Dear James,
I'm currently looking at properties that are available to let and some of these properties advertised are being handled by L4A Lettings.
It does sound like you've had a most unpleasant experience and having read your review, I'm now hoping that the way that you were treated is nothing like the regular way that L4A treat their clients.
James I also read the response which I'm unaware if you've read it yourself?.
It comes from a gentleman called Steve who appears to be a director of the company L4A and he seems to have been able to respond to everything that you have written with understandable explanations.
I think what I mean to say is that L4A do seem to be an upfront company, and I am still looking for a property. So if I do find one with L4A I'd be quite pleased, but I will be visiting the office first with a bit of documentation and as a Google guide I will be able to pass any details on that may be pertinent to other users and others looking for a letting agency to rent their property out, or as in my situation they could be like myself and looking for a long term let.
Good luck for the future anyway James
Kind regards Lynda

Dear James,

Please let me take this opportunity to thank you for providing your open review of our agency. We take all reviews seriously, and take positive feedback from them, which enables us to evolve as an agent.

I am sorry that you have felt the need to publish your negative views, without reference to the positives that you must have had with us, leading to you renewing your agreement with us on numerous occasions to remain at the property for over 2 years.

Firstly, I would like to address your concern over L4A being a small company. Yes, we are an independent lettings and management agency, but we are far from small. In most cases, we look after larger portfolios of property than the large agents you mention, and several others, and often receive commendations and complements on our practices, and the professionalism and courtesy of our staff.

As you say in your review, an administration fee is often payable to an agent to undertake the required references and credit scores that our landlord's insist on, and yes, they do vary from agent to agent. We have often found that our fees are some of the most competitive in the region. This also applies to the additional fees, which we are always obliged to clearly display on an advert before a property is marketed, as per the terms of the websites that we use, so I would dispute that they are ‘never before mentioned' as you say. The fee you paid for the application was £170, and not the £250 ish you remember, and 20% of the total was VAT.

The charge for the reference is also not an uncommon one, and we do not provide these references over the telephone, so as to protect the personal data of the individual. All reference requests are to be made in writing on company letterhead paper, and ours are returned in the same way.

Moving on to your comment on giving notice, unfortunately, sometimes we are at the mercy of modern technology, and we do genuinely have issues in sending or receiving emails on occasions. Some people may find it hard to believe that there are genuinely honest agents out there, but I can assure you that we are one of them, and do not talk anything that would enable people to grow taller roses shall we say. On this occasion, we provided an alternate email address for your notice to be sent to, and it was acknowledged as soon as we received it.

With regards to the proposed deposit deductions, a full check out inspection report is carried out, and then cross referenced against the check in inventory. This check out report is then sent to the tenant, along with a list of proposed charges (if any). This report gives the breakdown of the items that are to be proposedly charged for, along with a picture to show why the charge is proposed. This being the case, I do not see how we have failed to provide adequate information as you indicate?

I hope that you would also agree that the items proposed to be charged for on the check-out report are different to those that you raised on your email shortly after your move in, and that we would have had to instruct someone to install the bulbs, that, although were provided by you, were not installed and working as they were on your move in inspection report.

I notice that you have chosen to use the ADR service using the Deposit Protection Provider to resolve this matter, which I am pleased about. After all, the deposit always remains your deposit, and it is up to the landlord or the agent to make a case for why a deduction should be made. The ADR service will now look at all the documentation and photographs and make a fair decision.

I would like to close by taking the opportunity to once again thank you for your honest review of our agency. Should there be any points raised within it which I feel may be of benefit to us, I will certainly bear them in mind for the further development of our business, and wish you, and your new agent every success for the future.