Ashley Charles Estate Agents
based on 15 ratings. This website contains 15 user reviews of Ashley Charles Estate Agents.
Agent Information
Ashley Charles Estate Agents
Ashley Charles offer an exceptional service in Residential Property Sales, Rentals and Management. We aim to provide all customers with a highly professional, personal and courteous service. Our proactive approach to selling and letting properties ensures that our customers' interests are our main priority.
Offices / Branches
Ashley Charles Estate Agents has not joined our 'transparent agent' scheme yet.
"If only I had known about this site before.." the most common comment we get posted from reviewers that have had a bad experience. So in response, allAgents has introduced a consumer awareness scheme to help identify agents that are open about independent customer feedback. This scheme is VOLUNTARY & FREE for agents to join and as an incentive, allAgents will provide them with FREE LANDLORD & VENDOR ENQUIRES. However for this scheme to be a success and to help in cleaning the industry of rogue agents, allAgents recommend that consumers shortlist one of our 'transparent agents' as your first choice. If however you do choose to contact or use Ashley Charles Estate Agents, please make them aware of the scheme and ask them to get in touch if they want to become a member. - Learn more about 'Transparent Agents'.
Customer Reviews
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by 'AD' 19/4/2012
- Branch:
- The Lodge 72 Edinburgh Road
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Ashley Charles is by far the worst letting agent I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. When I first viewed the house AJ informed me that there was work to be carried out to fix issues, such as damp, decoration and non-functioning fixtures and fittings prior to me moving in. When the day of signing contracts came, he assured us all work was completed. Having got to the house nothing had been done. The house was filthy and the check in agent ignored all points we asked to be included, skipping through as quickly as possible. It was less than a month until the problems started.... (read more)
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'AJ ooops' 4/10/2011
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
i have to tell my people that at the beginning Mr AJ from ashleycharles came across as all sweet and innocent ...yet let me warn you my friends wanting to let .....Ashleycharles cut my hot water to the point that i had to get reading borough involved until it was fixed ...bearing in mind i have a 13 year old daughter attending school....AJ didn't care for this matter and when i handed in my noticed i allowed the agency to view the property, however after being given 48 hours notice ....i told AJ they could not enter the property as my child was home alone and this would be a breach of peace... (read more)
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Streamer' 18/7/2011
- Branch:
- 3 Highfield Road
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Landlord)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Do not use these people. AJ is charm personified when it comes to getting your business. Once you're in the trap, the problems begin. I have used 4 different letting agents in Reading, and these people are by far the worst. Despite employing these people to manage a very simple property, my workload quadrupled as soon as they were on the case. As did the incidence of spurious maintenance jobs that suspiciously arose. Add to that a highly offensive customer service (including screamed offensive questions and hanging up mid sentence), and I can only conclude that this was a business model devised by Nicholas Van Hoogestradter. Don't go near them.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Kalvin G' 14/6/2010
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Think twice before using them. Whenever you have a problem at the property you're left to your own devices. No help, no communication, no assistance, no understanding.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Ms LindsayB' 30/12/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Ashley Charles is the worst letting agent I have ever experienced and I spent most of my life in Northern Ireland. Consider your deposit lost when you move in no matter how clean and punctual you are with rent. He is the kind of letting agent you should warn all of your friends about.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'PeterNuj' 30/12/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Things to consider when letting through them, consider any damage to the property prior to you moving in, your responsibilty, any faults with the home that occur even if no fault of your own, your responsibilty, your deposit is gone the moment that you hand it over, they even charge you just to keep hold of it while you let through them. They have dozens of hidden fees that must be paid, worse than solicitors!
Beware at all cost!!! Do not go near them!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Lyds' 23/11/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? Yes
I definitely need to add a comment here. I've been renting both in London and Reading for years and of all the agencies I've dealt with (which adds up to a fair few), Ashley Charles have been the best. Not only are the qualities of their properties to a high standard, they are efficient and professional to deal with. I'm not currently renting but I did have two 2-year tenancies through them and when there were a couple of practical issues to sort (basic repairs) the AC team dealt with them promptly and with minimal hassle (i.e. organising contractor visits at times to suit me). When I handed in my notice both times, I received a letter clearly setting out the check-out procedure and what was expected. After my giving the flat a thorough clean and it was checked over by AC staff (for both tenancies), my deposit was returned in full immediately. If and when I need to rent again, I'd have no hesitation in using Ashley Charles' services again. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Maxine' 12/11/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? Yes
I stumbled accross this website and have to say I am shocked at what I have read about Ashley Charles. I rented a property through them for about 15 months. They do have one the cheapest tenants fee in the area. I was in one of their managed properties and yes every 3 months they came and do inspections. The 1st time they did one I wanted to be there, as | wanted to know what it was all about. A.J arrived and was in and out in two minutes. I have never had any problems with the inspections, probably because I don't like living in a pig stye and cleaned and tidied before they came. The... (read more)
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'alemap' 30/10/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Landlord)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? Yes
The thought of having strangers living in my home was abhorrent and a very scary idea for me - made worse by the fact that I work in Europe and so would need someone to manage everything for me. After being referred by a friend I spoke to Ashley Charles and have never looked back. They put my mind at rest and have managed the whole process in a thoroughly professional manner. My contract overseas was unexpetedly extended and they have now found me my second tenants. Professional, reliable and affordable - what more could I ask for?
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Sasha Dee' 30/10/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? Yes
I've been renting property through Ashley Charles for the last 4 years and have never had any problems in my dealings with them. They had the cheapest agent fees in the area, as well as being friendly, helpful and professional. Ashley Charles did quarterly inspections on the properties, which were usually over in a few minutes so as to cause the least disruption. Any problems they discovered on the inspections they dealt with efficiently and with professionals carrying out the works to the highest degree. When I've checked out from a property I've been given my deposit back promptly with no problems. I have absolutely no qualms whatsoever in recommending Ashley Charles and the great service they provide. I can only assume that any negative reviews that people have given about Ashley Charles is because they themselves have behaved unprofessionally and unreasonably .
