100% lettings valuation accuracy
29% lettings fee satisfaction
Nov 08,2013
Nov 08,2013
1
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For three years, I have occupied a flat at 34 Lodge Road Southampton. During this time, I have experienced several issues that were at no point, remedied sufficiently, or at all. This was in spite of following all of the procedures for doing so, stated in the tenancy agreement. All requests and enquiries were met with either, no response, or complete denial of previous contact attempts. Towards the end of the tenancy, when it was evident that, one or other of the responsible parties refused to remedy issues, I was forced to contact Environmental Health. This was due to the unacceptable condition of the property.
Primarily, issues were with one radiator in the back room, which overlooks the garden. Once the heating was turned on, the radiator was only warming slightly at the top. This was the case, even if the heating was on for several hours. The landlord, on two occasions, sent round a ¢â‚¬Ëœhandy man', who removed the top of one of the valves, and depressed the lever inside several times, having sprayed it with WD40. These repairs lasted a few weeks each time, but the radiator never reached anywhere near the temperature of the others in the flat.
As time went on, black mould started to appear in the room. This was particularly at the top of the window, where there was evidence of previous mould growth ( within the first few weeks of moving in, the same ¢â‚¬Ëœhandy man' came round to paint over mould that was around the window ). Several more requests for maintenance to be carried out on the radiator were made, but nothing was done. This resulted in mould growing in corners of the room.
By the final winter, after continual requests for maintenance, the only radiator supplying any heat at all, was one in the room overlooking the street. Incidentally, this is the only room without mould. To make matters worse, it was at this point that the catch on the window of the back room broke. This meant that it was not possible to secure it, when pulled to. The result was to force my partner and me, to sleep in the front room, as when the wind blew, it opened the window. This linked with the lack of heating, damp and mould, made the conditions in all but one room, unbearable.
Before any maintenance was carried out, there was water dripping from the top of the window (from the ceiling, inside the frame), extensive mould in all but one room and only one working radiator. These conditions caused damage to my property, and resulted in enormous heating bills, which were the result of trying to warm up, and subsequently dry out the flat. The window was ¢â‚¬Ëœrepaired' once, (one month after the first report, and when it was fastened closed, I was told not to use it) but was again an issue two weeks later.
Gas usage between 23 October 2011 and February 2012 was 438.09 kWh. For the same period the following year, it had risen to 1854.87 kWh. This means, that 1416.78 kWh extra were used that would not have been, if the issues were resolved when requested.
I rang Tennant Direct for the final time concerning the conditions in the flat, then referred the details to the housing authority. They recommended that I instruct a solicitor concerning the heating issue. On receiving a letter from the solicitor, the heating was repaired properly by a gas engineer, about three weeks later. I also contacted Environmental Health.
The Environmental Health officer visited the property a few months after contacting them. By this time, much of the actual damp had been eradicated, though the mould, and broken window catch were still issues, as no further maintenance was carried out.
In the winter of the first year, the ceiling in the bathroom started to develop similar black mould to that in the first room. During the second year, a new fan was fitted to attempt to remove any moisture in the air, as the first fan was deemed insufficient. Finally, in the third year, the mould was treated and part of the ceiling repainted. However, a month later, the mould had returned. In the letter from Environmental Health, it was suggested that the pattern of the mould is evidence of either poor, or non existent insulation in the loft area. On leaving the property, the mould had spread throughout the bathroom. Advice from Tennant Direct was to keep the bathroom door open. This was done, though it opened directly into the kitchen area, and made no difference to the mould, though did allow it to circulate freely into the flat.
I now have an outstanding gas bill for over £400, water damaged belongings, and Tenant Direct say it is an issue to be taken up with the landlord, though they say;
"The property is fully managed by Tenant Direct".
They also charge about £60 each to register, £80 for my partner and I to renew each year, and £50 to leave.
They fail to call back, answer email and bully entry into the property when they wish to show it. Finally, At the beginning of the third year, we were pressured to renew swiftly, or they would put the flat back on the market. Two weeks after signing the contract to renew, I was told that the landlord was raising the rent by £50 a month, and that I could pay the extra, or find somewhere else to live. After challenging them on this, I was 'permitted' to stay at the original price. rent payed was £500 a month each (£1000 total), for a cold, damp, noisy flat, consisting of four 'rooms'.
Appalling service, uncompromising, always fobbed off with lies, never a tangible result to maintenance issues, unfair costs and bullying, forceful tone when they want something.
To be fair, one, possibly two employees are at least pleasant to liaise with, (if nothing else).
