Whirlybird Property
Beaconsfield, Maidenhead, SL6
4/5, 114 reviews
80% recommended
100% sales valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
84% lettings valuation accuracy
72% lettings fee satisfaction



Property Features


“If I could give a zero star review I would. ......”

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Dec 12,2016
Minithumbdown
By: 'Appalled'
Dec 12,2016
45 people found
this helpful
If I could give a zero star review I would. This company, in my view, is crooked in the highest order. Failed to bank my deposit for 6 months (I don't think they'd have done it at all if the landlady hadn't threatened to sack them for poor management). This BROKE THE LAW but his response is 'In reality the deposit was never in danger, and it's protected now so there's no case to answer'. Ummmm....wow!

I have never had to deal with a more arrogant man, who is intent on treating his paying customers like the scum of the earth and getting away with providing a scandalously bad level of service.

There is a catalogue of examples, but just to give a couple: my quarterly check happened (2 months late), I mentioned that the button on the toilet was loose. He got someone round to fix it while I was at work. On coming home at 5:30 on a Friday night I find the toilet broken and no notification from Whirlybird about this. He refused to send an emergency plumber, hiding behind 'the landlady won't approve the costs for an emergency plumber'. He also refused to take responsibility for one of HIS OWN APPROVED maintenance people breaking my toilet. I asked him what I should do given that I only have one toilet in the property. His response was to go to the pub for tonight and he'll 'try' and get someone in on Saturday morning. This isn't a broken socket; this is a basic sanitary requirement. His people broke it and he again couldn't see why I was enraged that he refused to put it right.

He also gave one of his contractors a key to the property to fix a window. Then called me the morning of the check to try to rearrange it because they didn't have a set of keys. I'm sorry? You're the managing agent. And yes, you do have keys as I saw your set when I picked mine up and you gave your set to the maintenance guy so he could let himself in. Suddenly the penny drops......the maintenance guy had had keys to my property for 2 weeks and the managing agent had no idea because he can't manage his way out of a paper bag. It took me to tell him where his keys probably were before he realised. This invalidated both mine and the landlady's insurance. Again, he failed to see the problem.

As part of the quarterly check, his service is to take photos. He didn't. The landlady asked where they were. He then emailed me to ask me to send him photos. I'm sorry, what are you doing for your £200 a month management fee?

The alarm system in the garage had been going off intermittently for 3 days before I moved in (the neighbours told me). I contacted Whirlybird to ask them how to switch it off and they said they didn't know. And 'we've never been in the garage so how would we know?'. You....MANAGE...the property. Not just the kitchen, not just the lounge. The property in its entirety, that I rent IN ITS ENTIRETY.

He's now effectively blackmailing me to pay £165+VAT to make an amend to my contract. One amend. Nearly £200. That's some hourly rate. The landlady approved me to have a dog on the understanding that I pay for any damage and she told him she didn't expect me to pay him any more after everything that's happened. But he's ignored this and just pressed ahead with the charges he wants to charge.

He charged me a £120 'rush fee' to get in the property within 2 weeks. I don't know about you, but I don't think 2 weeks is a particular rush given the property had been sitting empty. By the way, the landlady didn't know about this fee and wouldn't have sanctioned it.

I'm currently working with my landlady who has also received a shocking level of service, to either take him to the redress scheme or to court for the illegal holding of my deposit of over £2,000. He is liable for up to 3 times my deposit back in compensation, yet still maintains his arrogant, money grabbing demeanour.

I won't speak of my landlady's issues with him; she can write another essay from her perspective.