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'jonty' 29/10/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Wave goodbye to your deposit :-( Gone of the days of fair wear and tear, and when was it letting agents started charging higher admin fees than my solicitor? Maybe Ashley Charles can explain? Or actually maybe they can't. Cheapest in the area for fees? That's a real joke too. Avoid avoid avoid!
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'Stef Smith' 1/9/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (Prospective customer)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? Yes
I am currently in the process of renting a property through Ashley Charles and so far so good. I have found the customer service to be very good, they're actually real people, unlike some of the other estate agents that sound like they are constantly reading from a script. A few bits and pieces need doing in the property before we move in and less than 24 hours after emailing AJ with the request, the work is waiting to be carried out. The inital viewing of the property (with Miles) was really good as he allowed us to take our time, instead of being rushed which was nice. Also they persuaded the landlord to lower the price of the deposit for our dog. :)
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'nick name' 25/8/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Absolutely awful service. They WILL try to scam every last penny out of you. You are not likely to see any of your deposit back.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'plum' 24/2/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (Prospective customer)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
I whole-heartedly agree. I found the company arrogant and rude.
They make their profit by adding ludicrous amounts to their referencing fees, not to mention the hefty fee you will incur if you leave so much as a pair of socks on the floor during an inspection. I strongly suggest to all to leave well alone.
Oh and getting your whole deposit back at the end is near impossible as they have ridiculously stringent checks.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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by 'The Tenant' 20/2/2009
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Tenant)
- Experience:
- Would you use the agent again? No
Ashley Charles has from the start treated us like intruders in the house we are renting. Not for one minute have we felt at home due to stringent controls on the way we use the house: for example every 3 months a representative comes to the house to see if the house is clean and in order. It is one thing to see if we are not damaging the property but it is another to notify us that we have clothes on the floor and this should be picked up. Do they think they are our parents?
On the other hand when we need them to get a problem sorted it takes them literally MONTHS to fix them. Another issue is the fact that they try to get as much money as possible from the tenants: when we paid our deposit they tried to charge us banking fees for sending THEM the money! What is more we were both using the same bank, so not charges apply!
On the whole we have been thouroughly dissapointed with this letting agency and would strongly recommend not using them.Was this review helpful? Yes
![Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=159335870805641&picture=http://allagents.co.uk/images/logo-thumbs.png&description=Ashley Charles is by far the worst letting agent I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. When I first viewed the house AJ informed me that there was work to be carried out to fix issues, such as damp, decoration and non-functioning fixtures and fittings prior to me moving in. When the day of signing contracts came, he assured us all work was completed. Having got to the house nothing had been done. The house was filthy and the check in agent ignored all points we asked to be included, skipping through as quickly as possible. It was less than a month until the problems started. Appliances in the house broke, were reported to
Hillary and never fixed. Our boiler broke and was not fixed, despite repeated phone calls and emails, for over a month. When the time came for our first inspection we were given 36 hours notice, and despite informing AJ that it was not a convienient time, he refused to change, and then arrived over 90 minutes late, forcing me to take a full day off work. After "inspecting" the house for less than 2 minutes he informed me it was not up to scratch and he would be charging we double to come back next week, this happened 3 times, with the end charge being over £250 for less than 2 minutes work. When I phoned him to complain at these proceedings I was treated like a child and shouted at on the phone. This continued for several months. When the date finally arrived for my check out the property had been professionally. Cleaned and the property had been empty for 2 months, due to travel for work. The check out agent told me to leave part way through the check out as "it is going to take a while" when. Refused she informed me that it was no longer my property and I was technically trespassing. A week later I received a claim for several thousand pound of "damages" (which I had asked to be included in the check in report) after several months of debate, with a lawyer on my side, and over half a year of AJ ignoring our requests for the landlady to be included directly in talks and to view the improvements to the property (both of which were ignored or refused), we finally settled loosing my full deposit plus substantial monies on top. I cannot claim to be innocent, we were not the best tenants, however the house was left in the state it was given to us, and AJ and his company attempted to, and partially succeeded in fleecing us for as much as they could get. Also, the manner in which AJ went around his business makes me believe that he was acting without the knowledge of the landlady and lining his own pockets/&display=popup&link=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/23199/&redirect_uri=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/23199/ "Share on your Facebook Wall"){kind=logo}
, and I can only conclude that this was a business model devised by Nicholas Van Hoogestradter. Don't go near them./&display=popup&link=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/11300/&redirect_uri=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/11300/ "Share on your Facebook Wall"){kind=logo}
, Ashley Charles have been the best. Not only are the qualities of their properties to a high standard, they are efficient and professional to deal with. I'm not currently renting but I did have two 2-year tenancies through them and when there were a couple of practical issues to sort (basic repairs) the AC team dealt with them promptly and with minimal hassle (i.e. organising contractor visits at times to suit me). When I handed in my notice both times, I received a letter clearly setting out the check-out procedure and what was expected. After my giving the flat a thorough clean and it was checked over by AC staff (for both tenancies), my deposit was returned in full immediately. If and when I need to rent again, I'd have no hesitation in using Ashley Charles' services again. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
/&display=popup&link=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/3508/&redirect_uri=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/3508/ "Share on your Facebook Wall"){kind=logo}
 was really good as he allowed us to take our time, instead of being rushed which was nice. Also they persuaded the landlord to lower the price of the deposit for our dog. :)/&display=popup&link=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/2868/&redirect_uri=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/2868/ "Share on your Facebook Wall"){kind=logo}