Primarily, issues were with one radiator in the back room, which overlooks the garden. Once the heating was turned on, the radiator was only warming slightly at the top. This was the case, even if the heating was on for several hours. The landlord, on two occasions, sent round a ¢â‚¬Ëœhandy man', who removed the top of one of the valves, and depressed the lever inside several times, having sprayed it with WD40. These repairs lasted a few weeks each time, but the radiator never reached anywhere near the temperature of the others in the flat.
As time went on, black mould started to appear in the room. This was particularly at the top of the window, where there was evidence of previous mould growth ( within the first few weeks of moving in, the same ¢â‚¬Ëœhandy man' came round to paint over mould that was around the window ). Several more requests for maintenance to be carried out on the radiator were made, but nothing was done. This resulted in mould growing in corners of the room.
By the final winter, after continual requests for maintenance, the only radiator supplying any heat at all, was one in the room overlooking the street. Incidentally, this is the only room without mould. To make matters worse, it was at this point that the catch on the window of the back room broke. This meant that it was not possible to secure it, when pulled to. The result was to force my partner and me, to sleep in the front room, as when the wind blew, it opened the window. This linked with the lack of heating, damp and mould, made the conditions in all but one room, unbearable.
Before any maintenance was carried out, there was water dripping from the top of the window (from the ceiling, inside the frame), extensive mould in all but one room and only one working radiator. These conditions caused damage to my property, and resulted in enormous heating bills, which were the result of trying to warm up, and subsequently dry out the flat. The window was ¢â‚¬Ëœrepaired' once, (one month after the first report, and when it was fastened closed, I was told not to use it) but was again an issue two weeks later.
Gas usage between 23 October 2011 and February 2012 was 438.09 kWh. For the same period the following year, it had risen to 1854.87 kWh. This means, that 1416.78 kWh extra were used that would not have been, if the issues were resolved when requested.
I rang Tennant Direct for the final time concerning the conditions in the flat, then referred the details to the housing authority. They recommended that I instruct a solicitor concerning the heating issue. On receiving a letter from the solicitor, the heating was repaired properly by a gas engineer, about three weeks later. I also contacted Environmental Health.
The Environmental Health officer visited the property a few months after contacting them. By this time, much of the actual damp had been eradicated, though the mould, and broken window catch were still issues, as no further maintenance was carried out.
In the winter of the first year, the ceiling in the bathroom started to develop similar black mould to that in the first room. During the second year, a new fan was fitted to attempt to remove any moisture in the air, as the first fan was deemed insufficient. Finally, in the third year, the mould was treated and part of the ceiling repainted. However, a month later, the mould had returned. In the letter from Environmental Health, it was suggested that the pattern of the mould is evidence of either poor, or non existent insulation in the loft area. On leaving the property, the mould had spread throughout the bathroom. Advice from Tennant Direct was to keep the bathroom door open. This was done, though it opened directly into the kitchen area, and made no difference to the mould, though did allow it to circulate freely into the flat.
I now have an outstanding gas bill for over £400, water damaged belongings, and Tenant Direct say it is an issue to be taken up with the landlord, though they say;
"The property is fully managed by Tenant Direct".
They also charge about £60 each to register, £80 for my partner and I to renew each year, and £50 to leave.
They fail to call back, answer email and bully entry into the property when they wish to show it. Finally, At the beginning of the third year, we were pressured to renew swiftly, or they would put the flat back on the market. Two weeks after signing the contract to renew, I was told that the landlord was raising the rent by £50 a month, and that I could pay the extra, or find somewhere else to live. After challenging them on this, I was 'permitted' to stay at the original price. rent payed was £500 a month each (£1000 total), for a cold, damp, noisy flat, consisting of four 'rooms'.
Appalling service, uncompromising, always fobbed off with lies, never a tangible result to maintenance issues, unfair costs and bullying, forceful tone when they want something.
To be fair, one, possibly two employees are at least pleasant to liaise with, (if nothing else).
What agent could do to change your mind?
If they employed a Giraffe with a hair lip, wearing purple trousers, but was capable of performing the tasks that it was payed to perform.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Address
Tenant Direct
14 New Road
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 0AY
023 8033 2230
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 100% | 29% | £300 | £1,845 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 12 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
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Aug 15,2024
Aug 15,2024
1
people found
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These guys have horrendous reviews for a reason. Tenant Direct both owned and managed the property that I was a tenant in. My housemates and I suffered from a range of issues that tenant direct refused to acknowledge. We had rats from the day we ...
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Aug 16, 2024
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Hayden, we both know that everything I stated in my review was completely accurate, this is why you did not dispute anything in your reply. For anyone reading this comment, we, the tenants went through The Property Ombudsman to claim compensation from Tenant Direct. Unfortunately, we were not aware that The Property Ombudsman only has the power to judge the behaviour of the letting agent and not the landlord (Tenant Direct was both our letting agent and Landlord). The Ombudsman agreed with ever ...
