92% lettings valuation accuracy
82% lettings fee satisfaction
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Dec 13,2011
Dec 13,2011
7
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Reading the reviews on this page and based upon my own experiences, I suspect Black Katz are excellent when everything goes right with a tenancy but as soon as you have any problems - everything falls apart. We moved into our tenancy at the beginning of August and have faced numerous problems, most of which we are still trying to resolve four months later. All those that have been resolved have either been because we have gone directly to the source (i.e. the council) ourselves or through constant chasing.
Below are a list of some of the issues we have faced/are still facing:
* Our moving in time was delayed to allow for a deep clean and inventory. The deep clean was never done and the inventory took over six weeks to be sent to us, rather than the week originally quoted. On moving in only one of the two sets of keys could be found by the agency - we had to go out and get a second set cut (though we were reimbursed) and the back door key was not found for a further two days. Simple information like which companies dealt with the bills of the property was also not provided, so we had to do all the running and chasing for this ourselves.
* We should have been informed of what deposit scheme our deposit was registered with within 14 days of payment, nearly five months later and after many requests, we still have not received this information.
* Having assumed that Black Katz had checked the legal status of our property we were shocked to discover, by contacting the council ourselves, that the landlord had not requested permission to change the house into two flats and had not registered the change of use. We ourselves have had to inform the council of change and have had to organise new council tax band ratings for both properties. Originally Black Katz had suggested on behalf of our landlord (who appears to be permanently out of the country and unreachable) that we paid the council tax directly to our landlord in addition to our rent - this would have in all likelihood left us, as the tenants, in breach of the law and the request should never have been passed on to us.
* Similarly it appears that health and safety checks may not have been performed adequately. It took numerous prompts to receive our gas safety certificate, there is no evidence of PAT testing within the flat and we have reason to believe there may be a major fault with the wiring in our kitchen, providing a potential fire risk. For example, one of the plugs, when switched off, does not stop stop the flow of power. Despite reporting this a fortnight ago, the problem has still not been investigated.
* On top of which we have an ongoing mold issue (the advice has been that we should keep our windows open), there are a wealth of smaller maintenance issues and a general poor quality of finish to recent refurbishment work (for example no grouting was put between the tiles in the bathroom, which has led to the inadequately laid tiles cracking) - which I believe is seriously risking our deposit return in the future through no fault of our own.
* Some of these smaller issues I have not even reported, because every time we have contacted Black Katz we have been given the feeling that we are the ones being problematic. The general standard of customer service from the Camden office is poor. We have consistently been left out of the loop regarding what is happening; despite reassurances by email that problems will be dealt with they have been promptly forgotten; and on at least five occasions we have been assured someone will call us back, we are still waiting on all five calls. When this poor service has been highlighted to Black Katz, the reason given on each occasion has been that the member of staff dealing with the issue has left or was temporary. As well as leaving us with the feeling that we are being passed from pillar to post, it also is not an excuse for our problems not to be dealt with. We are paying the company, not an individual staff member, for service and if high turnover is an issue, there should be systems in place to minimise the affect on customers.
Nearly five months after moving in, we are still facing a constant battle to get these issues resolved. I am currently seeking medical advice for stress caused by the tenancy and legal advice to discover if we can end the contract early. As I work in Residential Management myself for a major London university, I would be appalled if we had provided this service to our students and the only relief is that I can now recommend that they do not take out a contract with Black Katz themselves. I would highly recommend that people do NOT let with the company.
Below are a list of some of the issues we have faced/are still facing:
* Our moving in time was delayed to allow for a deep clean and inventory. The deep clean was never done and the inventory took over six weeks to be sent to us, rather than the week originally quoted. On moving in only one of the two sets of keys could be found by the agency - we had to go out and get a second set cut (though we were reimbursed) and the back door key was not found for a further two days. Simple information like which companies dealt with the bills of the property was also not provided, so we had to do all the running and chasing for this ourselves.
* We should have been informed of what deposit scheme our deposit was registered with within 14 days of payment, nearly five months later and after many requests, we still have not received this information.
* Having assumed that Black Katz had checked the legal status of our property we were shocked to discover, by contacting the council ourselves, that the landlord had not requested permission to change the house into two flats and had not registered the change of use. We ourselves have had to inform the council of change and have had to organise new council tax band ratings for both properties. Originally Black Katz had suggested on behalf of our landlord (who appears to be permanently out of the country and unreachable) that we paid the council tax directly to our landlord in addition to our rent - this would have in all likelihood left us, as the tenants, in breach of the law and the request should never have been passed on to us.