Sorry to rant, but people need to know this stuff. There's more I could rant about, but you get the idea. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE unless you want to be ripped off, treated like scum and talked to like you're an idiot.
Comment on agent fees
Scandalous. £120 'rush fee' to get you in a property within 2 weeks. £165+VAT to make one amend to the contract. Maintenance quotes that are nearly double the market rate. My landlady and I now work directly to do any maintenance as his service has been so bad and a rip off. We have compared quotes and had work done for nearly half the price. And yet she's still paying him £200 a month when she's effectively managing it herself now.
Was this helpful? Yes
By: John
Jul 17, 2019
Helpful review that resonates with my experience with this man and his company.
Reading through his defensive replies not once does he take responsibility for his actions and it always seems his clients are to blame or in the wrong. Even sinking to the depths of a vicious tirade. This is the response and approach of a trusworthy, friendly professional?
That alone should speaks volumes.
People dont write negative reviews without reason and make things up, what is the point in that?
Hopefully people will read these and avoid being stung my this man.
By: Chris Parry
Aug 23, 2017
Thank you for your comments. I will address any issues mentioned in the order as they covered in the tenant's comment. We are obviously not a "crooked" company in the slightest as we have won over 20 Awards for customer since 2014. We are also a member of the Property Ombudsman and they don't have any "crooked" agents within their scheme. The deposit was placed into the DPS scheme even though it did not need to be because it was a company let. The tenant lacked any knowledge on the industry process or how things operate.
We had to constantly inform her of how things work because she lacked common sense. Furthermore, we had complaints from previous personnel that had dealings with her both from a social and work perspective. All the team at WB try to help people as much we can and I personally try to go the extra mile and as such that is why I have won 11 awards for customer service since 2014. If this comment by the tenant was correct I would not have those awards.

Our level of service is outstanding which many happy people will testify to, however it seems with certain people no matter what you do they will never be happy or satisfied.

With regards to any maintenance issues, we always send around qualified personnel, however if they sometimes don't do a perfect job in lest than 24 hours the agent gets a complaint (it appears that every maintenance matter is now urgent from the tenants perspective!), however as much as we endeavour to get trades personnel to a property, they very often are busy or need to prioritise their workload as to what is urgent and non urgent. As we take this matter very seriously indeed and always strive to provide an excellent service we no longer use the company mentioned. Unfortunately, we get the backlash from other firms work which we fully accept.

With respect to the keys of the property, many trades personnel borrow keys for a property to complete maintenance jobs. This is normal practise.

This is example were the tenant had little common sense. In addition, with respect to the quarterly check, photographs are not part of the normal level of service and not part of the terms of business between WB Property and the Landlord. I'm not sure why this has been mentioned because our service level and what we provide for that service is between WB Property and the owner, nothing to do with the tenant. I think this is a prime example of the tenant stirring up problems. Mentioning photographs which is nothing to do with the tenant suggests the tenants is just trying to find very petty issues and just to trying to find matters to complain about.

With regards to the new contract to permit a pet at the property is a classic example of how deluded the tenant was. All agents firstly charge for an administration fee for a new contract, secondly all agents charge an increased security deposit for allowing a pet at the property.
This is standard protocol. Why should the owner pick up the cost if the pet has damaged the property or the property has not be cleaned properly? Our job is to protect the owner from such issues which we do very well indeed. Since this tenant has not worked in the industry how does she know what work goes into a particular task? I don't know about the work volume for a solicitor's firm because I'm not a solicitor. I don't pretend to know about other people's jobs.

Again, with regards to the "rush fee" this tenant does not know what extensive work goes into a very quick move in/check in and what needs to be organised.

As with most things in life there is always more than you think to tasks. As such, any company is entitled to charge for their time and service. Does this tenant work for free when she goes to work? If the description from this tenant was true, WB Property would not have won the awards they have. We strive to operate an excellent service and most often achieve this, but some people will never be satisfied.

To provide you an idea of the tenant's personality we later found out she had issues due to a break up, was also playing the agent off against the owner when originally we had a good relationship with the landlady. She also had made friends and colleagues aware of this review on Allagents.co.uk so they could all "find it useful" and spread the bad comments (which we had to take legal action on), she had complaints in the workplace from previous jobs, had complaints from previous partners (she had split up from her partner), completely fell out with the owner once she had moved out of the property even though she made out they were best friends whilst in the property. She would very often say one thing on the telephone and tell the owner the opposite story. A very very vindictive person who was also completely two faced and this was supported by the feedback from previous relationships. She once told the office "she used to have a footballers WAG lifestyle before splitting up from her partner". Maybe this was the crux of the problem and as such she should seek further medical help for her personality disorder.