Nov 28,2022
Nov 28,2022
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I was with Tennant Direct in 2014 for two years. They refused to fix our boiler and made us live in the freezing cold with no heating for a year. After being ill ever since, I have now found out that it is due to the ...
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Aug 24,2022
Aug 24,2022
0
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We've used Tenant Direct Southampton for the past 5 years. They have been absolutely amazing. We've rented with them problem and hassle free. Karliegh has been an absolute superstar. Thank you so so much for a pleasant experience....
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Jan 18,2021
Jan 18,2021
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
This company is not trustworthy, they advertised the property with free wifi, on moving in they changed the narrative that one of the tenants has the wifi to share.
Second, they lied that I did not tidy the room on left the property. They tried ...
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Oct 25,2019
Oct 25,2019
0
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I was with tenant direct for 3 years, great communication and professional service. All maintenance issues were sorted as quickly as possible and a very understanding agency. I would 100 percent recommend tenant direct, and was very sad that I moved agencies due to buying. Thank you!...
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Oct 12,2019
Oct 12,2019
0
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Excellent service by Karleigh... Tenant direct, She even helps during her days off!! Way to go girl!! Keep up your good work!!...
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Oct 08,2019
Oct 08,2019
0
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As a residential landlord I have dealt with Tenant Direct for the last 16 years and use them to fully manage my houses in Southampton. I find them pleasant and professional to deal with and when issues arise, which is unavoidable with houses, they are efficient ...
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Mar 16,2019
Mar 16,2019
4
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Stay away at all cost. **. They don't even take you to the property to show you how to open the doors with different keys when you initially move in. They first lied rejected my right to rent and made up a new law which was ...
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Mar 18, 2019
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How kind of you to offer help once I've moved out. It's a bit late for making things right don't you think? I gave Tenant Direct every opportunity to make things right for more than a year. You don't deserve my feedback. The company's online reviews speak for themselves. ...
Jul 21,2018
Jul 21,2018
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
First of all the agent said he was a private landlord. I was supposed to see 3 different apartments. On the day of the viewings, I get an e-mail that only 1 is left, but there are other properties suitable for me. I had liked one and ...
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Comment on agent fees
Bad, they do not deserve their salary
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Apr 04,2018
Apr 04,2018
3
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this helpful
this helpful
Awful service not sure how they can justify the fees as do NOTHING. Keep emailing us as 1 of the students in the house share has not paid rent. Contacting all the guarantors and tenants instead insinuating others may have to pay the amount overdue. Not ...
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Comment on agent fees
Bad as do not earn them.
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Mar 19,2018
Mar 19,2018
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Absolute joke of an estate agents. Dishonest and unprofessional in every way. Very expensive and do almost nothing they should unless you badger them. Downright rude at times too....
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Comment on agent fees
Terriblr
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Jan 24,2018
Jan 24,2018
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
In the 6 moths I have lived in the Tenant Direct property I have reported maintenance issues on over 10 occasions. You must consistently hassle them in order for anyone to come and solve the issue, for myself these including problems with a clear safety risk such ...
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Comment on agent fees
Requires advanced rent and very high fees in comparison to other agencies such as Posh Pads. Do little to nothing to deserve this fee.
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Nov 14,2017
Nov 14,2017
2
people found
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Absolutely a joke. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS PLEASE DO NOT USE THEM. They will rip you offat every corner, they really only care about the money, they will do NO maintenence on your house whatsoever. Here are a few of the problems with ...
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Comment on agent fees
Horrific.
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Oct 31,2017
Oct 31,2017
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Absolutely disgusting customer service!
After viewing the property they told us that the price had been increased, we accepted because we liked the house, big mistake. Then after moving in and speaking with the Landlord , we found out that he doesn't get charged a fee ...
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Comment on agent fees
Look for an agent with better reviews than Tenant Direct's on AllAgents! Do your research you will find much better agents in Southampton.
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Jul 11,2017
Jul 11,2017
3
people found
this helpful
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Absolutely useless, not only did they seem to act on no issues we raised with them but they also seem to have a (hidden) fee for everything. Additionally we received the house only partially cleaned yet when we left it well cleaned we still got ...
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Comment on agent fees
Many hidden and expensive fees on top of the initial expensive (~£190 pp) agency fee.
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Jul 12, 2017
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Im having the exact same problem with tenant direct! They charged us £120 for what they described as light cleaning and on the invoice it said it took the cleaners NINE HOURS to clean 2 rooms!! ...
Jul 01,2017
Jul 01,2017
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Extremely horrible experience, They showed us a property and then agreed to send us details of the property via email. I had to cancel few other properties and potential viewings,
3 days later after calling them multiple times, told me property been given to someone else. ...