* Similarly it appears that health and safety checks may not have been performed adequately. It took numerous prompts to receive our gas safety certificate, there is no evidence of PAT testing within the flat and we have reason to believe there may be a major fault with the wiring in our kitchen, providing a potential fire risk. For example, one of the plugs, when switched off, does not stop stop the flow of power. Despite reporting this a fortnight ago, the problem has still not been investigated.
* On top of which we have an ongoing mold issue (the advice has been that we should keep our windows open), there are a wealth of smaller maintenance issues and a general poor quality of finish to recent refurbishment work (for example no grouting was put between the tiles in the bathroom, which has led to the inadequately laid tiles cracking) - which I believe is seriously risking our deposit return in the future through no fault of our own.
* Some of these smaller issues I have not even reported, because every time we have contacted Black Katz we have been given the feeling that we are the ones being problematic. The general standard of customer service from the Camden office is poor. We have consistently been left out of the loop regarding what is happening; despite reassurances by email that problems will be dealt with they have been promptly forgotten; and on at least five occasions we have been assured someone will call us back, we are still waiting on all five calls. When this poor service has been highlighted to Black Katz, the reason given on each occasion has been that the member of staff dealing with the issue has left or was temporary. As well as leaving us with the feeling that we are being passed from pillar to post, it also is not an excuse for our problems not to be dealt with. We are paying the company, not an individual staff member, for service and if high turnover is an issue, there should be systems in place to minimise the affect on customers.
Nearly five months after moving in, we are still facing a constant battle to get these issues resolved. I am currently seeking medical advice for stress caused by the tenancy and legal advice to discover if we can end the contract early. As I work in Residential Management myself for a major London university, I would be appalled if we had provided this service to our students and the only relief is that I can now recommend that they do not take out a contract with Black Katz themselves. I would highly recommend that people do NOT let with the company.
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Dec 13, 2011
Rhian,I am sorry that you have had reason to complain. We work very hard at customer service which is why we get so many good reviews and in our Property Management Department recently reorganised the departmentt into Portfolio Managers to increase service levels. I want to be able to provide a full response but firstly need a report back from the department and will return shortly. Again, my apologies that you have needed to complain.
Regards,
Andrew Black
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Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 92% | 82% | £600 | £2,700 |
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| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | 67 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
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Rented my 1 bedroom with BlackKatz and within 24hrs they had a tenant for me. As I first time landlord I appreciate Dani and Zia keeping me in the loop and helping me understand my obligations....
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Hi everyone I can share my experience with black kattz agency. Once you willing to be honest with them, take will make sure you got that flat or house or apartment. Black kattz will do they part and make sure the landlords keep their agreement with the tenants. I meet Mr Tom and he did let me know, I will get the flat he showed me. That turned out to be pretty truthful. And from there i get in touch with the moving manger Miss Alisha, she is a great person base on what i get from her from the fi ...
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Apr 25, 2022
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Victoria,
Many thanks for your review, much appreciated. Lisa and Pip will be really pleased you were happy with the service. Thanks again.
Regards,
Andrew
Andrew Black
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I have been dealing with Black Katz as letting agents for 2 years, they have always been accommodating and flexible with requests and the staff are friendly and approachable....
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Sep 13, 2021
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Martha,
Many thanks for your review.
Really pleased you are happy with the service.
Thanks again.
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So far the Black katz had been helpful. I shall particularly name Morgan who had handled my tenancy issue efficiently and sympathetically...
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Jan 12, 2021
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Shakya,
Many thanks for your review.
Morgan is a great member of the team and will really appreciate this positive feedback.
Thanks again.
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I had been looking for a place to live in London for months and needed to move in extremely quickly. The staff member Lisa Onion, helped me complete and provide all the paper work with such speed and efficiency as well as made sure I ...
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Cavin,
Many thanks you your review. Lisa will be really pleased you were happy with the service. Thanks again.
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I loved how Lisa handled all the process and made it so easy for me. I'm very happy with the provided service....
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Alejandra,
Lisa will be really pleased you were happy with the service.
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Andrew Black
Director ...
Jan 28,2022
Jan 28,2022
0
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Lisa, was great to deal with, quick to respond and always helpful. She explained the process and guided us through....
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Jan 31, 2022
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Karen,
Many thanks for your review. Lisa will be really pleased you were happy with the service.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Andrew
Andrew Black
Director ...
Nov 18,2021
Nov 18,2021
1
people found
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From the beginning they did it wrong, they gave us BROKEN furniture and they said we could throw it away, they gave us a house with the kitchen drain clogged and the water in the RED pipes, we sent them a message and they never ...
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Nov 24, 2021
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Isabel,
We are sorry that you were not happy with the service you received; we work very hard at providing all our tenants with the best possible service.
