixed at our own cost, the outside tap did not work and we were told we were ridiculous for even mentioning it¢â‚¬Â¦.need I go on.
Needless to say, no matter how much you love a property that Whirlybird Property have on the market I would highly recommend letting it go. We thought that we loved the house that we rented off of them but we soon felt like we were trapped in a dump with no one helping us with basic requirements of a house ¢â‚¬â€œ hot water, heating, cleanliness ¢â‚¬â€œ let alone general house maintenance. It just isn't worth it!
We have since moved to another rental property managed by Winkworth and they are brilliant. They have been extremely helpful and approachable and not at all intimidating and bully-like. Like you would expect a lettings agent to behave.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Treat us with respect. Treat others how you would wish to be treated - I am sure you wouldn't want to be dealing with raw sewerage on a regular basis and be unable to have a warm showever when you get home from work.Attached Filesnbsp;
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9th Sep 2019
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Opening Hours
Address
Whirlybird Property
2 Orchard House, High Street
Cookham,Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9SJ
01628 671 060
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 100% | 100% | £558,000 | £580,000 |
| Lettings | 84% | 72% | £525 | £4,000 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 5 | 52 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
Areas covered
- SL6
- SL7
- HP10
- SL9
- HP9
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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May 27,2021
May 27,2021
1
people found
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Avoid this company, they are crooks and owe me rent they took off the tenant and they didn't pay the deposit back to us or the tenant.
They should not be allowed to trade and we took them to the ombudsmen who found in favor. ...
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Oct 24,2020
Oct 24,2020
10
people found
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this helpful
This agency shouldn't be allowed to trade. They are breaking the law by still charging illegal fees. Beware. They are crooked to the core. It took months to get my deposit back and this was only part of the deposit. I had to report them ...
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Aug 11,2020
Aug 11,2020
8
people found
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this helpful
Used a contract in breach of the Tenant Fees Act
Failed to return fees owed to tenants
Failed to return tenant's deposit and never answered correspondence requesting said return of deposit
Ignored email and calls on key issues reported on the property...
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Jul 07,2020
Jul 07,2020
7
people found
this helpful
this helpful
AVOID! I'm a landlord and I"m working through a complaint with the Property Ombudsman and taking them to court for non payment of rent. Chris?* how about you pay me the 12 months rent my tenant paid up front and the deposit you took and ...
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Jun 13,2020
Jun 13,2020
0
people found
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Chris provided me with a smooth, transparent, timely and professional service throughout
I would definite recommend WBP for both rental and sales...
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Sep 09,2019
Sep 09,2019
0
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Chris and Karen have been excellent in getting tenants at a very good rent and managing any issues in a timely manner...
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Sep 04,2019
Sep 04,2019
0
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Helpful and easy and talk to.
Good communication which made the moving in process happen with ease.
Could have made things slightly clearer ie paperwork....
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Sep 03,2019
Sep 03,2019
0
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We have found Whirybird Properties extremely efficient and friendly to deal with and the speed with which they found tenants excellent....
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Jun 03,2019
Jun 03,2019
9
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I had paid a holding deposit of £740 for a rental property when I was asked to pay another £200 for credit reference checks. At that point I read some of the reviews on this website and was shocked that both tenants and landlords were complaining about ...
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Comment on agent fees
Unusually high fees
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Apr 17,2019
Apr 17,2019
0
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Having used whirlybird for 4 + years with a rental property I have only positive things to say about them. They are efficient and caring and go the extra mile to help. They offer sound but realistic advice and are extremely straightforward in their approach . I absolutely ...
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Comment on agent fees
Fees are competitive and fair.
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Apr 10,2019
Apr 10,2019
4
people found
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this helpful
This company has my house listed to rent on their website but I bought and moved into the house over a year ago! It has not been available to rent since my offer was accepted on it Jan 2018!
I have contacted them twice now to ...
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Jul 20,2018
Jul 20,2018
0
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Good service from all the staff but in particular Chris Parry. He talked me through the contract in a detailed manner and moved me into the property in a quick timeframe....
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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Jul 06,2018
Jul 06,2018
0
people found
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Whirlybird and their staff couldn't of been more helpful for my tenancy let.
Would recommend for their efficiency and good communication....
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Comment on agent fees
Very competitive.
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Nov 24,2017
Nov 24,2017
0
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Chris is knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He guided us through the process with minimal fuss. We looked at several properties on different days and at different times of the day. Nothing was too much trouble for Chris and we will recommend him and ...
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Comment on agent fees
Nobody works for free! For the level of expertise Chris displayed, we believe the fees were good value for money.
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Nov 01,2017
Nov 01,2017
0
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Very friendly and respectful service would definitely recommend. Always on time and always willing to support with questions and queries....