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Opening Hours
Address

Whirlybird Property
2 Orchard House, High Street
Cookham,Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9SJ
01628 671 060

Performance statistics
Services Valuation Accuracy Fees Satisfaction Min Price of property reviewed Max Price of property reviewed
Sales 100% 100% £558,000 £580,000
Lettings 84% 72% £525 £4,000
Review statistics
From Landlords From Tenants From Vendors From Buyers Other
33 5 52 13 1 1 2 0 3 4
Areas covered
  • SL6
  • SL7
  • HP10
  • SL9
  • HP9
Services offered
  • Sales
  • Lettings
  • Block Management
  • Surveys
  • Conveyancing
  • Mortgage Advice
  • Home Builder
Members of
DPS
Latest Properties

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“Avoid this company, they are crooks...”

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May 27,2021
Minithumbdown
By: 'Rob'
May 27,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Avoid this company, they are crooks and owe me rent they took off the tenant and they didn't pay the deposit back to us or the tenant. They should not be allowed to trade and we took them to the ombudsmen who found in favor. ...
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“This agency shouldn't be allowed to trade. Th......”

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Oct 24,2020
Minithumbdown
By: 'Mario'
Oct 24,2020
10 people found
this helpful
This agency shouldn't be allowed to trade. They are breaking the law by still charging illegal fees. Beware. They are crooked to the core. It took months to get my deposit back and this was only part of the deposit. I had to report them ...
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“Used a contract in breach of the Tenant Fees ......”

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Aug 11,2020
Minithumbdown
By: 'G'
Aug 11,2020
8 people found
this helpful
Used a contract in breach of the Tenant Fees Act Failed to return fees owed to tenants Failed to return tenant's deposit and never answered correspondence requesting said return of deposit Ignored email and calls on key issues reported on the property...
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“AVOID! Whirlybird...”

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Jul 07,2020
Minithumbdown
By: 'Anna'
Jul 07,2020
7 people found
this helpful
AVOID! I'm a landlord and I"m working through a complaint with the Property Ombudsman and taking them to court for non payment of rent. Chris?* how about you pay me the 12 months rent my tenant paid up front and the deposit you took and ...
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“Great service...”

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Jun 13,2020
Minithumbup
By: 'Anna'
Jun 13,2020
0 people found
this helpful
Chris provided me with a smooth, transparent, timely and professional service throughout I would definite recommend WBP for both rental and sales...
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“Excellent service...”

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Sep 09,2019
Minithumbup
By: 'Philip'
Sep 09,2019
0 people found
this helpful
Chris and Karen have been excellent in getting tenants at a very good rent and managing any issues in a timely manner...
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“Helpful and easy and talk to. Good communica......”

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Sep 04,2019
Minithumbup
By: 'Esme'
Sep 04,2019
0 people found
this helpful
Helpful and easy and talk to. Good communication which made the moving in process happen with ease. Could have made things slightly clearer ie paperwork....
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“Excellent service....”

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Sep 03,2019
Minithumbup
By: 'Ian'
Sep 03,2019
0 people found
this helpful
We have found Whirybird Properties extremely efficient and friendly to deal with and the speed with which they found tenants excellent....
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“Took them to court and won...”

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Jun 03,2019
Minithumbup
By: 'Choghok'
Jun 03,2019
9 people found
this helpful
I had paid a holding deposit of £740 for a rental property when I was asked to pay another £200 for credit reference checks. At that point I read some of the reviews on this website and was shocked that both tenants and landlords were complaining about ...
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Comment on agent fees
Unusually high fees
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“Exceptional care...”