We have fully looked into matters and really feel your review is very unfair and not a true reflection of what happened.
1. We never said you could throw away existing furniture, the furniture was removed without the landlords consent. You replaced the furniture and no charge to you has been made.
2. Professional Cleaning. Prior to you m ...
Aug 03,2021
Aug 03,2021
1
people found
this helpful
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Black Katz have, since the very early 2000s, consistently come with a personal warning of 'not even with a barge-pole' from a number of friends who have used them (spurious 'hard sell' initial manner, total absence of support beyond tenancies being signed including totally dropped ...
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Aug 06, 2021
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Hal,
We are truly sorry that you are not happy with Black Katz.
Furthermore we can assure you that we tale all complaints very seriously.
We have been going since 1992 and let over 50,000 flats and houses and would love to have 100% customer satisfaction and where we don't we always look at how we can improve.
You start off being highly critical of Black Katz but you have never used Black Katz. You have never been a customer of Black Katz.
Having looked into the matter in detail:
1. ...
Jul 27,2021
Jul 27,2021
0
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this helpful
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Lisa at BlackCatz made the process of starting our tenancy extremely smooth and efficient! She was incredibly patient and easy to work with!...
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Jul 29, 2021
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Shazia,
Many thanks for your review.
Lisa is a great member of the Team and will really appreciate it.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
Mar 29,2021
Mar 29,2021
0
people found
this helpful
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Lisa was so helpful, friendly and went completely above and beyond to ensure everything was done quickly. Such great service and communication. Couldn't recommend Lisa & Black Katz enough!...
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Apr 04, 2021
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Aimey,
Many thanks for your review.
Lisa is a great member of the team and will really appreciate your comments.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Andrew
Andrew Black
Director ...
Dec 14,2020
Dec 14,2020
0
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Lisa was very helpful and always responded quickly. The process was easy and smooth and the application form was simple....
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Dec 19, 2020
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Naomi,
Many thanks for your positive review.
Lisa is a great member of the team and will be really pleased you were happy with the service.
Thanks again.
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Andrew
Andrew Black
Director ...
Nov 19,2020
Nov 19,2020
0
people found
this helpful
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I walked into Black Katz Camden with zero expectations except the ones I'd inherited from my previous encounters with estate agencies. The staff at this branch could not have done more to not only completely exceed those expectations, but set an entirely new standard for ...
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Nov 23, 2020
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Robert,
Many thanks for the review, much appreciated. Sam and Zia will be really pleased you had a great service. Thanks again.
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
Sep 14,2020
Sep 14,2020
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Really poor as an agent. Lacked all sense of organisation or ownership when problems arose. Their one and only goal was to get viewings done and contracts signed before they abandoned any responsibility. They next resurfaced only once notice had been given and at this ...
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Sep 17, 2020
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Jshdhgd,
I am very sorry that you feel the need to complain. We work very hard to provide the very best service which is why we get a lot of positive reviews. Please provide the property address and more details and we will look into matters. Apologies again that you feel the need to complain.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
Mar 04,2020
Mar 04,2020
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
This company has made me and my friend homeless. We handed in our notices and then despite us having glowing references and my friend having a full years rent in her account they refused us as tenants at the last minute because she was a ...
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Nov 19,2019
Nov 19,2019
0
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Horrible experience. The guys from the crouch end office are nice and helpful. However wait until you got to move out. Its been 37 days since we moved and we haven't yet received our deposit. No photos of damages te deductions- not answering to emails after ...
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Nov 27, 2019
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Fuen,
I am sorry for any delay with the return of your deposit which you have now received. We have now looked at our internal systems and have made a change with the aim that deposits can be returned even quicker.
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
May 27,2019
May 27,2019
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Black Katz were very helpful right from the get go. When we first spoke to them, they took us round three houses that they thought might be appropriate for us, from these houses, we found the house that we decided to rent. The whole process ...
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Comment on agent fees
Did not have to pay agent's fees because of a deal that Black Katz was running.
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May 30, 2019
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Darcey,
Many thanks for your review - much appreciated.
Really pleased you were happy with the service Caley provided.
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
Mar 08,2019
Mar 08,2019
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I am very satisfied for service , fast good feedback and easy communication, during onsite view on time and very get 100% help....
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Comment on agent fees
Good, not expensive
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Mar 09, 2019
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Many thanks for leaving a review, we work really hard at providing good customer service.
Thanks again.
Andrew Black
Director ...
Feb 01,2019
Feb 01,2019
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
They were really efficients and helpfull with us. The workers are really nice, proactive and they give you really quick response about everything....
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Feb 04, 2019
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Belen,
Really appreciate your positive comments.
