Ranked 588 out of 9469 Agents
Ludlow Thompson
people found
this helpful.
Reviewed by SD on 21st May 2008
I would not use the agent again
- Services:
- Lettings (as a Landlord)
Ludlow has been managing a property for me since March 2007.
Let me categorise the failures in service so that other landlords have an idea of my ordeal.
(1) Pre-tenancy
The fiasco began with several 'negotiators' from the same office competing with each other - taking deposits etc even before I had a chance to agree anything with no obvious communication between them
Finally I agreed to a prospective tenant and a holding deposit was taken and his details were obtained for referencing. The tenant (from the Netherlands) was 'referenced' (in which - strangely - someone elses credit card details were taken instead of the actual tenants - so that rents could be charged if they later defaulted. I soon learned that the use of this card was unauthorised and my debtor amounts rose swiftly). The tenant was said to be of good credit yet a few weeks after moving in he asked me to sign DSS papers for him (which I declined).
(2) Tenancy
The tenancy was negotiated for 24 months and they took their management fees over 5 months up from for the whole period. Why this is done - I do not know - but the result of it is that once the benefit has been passed to them - there is no further incentive to actually manage the property efficiently.
I later learned that the tenant had been accepted and 'tenanted' despite the fact that he had never viewed the property.
The next part of the fiasco began when the tenant started to make demands and threats of legal action - apparently all sorts of furniture etc had been promised to him (without my knowledge) even though the tenancy was supposed to be UNFURNISHED. In the end I felt that in the interests of keeping the tenant (whom I beleived to be of good standing at the time) I shelled out a few hundred more to furnish the flat with some basic items.
(3) Management
I have two properties in this (new) block of flats. Both are managed by independent agents. One property - no issues ever other than the usual problem here and there. The property managed by Ludlow - seems to incur more repairs, call-outs and other costs than any other property I own. i.e. the property costs are disproportionate to other assets.
It is clear that they get some benefit from contracting out 'repair jobs' - some examples: (a) tenant couldnt use the dishwasher. Solution: Send a qualified engineer to show the tenant how to use the appliance. Cost: over
 Pre-tenancy
The fiasco began with several 'negotiators' from the same office competing with each other - taking deposits etc even before I had a chance to agree anything with no obvious communication between them
Finally I agreed to a prospective tenant and a holding deposit was taken and his details were obtained for referencing. The tenant (from the Netherlands) was 'referenced' (in which - strangely - someone elses credit card details were taken instead of the actual tenants - so that rents could be charged if they later defaulted. I soon learned that the use of this card was unauthorised and my debtor amounts rose swiftly). The tenant was said to be of good credit yet a few weeks after moving in he asked me to sign DSS papers for him (which I declined).
(2) Tenancy
The tenancy was negotiated for 24 months and they took their management fees over 5 months up from for the whole period. Why this is done - I do not know - but the result of it is that once the benefit has been passed to them - there is no further incentive to actually manage the property efficiently.
I later learned that the tenant had been accepted and 'tenanted' despite the fact that he had never viewed the property.
The next part of the fiasco began when the tenant started to make demands and threats of legal action - apparently all sorts of furniture etc had been promised to him (without my knowledge) even though the tenancy was supposed to be UNFURNISHED. In the end I felt that in the interests of keeping the tenant (whom I beleived to be of good standing at the time) I shelled out a few hundred more to furnish the flat with some basic items.
(3) Management
I have two properties in this (new) block of flats. Both are managed by independent agents. One property - no issues ever other than the usual problem here and there. The property managed by Ludlow - seems to incur more repairs, call-outs and other costs than any other property I own. i.e. the property costs are disproportionate to other assets.
It is clear that they get some benefit from contracting out 'repair jobs' - some examples: (a) tenant couldnt use the dishwasher. Solution: Send a qualified engineer to show the tenant how to use the appliance. Cost: over /&display=popup&link=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/993/&redirect_uri=http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/993/ "Share on your Facebook Wall"){kind=logo}
Was this review helpful? Yes
Feature This Review
Report Abuse
Comments
joe greer, 30th May 2008
I'm also a non-resident landlord and having a nightmare of a time with Ludlow Thompson.
I'd value a chat with you to compare notes. You can reach me at joseph dot greer at the google mail system dot com if you can decipher that.
Thanks
obstante, 28th June 2008
Hi,
I have the same feelings about Ludlow Thompson and I have reported the experiences I had with them to the ARLA, their regulatory body. I would suggest you to do the same as what they did is unacceptable. Unless we unsatisfied customers take action, there will be more victims of their wrongdoings like ourselves and they will continue benefitting from their mistakes and unprofessional behaviour while us continuing to loose a lot of money and time.
I would be grateful if you could contact me via e-mail so that we can discuss our experiences and take legal action together with people like us. My e-mail address is obstante@fsmail.net
We must do something about it as I believe that Ludlow Thompson shouldn't be given licence to let properties.
The overpaid commission fees, for example, should be refunded and by not giving it, Ludlow Thompson is abusing its bargaining powers, which is not acceptable in contract law.
Regards
Customer Services at ludlowthompson, 12th March 2009
ludlowthompson operates within the professional guidelines of the member bodies of the Association of Residential Letting Agents and the Ombudsman for Estate Agents. The company is in its 15th year of trading, and helps move over 11,000 people across London every year. Customers can see hundreds of reviews from satisfied customers at www.ludlowthompson.com
The aim of a repair service is not for profit but to provide landlords with the ability to meet their obligation to tenants.
We urge any customer with a complaint to get in touch with us via customerservices@ludlowthompson.com