Like many others who have written reviews on Google reviews, and also on other review websites (Yell etc), I have also fallen victim to this letting agencies dubious methods regarding withholding money from deposits, despite handing my flat back in a condition that is, quite frankly, much better than the condition in which I received it. I have had £130 withheld from deposit for my flat, despite the fact that me and my father spent two days solid completely cleaning the flat from top to bottom.

They have sent a copy of the checkout report that shows a woman holding wet wipes with smudges on them. How this equates to the flat requiring a £130 clean is beyond me. They also claim that the bedroom carpet requires shampooing, which is completely unnecessary. Another statement on the check out report included the fact that the freezer had water in the drawers. This is again, in my opinion, an unreasonable observation, as if the fridge freezer is switched off, and the doors left open prior to me checking out, then of course there will be some water accumulating in the drawers. Again, I feel that issues such as this fall some way short of necessitating a £130 clean.

Having emailed my concerns to the letting agency, I have received no response. I have, however, received communications stating that this company is to be acquired by Bowman Rebecchi. One can only hope that these new owners are a great deal more reasonable than the previous owners regarding the returning of deposits. In the meantime, I would strongly advise anyone considering moving to the Greenock area to look elsewhere, in order to save yourself a great deal of hassle.

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I'd never rented before so chose a, so-called, 'reputable', landlord. Big mistake.
Damp smell, beetles and small flies from day 1 and increasingly cracking/sharp bathroom tiles, due to incorrect laying of substrate. Took C.E six months to rectify, despite advising that I had a young child staying regularly and this was a hazard.
Only after complaints of water leaking through the ceiling of the flat below was the cause of dampness/critters investigated. It turned out to be a leaking hot water tank which had almost fallen through my floor after months of degradation.
After 3 months without hot water and countless 'insurance' excuses I decided to find somewhere else to live. I had a call today, with 10 days of my 2+ years tenancy left (now 4 months without hot water), to say C.E will fit the new hot water tank on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2019!?! Four days before I leave the premises! Just insane, bearing in mind my rent has always been paid on time, without exception. Needless to say I have sought legal advice for compensation.
As the title implies, PLEASE avoid this letting agency at all cost. Chris

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I rented from this company much to my eventual dismay! I had a dispute re. the return of my deposit which, after I carried out my own investigation (of both this agency and the owner of the property I rented) I discovered some unpleasant facts. My deposit was only returned when I gave the agency proof of the facts I'd discovered! Speaks volumes, doesn't it? Now, almost one year later, this company are claiming that I have left two unpaid utility bills - for a period of time AFTER I'd vacated the property. Still up to their old tricks of not wanting to pay out but they LOVE to find an excuse to keep your money. They even had the nerve to post a notice saying that the 'issue' had been resolved amicably. DUH

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As a property owner I have been with Castle Estates (Glasgow ) Ltd, based in Greenock for past 3-4 years. I employed them to fully manage my property, due to the fact they were a small, independent, family owned letting agency, whose employees live in the local areas. However, over the years the company has proven to be unprofessional, dishonest, putting their own financial interest above service, decency and fair play.
I have read other reviews on this site and the owners responses. Previously, I expressed my disapointment in the company,when they charged a tenant 150 pounds for a 2 hour clean following check out. Furthermore, I recognise names of individuals who have provided them with a 5 stars ratings.
One has the same names as a company director. Another, has the same name as a contractor of the company (He provides a good service, issuing gas certificates).

I could go on and on and on........ However, would like to offer tenant and property owners some general advice:
Tenants:
Request the address of you Landlord and provide them with feedback on the service you are receiving from the letting agency. If you live in Scotland and are on a contract pre-December 2017 then consider ask your landlord if they would change your contract, providing you with the benefits of new tenants rights/legislation . If you are a long term tenant who is being inconvenienced by frequent inspections then ask your landlord if he/she would consider review the number of inspection made per year.

Landlords:
Look at the details of your contract: If your contract mentions clauses like sole agency, charges for arranging maintenance work, % of the sale price if you decided market your property while tenanted, Ongoing charge for tenants even if you have changed your letting agent (on top of their finders fee). Then I suggest you remove them by putting a line through them or consider using another agent with less complex contracts. The current average maintenance charge for the area is 10% (ensure, that there is no minimum monthly charge). If your tenants decide to move on, then this would be a good time to review your contract and check out the competition. The area does have some good, honest hard-working estate agents.
Always select your own tenants and provide them with a contact address. If a situation arises consider asking your tenant to pay the rent directly to you and provide them with a receipt (email).

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I wish I had read these reviews before going with this agency. I spent hours cleaning out the flat I had rented, only to get a report saying the flat needed to be cleaned. Issues were things like slight dust on a skirting board, some water in the defrosted freezer draws, more cleaning required in the bathroom, washing machine rubber needs cleaning. Inside the kitchen lamp shade dusty. I certainly left the flat as clean if not cleaner than when I moved in. I think it's just a scam to keep deposits. On the other side of things I reported that the toilet was not flushing in August and it's still not been fixed two months later - I've only been spending the odd day in the flat since August so it wasn't a major problem, but the principles remain that I was still expected to pay full rent on a flat with no flushing toilet - then they have the cheek to pick on a bit of dust on the towel rail. Nice people when they want you to move in, not so when you move out and want your deposit back. I was thinking perhaps it was just me, but it seems like others are having identical issues. The other thing is because I live a long distance away I could not make the check out meeting. I asked if the meeting could be moved and was told no. But then they actually moved the check out and the inspection was done on a day when I could have been present.

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