“I wouldn't even recommend this agency to my worst enemy.......”
1 Star Review
Jan 29,2019
By:
'Estrella'
Jan 29,2019
Branch: Leamington Spa, 6 Euston Place
Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £850
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: CV34
Branch: Leamington Spa, 6 Euston Place
Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £850
Postcode: CV34
4
people found
this helpful
I wouldn't even recommend this agency to my worst enemy.
The most unprofessional, rude and dishonest people I've ever met.
Let me tell you my case:
The landlord harassed us from day one, coming to our house whenever he pleased. No notice. 8am in the morning on a weekend, on Christmas, just to peek about our private life and asking us to do houseworks for him, as checking his car or painting the fence of the property.
We politely asked him to stop several times, reminding him the 24hour written notice for coming and it was in that moment when he, after shouting us in our own front garden, forced us to leave at the end of our year of contract.
We asked Hawkesford for help or advice during these months until we got any kind of answer (as we were foreigners and didn't know about the procedures in the UK), and the only answer we got straight was basically 'Hey, maybe he got upset because you told him what to do. Why don't you just leave?' suggesting we were the ones to blame and obviously not wanting to hear anything about the issue, nor even informing us about the figure of the Council to help.
Funny thing as, when we researched in the internet and asked the Council, they decided to have a small chat with the landlord and his attitude, as it was definitely NOT legal.
Weeks later, we spotted a severe mould problem because of a leaking pipe and the lack of ventilation of the house. Again, no answer during a FULL month, even if our health got affected by it and my partner had just been operated.
We had to go to the council again, which were the ONLY ONES that have actually helped us during the tenancy, and only when we informed Hawkesford that we were planning to leave and had a note of the council check saying that the mould was not our fault they decided to take a look at it... just a day after putting the post of 'available for views' in front of our house and start arranging them.
Funny coincidence, right?
But viewings were another nightmare.
The agency agent always came late (or didn't came at all) so we had to do some of the viewings ourselves or see the clients wondering near the property, clearly irritated for the delay. The agency insisted in calling us for arrangements, but our contract stated a WRITTEN notice, which they finally accepted to do only when we told them we were not going to allow them in the property if they didn't follow the contract. They also kept sending us appointments notifications weeks later after we left, which can give an idea of their internal organization too.
After checking the mould problem, we never received a report of their conclusions, nor if they wanted us to do something about it. They broke a closet in the inspection, but it was never repaired, so all the mould was exposed in the kitchen, as it was behind that closet.
Then, they 'forgot' to sent us the conditions of the check out until it was 1 week before we had to leave! We checked the contract and saw that most of their requirements were contradicting the contract itself, but they refused to reply our email asking them the reason of these changes.
Finally, even after 3 months of asking, they never told us their procedures for getting the deposit back, nor checking the inventory at our exit which, surprisingly, didn't include ANY photo in our copy, just theirs. We had to chase them EVERYDAY for two weeks after we left until we had any news about this.
So let me get this straight:
DON'T EXPECT ANY HELP OF HAWKESFORD unless they want to start the views of the property again or the authorities are forcing them to.
You are alone.
And you will have to ring them, and email them, and get tired of not hearing back, or even be mocked at when you ask for your rights. This happened to us during all the contacts, and I mean ALL, of our tenancy.
Avoid this as if it was a plague, specially a lady called CHRISTINE KELLY, which will directly tease you and treat you like a nuisance at the phone/mail.
I do not know how these people are even allowed to keep working with the public, to be honest.
Comment on agent fees
It's the only agency that forces you to pay an exit fee when leaving. Why? No idea.
4
people found
this helpful
Was this helpful?
Yes