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Apr 17,2019
Minithumbup
By: 'Deborah'
Apr 17,2019
0 people found
this helpful
Having used whirlybird for 4 + years with a rental property I have only positive things to say about them. They are efficient and caring and go the extra mile to help. They offer sound but realistic advice and are extremely straightforward in their approach . I absolutely ...
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Comment on agent fees
Fees are competitive and fair.
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“False advertising!...”

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Apr 10,2019
Minithumbdown
By: 'J'
Apr 10,2019
4 people found
this helpful
This company has my house listed to rent on their website but I bought and moved into the house over a year ago! It has not been available to rent since my offer was accepted on it Jan 2018! I have contacted them twice now to ...
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“Letting...”

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Jul 20,2018
Minithumbup
By: 'Shaun'
Jul 20,2018
0 people found
this helpful
Good service from all the staff but in particular Chris Parry. He talked me through the contract in a detailed manner and moved me into the property in a quick timeframe....
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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“letting...”

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Jul 06,2018
Minithumbup
By: 'S'
Jul 06,2018
0 people found
this helpful
Whirlybird and their staff couldn't of been more helpful for my tenancy let. Would recommend for their efficiency and good communication....
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Comment on agent fees
Very competitive.
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“Chris is knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He guided ......”

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Nov 24,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Mr'
Nov 24,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Chris is knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He guided us through the process with minimal fuss. We looked at several properties on different days and at different times of the day. Nothing was too much trouble for Chris and we will recommend him and ...
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Comment on agent fees
Nobody works for free! For the level of expertise Chris displayed, we believe the fees were good value for money.
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“Very friendly and respectful service would definitely recommend. Always on ......”

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Nov 01,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Tony'
Nov 01,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Very friendly and respectful service would definitely recommend. Always on time and always willing to support with questions and queries....
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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“We received very good service and we are very satisfied. ......”

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Oct 30,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Carlos'
Oct 30,2017
0 people found
this helpful
We received very good service and we are very satisfied. Chris showed great commitment and dedication and took us step by step throughout the lease process....
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Comment on agent fees
Agent fees are very good
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“Competent very professional courteous staff. Good local property market knowledge ......”

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Oct 18,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'D'
Oct 18,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Competent very professional courteous staff. Good local property market knowledge and efficient attention to formalities of leasing process. No complaints....
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Comment on agent fees
Good prompt efficient service, fees very reasonable.
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“Showed me a property on a Sunday which I was ......”

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Oct 01,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Jon'
Oct 01,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Showed me a property on a Sunday which I was grateful for. Made things easy for me as I have a busy work schedule. Paperwork process quick and informative and this enabled a stress free move in....
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Comment on agent fees
Fair
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“I would just like to thank the team at Whirlybird. ......”

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Aug 31,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'nicknackhall'
Aug 31,2017
0 people found
this helpful
I would just like to thank the team at Whirlybird. They were brilliantly efficient, very helpful, they communicated very effectively and they assisted me every step along the way. Even when there was a slight hiccup with the landlady, they dived straight in and quickly ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good. You get what you pay for.
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“Used this agent from both a work and letting prospective. ......”

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Aug 30,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'James'
Aug 30,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Used this agent from both a work and letting prospective. Got me a nice tenant in a very quick timeframe. Also all the staff are friendly and the contract was explained in a comprehensive way. Would use again and I think they give very good ...
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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“We found the company fairly easy to deal with, the ......”

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Aug 25,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Jodie'
Aug 25,2017
1 people found
this helpful
We found the company fairly easy to deal with, the referencing system was a bit awkward with badly worded paperwork that was difficult to understand. Can't fault their communication, very good and responsive....
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Comment on agent fees
We found some of the fees to be quite expensive for the service provided.
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“From the outset Whirly Bird Properties provided and efficient, friendly ......”