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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Oct 30,2017
Oct 30,2017
0
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We received very good service and we are very satisfied. Chris showed great commitment and dedication and took us step by step throughout the lease process....
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Comment on agent fees
Agent fees are very good
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“Competent very professional courteous staff. Good local property market knowledge ......”
Oct 18,2017
Oct 18,2017
0
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Competent very professional courteous staff. Good local property market knowledge and efficient attention to formalities of leasing process. No complaints....
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Comment on agent fees
Good prompt efficient service, fees very reasonable.
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Oct 01,2017
Oct 01,2017
0
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Showed me a property on a Sunday which I was grateful for. Made things easy for me as I have a busy work schedule. Paperwork process quick and informative and this enabled a stress free move in....
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Comment on agent fees
Fair
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Aug 31,2017
Aug 31,2017
0
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I would just like to thank the team at Whirlybird. They were brilliantly efficient, very helpful, they communicated very effectively and they assisted me every step along the way.
Even when there was a slight hiccup with the landlady, they dived straight in and quickly ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good. You get what you pay for.
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Aug 30,2017
Aug 30,2017
0
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Used this agent from both a work and letting prospective. Got me a nice tenant in a very quick timeframe. Also all the staff are friendly and the contract was explained in a comprehensive way. Would use again and I think they give very good ...
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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Aug 25,2017
Aug 25,2017
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
We found the company fairly easy to deal with, the referencing system was a bit awkward with badly worded paperwork that was difficult to understand. Can't fault their communication, very good and responsive....
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Comment on agent fees
We found some of the fees to be quite expensive for the service provided.
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Aug 25,2017
Aug 25,2017
0
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From the outset Whirly Bird Properties provided and efficient, friendly and a professional level of service. They made experience of choosing a rental property significantly less stressful than it otherwise might have been...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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Aug 22,2017
Aug 22,2017
0
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I can highly recommend this company for their efficiency and professionalism. They went above and beyond to ensure my tenancy was a straightforward affair....
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Comment on agent fees
The fees were very reasonable and as far as I'm aware, were standard for the industry.
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Aug 21,2017
Aug 21,2017
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
It was a pleasure working with Chris Parry. He dealt with all matters fast and efficiently.
I would recommend Whirlybird to anyone looking to buy or rent....
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Comment on agent fees
They are the going rate.
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Aug 20,2017
Aug 20,2017
0
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The serviced offered as advertised by Whirlybird Cookham for my letting was as described
Helpful and efficient service was available throughout the whole process.
Would use again....
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Comment on agent fees
Fees were competitive.
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Aug 16,2017
Aug 16,2017
7
people found
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Awful. * I left my property spotless yet he was determined to try and see me lose some of my deposit! The landlord was even on my side bless him. Control freak!...
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Aug 21, 2017
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(1)
This property and tenant does not ring any bells and it seems very strange that the person has not identified themselves! The is always a reason why certain costs are applied to a tenant(s). If a property has not been left how is should be according to the contract I don't see why the landlord should pick up the cost. If the person was professional enough to leave their name and property address I could comment on the matter is a more comprehensive manner and address any concerns. As such, th ...
Aug 07,2017
Aug 07,2017
0
people found
this helpful
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Chris and the team were extremely accommodating and efficient; we were able to move into the property within a few weeks of initial viewing, and they explained the different rental payment options very clearly.
It was important to us that once we had found the ...
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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Jun 16,2017
Jun 16,2017
0
people found
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Good service and helpful staff. Christine and Chris were efficient and got me the property I wanted with a quick turnaround. Would recommend. Also friendly on the viewing and paperwork sign up....
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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Jun 04,2017
Jun 04,2017
13
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I am tenant. The tenancy charges are very expensive.
PLease get all the charges written before hand, before signing the contract, otherwise you will get caught into lot of hidden charges.
Try to avoid this agency at any cost if possible . The tenancy admin and ...
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Comment on agent fees
Very very bad
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Aug 21, 2017
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(1)
The tenant's name is not linked to this company. I've never heard of anybody call Kendrick? That aside, we always advise of any costs prior to a move in so tenants need to calculate and evaluate their budget prior to a move in. Furthermore, agents charges will differ all over the UK so this individual is probably not comparing like with like. It sounds like the tenant is saying if you are more expensive than another firm that they have previously used you are subsequently a bad organisation? Tha ...
Apr 30,2017
Apr 30,2017
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Very friendly and extremely helpful. Easy to communicate with and i even received a gift from them as a moving in present.
A really impressive service
Thankyou very much...
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Comment on agent fees
Fees are average
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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
Please email [email protected] and we can address your concerns.
Last updated at 10:07 AM 28/08/2017 by Chris Parry