Thanks.
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
Jan 10,2019
Jan 10,2019
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Great team, great communication, great support.
Overall, very impressed with their overall service from start till move in. Thank you for all your help....
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Feb 04, 2019
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Yasin,
We really appreciate your feedback
Regards,
Andrew Black
Director ...
Nov 30,2018
Nov 30,2018
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I have been using Black Katz for 15 years now and think they are brilliant. They have always found me really good tenants and made sure my property is always occupied. Zia and Caley in Camden are like old friends and I really value their professionalism ...
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Comment on agent fees
The fees are fair
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May 02,2018
May 02,2018
0
people found
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After a few weeks of many tiring viewings wherefrom six on this particular day, I have to admit that you'll not find better client service anywhere else than with Gary. He kindly listens to what you are exactly looking for considering the price range without ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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Feb 05,2018
Feb 05,2018
0
people found
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I've been a landlord and client of BlackKatz for over 20 years and have always found them to be very helpful & efficient. Their ability to regularly attract good tenants has been impressive.
Both Pip & Karen have always been very diligent with renewals and overall administration.
I ...
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Comment on agent fees
Fair
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Jan 17,2018
Jan 17,2018
0
people found
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this helpful
Caley was friendly and down to earth. As soon as we enquired about properties in Tufnell Park within our price range he took us to two straight away. Caley was helpful answering all my questions and communicating information from the landlord. For the great service ...
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Comment on agent fees
Obviously no one likes fees but from what i have paid before the fees seemed reasonable.
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Jan 15,2018
Jan 15,2018
0
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Black Katz have been a pleasure to deal with. They found tenants for our two flats quickly, and were very flexible and helpful when renovations delayed our timings. They dealt with all administrative issues efficiently and promptly and I would not hesitate to recommend them....
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Comment on agent fees
On a par with other agents.
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Jan 11,2018
Jan 11,2018
0
people found
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I highly recommend Black Katz Camden. They have sourced excellent tenants for me since 2012. The tenants have been really respectful of the property and have always paid on time. Zia, the Manager, is very efficient, friendly and delivers. I recently sent in the keys and ...
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Comment on agent fees
Yes, a fair fee rate.
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Jul 03,2017
Jul 03,2017
0
people found
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Absolutely blown away by the service that these guys offer. They were brilliant right from the start and didn't stop searching for places for me. This gave me such confidence as I was moving to London for the first time as a young grad....
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Comment on agent fees
Agent fees were very low and fair for London agencies.
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Apr 20,2017
Apr 20,2017
1
people found
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I came to Black Katz Camden having had a wonderful experience with their London Bridge office two years ago. The staff at Black Katz are friendly, honest, transparent and efficient. I was able to arrange multiple viewings on the same day with Charlie, and the ...
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Comment on agent fees
Much lower than the average London agency
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Apr 12,2017
Apr 12,2017
0
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Charlie has been very helpful and available, gave some good advice and helped us getting a wonderful place at a great deal, would totally recommend....
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Mar 29,2017
Mar 29,2017
0
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Fantastic agency in central London. They helped us move three times from a small studio flat to a bigger 2-bedroom apartment. They were really responsive, helpful and willing to go an extra mile to find us the perfect flat. Also, dealing with landlords can be ...
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Comment on agent fees
The fees are not the lowest in London, but they provide excellent value for the money.
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Complaints Procedure
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Last updated at 4:09 PM 25/07/2016 by allAgents
We have now looked into the matters raised.
Firstly, I can assure you that we have never considered you a problem in anyway and furthermore we have not experienced a high staff turnover and do not employ temporary staff in the Property Management Department but have now moved to a system of Portfolio Managers which we hope will improve our service to you.
1. The clean on your property was being carried out by your landlady and it is now noted that you do not believe this was done. If this is the case did you carry out the clean yourselves and if so were costs incurred that we can discuss with the landlady?
2 The deposit must be registered as you rightly state and we have been continually chasing your landlady for this information.
3. On the issue of the council tax we understand you are liasing directly with the council.
4. Regarding the electrics I understand contractors are attending this week.
5. On the issue of damp we commissioned an external damp proofing company to carry out an inspection and report which we forwarded and stated the problem was not damp but condensation so the key is ventilation and we are awaiting on the landladys response which we will again chase.
We are the managing agent and as such we are reliant on good levels of communication with all three parties and have wrtitten to the landlord stating it is vital that we have good communication with quick answers to any issues raised.
Going forward we hope matters improve and finally if you wish us to raise the issue of you leaving early with your landlady we will do this.
Again our apologies that you have needded to complain.
Regards,
Andrew Black