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Aug 25,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Elaine'
Aug 25,2017
0 people found
this helpful
From the outset Whirly Bird Properties provided and efficient, friendly and a professional level of service. They made experience of choosing a rental property significantly less stressful than it otherwise might have been...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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“I can highly recommend this company for their efficiency and ......”

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Aug 22,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'John'
Aug 22,2017
0 people found
this helpful
I can highly recommend this company for their efficiency and professionalism. They went above and beyond to ensure my tenancy was a straightforward affair....
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Comment on agent fees
The fees were very reasonable and as far as I'm aware, were standard for the industry.
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“It was a pleasure working with Chris Parry. He dealt ......”

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Aug 21,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Andy'
Aug 21,2017
1 people found
this helpful
It was a pleasure working with Chris Parry. He dealt with all matters fast and efficiently. I would recommend Whirlybird to anyone looking to buy or rent....
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Comment on agent fees
They are the going rate.
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“The serviced offered as advertised by Whirlybird Cookham for my ......”

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Aug 20,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'williams'
Aug 20,2017
0 people found
this helpful
The serviced offered as advertised by Whirlybird Cookham for my letting was as described Helpful and efficient service was available throughout the whole process. Would use again....
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Comment on agent fees
Fees were competitive.
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“Awful. * I left my property spotless yet he was determined ......”

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Aug 16,2017
Minithumbdown
By: 'Disgruntled'
Aug 16,2017
7 people found
this helpful
Awful. * I left my property spotless yet he was determined to try and see me lose some of my deposit! The landlord was even on my side bless him. Control freak!...
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By: Chris Parry
Aug 21, 2017
View all comments (1)
This property and tenant does not ring any bells and it seems very strange that the person has not identified themselves! The is always a reason why certain costs are applied to a tenant(s). If a property has not been left how is should be according to the contract I don't see why the landlord should pick up the cost. If the person was professional enough to leave their name and property address I could comment on the matter is a more comprehensive manner and address any concerns. As such, th ...

“Chris and the team were extremely accommodating and efficient; we ......”

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Aug 07,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Mr'
Aug 07,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Chris and the team were extremely accommodating and efficient; we were able to move into the property within a few weeks of initial viewing, and they explained the different rental payment options very clearly. It was important to us that once we had found the ...
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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“Good service and helpful staff. Christine and Chris were efficient ......”

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Jun 16,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Richard'
Jun 16,2017
0 people found
this helpful
Good service and helpful staff. Christine and Chris were efficient and got me the property I wanted with a quick turnaround. Would recommend. Also friendly on the viewing and paperwork sign up....
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Comment on agent fees
Average
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“I am tenant. The tenancy charges are very expensive.PLease ......”

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Jun 04,2017
Minithumbdown
By: 'Kendrick'
Jun 04,2017
13 people found
this helpful
I am tenant. The tenancy charges are very expensive. PLease get all the charges written before hand, before signing the contract, otherwise you will get caught into lot of hidden charges. Try to avoid this agency at any cost if possible . The tenancy admin and ...
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Comment on agent fees
Very very bad
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By: Chris Parry
Aug 21, 2017
View all comments (1)
The tenant's name is not linked to this company. I've never heard of anybody call Kendrick? That aside, we always advise of any costs prior to a move in so tenants need to calculate and evaluate their budget prior to a move in. Furthermore, agents charges will differ all over the UK so this individual is probably not comparing like with like. It sounds like the tenant is saying if you are more expensive than another firm that they have previously used you are subsequently a bad organisation? Tha ...
No fees information available
Kindly note that legally, letting agents need to publish information about their tenancy fees, government-approved redress schemes and client money protection schemes on their website and on third party websites (on which agents are listed). For properties to lease/rent in England, agents need to keep this information up to date and precise on allAgents or specify within the property description.

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Please email [email protected] and we can address your concerns.
Last updated at 10:07 AM 28/08/2017 by Chris Parry

Awards won by Whirlybird Property, Maidenhead SL6 9SJ



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