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Jan 10,2017
Jan 10,2017
1
people found
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this helpful
Rats ate through the door to our kitchen as it was rotten, and became residents of our kitchen for the entire tenancy. Rang up tenant direct to ask them to sort out our issue and they claimed that the rats were due to our 'own ...
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Comment on agent fees
£50 'admin fee' for each tenant. What even is that. Ridiculous.
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Nov 23,2016
Nov 23,2016
0
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Moved into a Tenant Direct Property as a Student. It wasn't cleaned before we got there but it wasn't terrible. Either way, that was the least of our worries. In the winter it started to get very cold inside the house - often colder than ...
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Comment on agent fees
Bad! The worst I've seen. We were even charged to leave the contract! And our deposit was never given back.
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Oct 16,2016
Oct 16,2016
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
WORST AGENCY IN SOUTHAMPTON!
Moved into our home to find no cleaning had been carried out, furniture that was promised to be replaced upon viewing the property was still present and in a foul state, carpets full of cat urine, it literally was as bad ...
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Comment on agent fees
High
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Jul 02,2016
Jul 02,2016
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
AVOID THIS COMPANY - COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE! Moved into our student house today, it was extremely filthy! tenant direct claimed they had professional cleaners in, when it took us 3 hours to clean the downstairs bathroom to a liveable state. Plugs thick with hair so bad they ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
BAD! High agent fees with no cleaning or maintenance done to property prior to moving in.Attached Filesnbsp;
Comment on agent fees
BAD! High agent fees with no cleaning or maintenance done to property prior to moving in.
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Jun 22,2016
Jun 22,2016
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Awful. So poorly organised I do not understand how they are still in business. They lose forms, tell you lies and never follow up on their promises. As a highly organised person myself I could run this business better with my eyes closed. Infuriating is ...
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Oct 05,2015
Oct 05,2015
0
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They were unprofessional, tried to bully me in to paying an increased rent after I'd signed the contract and refused to repair the flat for over the last 7 months of the lease. They are hard to contact and when you do manage to contact them, ...
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Feb 11,2015
Feb 11,2015
0
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I emailed Tenant Direct as my gas boiler had stopped working on Sunday at 4pm and the heating and hot water had both gone off. I knew it was unlikely anyone would respond on a Sunday and did'nt expect a response until Monday. I was ...
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Aug 26,2014
Aug 26,2014
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Do not use this unprofessional agency, even as an introduction to a property. My daughter signed for a property that has a long standing penetrating damp problem with black blinds, black carpet flaking plaster, all due to severe damp.The property had no inventory. The ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
The fees are extortionate in comparison to their appalling serviceAttached Filesnbsp;
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Jun 11,2014
Jun 11,2014
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
So myself and 7 others rented a house in Southampton through tenants direct. When we moved in we found that the previous tenants had not cleaned anywhere so we had to clean the house ourselves until 3 days later a cleaning crew turned up. We wrote a ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
If the agents had fixed even half of the things on the list i gave them when we first moved in, i may have been satisfied, but they just left us in a crumbling house where everything was so dodgy and horrible.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Nov 08,2013
Nov 08,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
For three years, I have occupied a flat at 34 Lodge Road Southampton. During this time, I have experienced several issues that were at no point, remedied sufficiently, or at all. This was in spite of following all of the procedures for doing so, stated in ...
read full review
read full review
What agent could do to change your mind?
If they employed a Giraffe with a hair lip, wearing purple trousers, but was capable of performing the tasks that it was payed to perform.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Aug 06,2013
Aug 06,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
They were an awful letting agents. They asked for moneys that had already been payed to be payed multiple times until I physically yelled at the woman down the phone. The same goes for breakages: several phone calls and e-mails indicating not only the problem ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
They could have been more friendly, helpful, organised and offered sensible prices. They could have solved problems by not being patronising.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Jan 19,2013
Jan 19,2013
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Although this agent appears helpful upfront and dealing with issues such as maintenance they have many hidden charges that are not made clear and are not in the tenancy agreement, contrary to the requirements of ARLA membership that they accredit themselves to. Additional fees approximately ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Make ALL fees up front as per the ARLA requirements. Show willingness to enter into discussion over 'reasonable' disputes.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Oct 18,2012
Oct 18,2012
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Being a student the letting agency was not the most approachable. Although, I am living in a non-student property, things do still get broken, where it would be the letting agents/landlords obligation to fix them. After phoning them repeatedly asking them to repair things ...
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Jul 30,2012
Jul 30,2012
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Having had a broken bath and broken shower for long periods of time, they came round to 'repair them' by putting gaffer tape over cracks, didn't even last a day, leaving us without cleaning facilities.
When we got the property it was a total mess, ...
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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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