The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Northampton, NN1
4.2/5, 80 Reviews
83% Recommended
67% sales valuation accuracy
100% letting valuation accuracy
67% sales fee satisfaction
67% letting fee satisfaction
No Description Found
"The rating is a little..."
Share On : 
1 Star Review
By : 'dangermouse'
Services : Letting(As a Tenant)
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : NN2
Nov 28, 2012
People found this helpful57
The rating is a little innaccurate here as I have to have at least one star.Anyway my experience with this letting agency has been absolutely awful.Before moving into the property I had to pay £545.00 for the application fee and deposit combined.As a student this is a lot of money , most agents would only charge £200 deposit and one wonders what the 'application fee' is actually for if the property was found and applied for by the tenant.Upon securing the property I paid a summer retainer which is reasonable and standard for student properties where the student does not move in until september.The retainer was at half rent for the summer months which again is very reasonable.However again one wonders what you're actually paying for.I paid a £250.00 holding fee(which is deducted at the end) a £395.00 deposit and £295.00 retainer for 2 months and still was not allowed to move any of my things into the property.With nearly all student property agents , you are allowed to move your things into the property on a certain day , hand back the keys and pay the summer retainer.When I raised this concern at the offices I was told 'what if there was a fire and all of your things where damaged , who would you hold responsible ?' this question alone did not put me in the greatest confidence as clearly the agent did not know the difference between content insurance and house insurance. When I wanted to move in in September (I pay my rent on the first of every month , september is not a summer month so it is full rent) I rang the office to collect my keys , my messages where not passed on and basically I had to delay moving in by 3 days.Underwoods said that they where not aware that I had wanted to move in 3 days previously , which they wouldn't be as they did not pass on any messages.However although a minor inconvenience they did deduct rent for these few days. Moving into the house is when the problems really started.I had been assured that the room had been cleaned after the previous tenant and was assured that it was in a fit state.When I moved into my room there where toenail clippings on the floor , large stains on the carpet , a red bowl with a mouldy cup in it , dirty clothes in one of the drawers, several stains in varying shades of brown on the mattress and on the main bed frame ,to sum it was an absolute sess pit.I contacted underwoods and informed them of the state of the room and they said that they where unable to clean it as they did not have the funds ( something which they should have checked before returning the last tenants deposit surely ?) and that I should do whatever I needed to do to make myself feel comfortable.Thankfully they did remove the mattress although they did refuse to refund rent for those few days that I could not sleep on the filthy bed arguing that this was my choice to sleep on the floor. There have also been several problems with the house itself firstly there was a break in 6 months prior to my moving in , which I had learned about from the tenants , The door had not been fixed properly until now.This in my mind is an urgent security matter and far beyong a reasonable response time.Secondly the lock recently went bust , anyone could have broken in by lightly pushing the door, we notified underwoods immediately when it happened and they told us they had sent someone out to fix it.The next day , suprise ? it still was not fixed , I personally notified them the day after (I could not do this any sooner as I was working a night shift) and they basically blamed me for not notifying them sooner.Nonetheless they did send someone out immediately after my unpleasant phonecall. Another problem upon moving in was the microwave which sent out blue sparks when turned on .Again we as tenants sorted the problem out ourselves by buying a microwave and notifiying the landlord directly.Dealing with the landlord directly seemed to yield better results.Additionally there where mushrooms growing in one of the rooms which was due to the shower above leaking through the ceiling.We were promised that the problem would be fixed in 2 weeks and that we would be able to use the shower room again.In reality it took 4 weeks.All six of us had to make do with the bathroom with detachable shower head for those 4 weeks. Another word of warning is that in my experience I cannot speak for others , is that underwoods have not replied to my email complaints until recently.I would urge anyone to contact them by email and then phone them reciting the email verbatim or at least recording the phonecall.I propose that the reasoning behind not replying to the emails is to force the tenant to contact via phonecall , which is not recorded all of the time.Therefore when dealing with this agency leave a clear paper trail of evidence that you have contacted them. Despite the rather long review , I am not someone who likes to complain as I think that everyone makes mistakes and people should be given a chance.However this chain of bad experiences is completely unacceptable and I feel that it is only fair and just that other tenants can avoid being treated in this way.
Was this helpful?:
By : MD
Nov 29, 2012Dear Dangermouse We are sorry to read your review. As we are already in dialogue with you we will respond to you direct. We are a little concerned about some of your comments that are not quite right but we will explain again when we respond to you in writing. Managing Director
By : MD
Nov 29, 2012Dear Dangermouse We are sorry to read your review. As we are already in dialogue with you we will respond to you direct. We are a little concerned about some of your comments that are not quite right but we will explain again when we respond to you in writing. Managing Director
By : MD
Nov 29, 2012Dear Dangermouse We are sorry to read your review. As we are already in dialogue with you we will respond to you direct. We are a little concerned about some of your comments that are not quite right but we will explain again when we respond to you in writing. Managing Director
Browse popular links for estate agents, letting agents and properties nearby
Latest Reviews
ovaiyani26poppyfields
NorthamptonLucy
Performance Statistics
| Services | Valuation | Fees | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 67% | 67% | £0 | £0 |
| Lettings | 100% | 67% | £525 | £695 |
Address
Underwoods Town & County
16 St. Giles Street, Northampton, Northamptonshire
NN1 1JA
01604 232400
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
Advertise on
- ?Relocation Agent Network
- ?National Homes Network
- ?Move With Us
- allAgents Portal
- ?OnTheMarket
- ?Rightmove
- ?Zoopla
Social Media
Rankings
Latest Properties
No Property Found
No Property Found
Underwoods Town & County Branches (View All 2)
From start they were ...
Share On :
1 Star Review
By : 'ovaiyani26poppyfields'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £525
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : NN16
Apr 6, 2016
People found this helpful1
From start they were unprofessional, arriving late to the viewing and I should have passed this agent based on this alone. The bathroom door lock was broken and unsafe as it could fall on my little ones but it took 4 months to get fixed which is unacceptable. Fridge was not working properly... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Too high
Comments (0)
From start they were unprofessional, arriving late to the viewing and I should have passed this agent based on this alone.
Was this helpful?:
ovaiyani26poppyfields said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 6th Apr 2016
From start they were unprofessional, arriving late to the viewing and I should have passed this agent based on this alone.
The bathroom door lock was broken and unsafe as it could fall on my little ones but it took 4 months to get fixed which is unacceptable.
Fridge was not working properly throughout and complaint went unresolved. Oven was not heating up and complaint was resolved after 10 days and that
also I had to pay, and couple of months later get accused that I have not paid, when I provided evidence of payment they blamed the bad old system.
The damp/condensation issue was unresolved which led to many of our expensive cloths being damaged along with other items such as toys, kids bed, etc.
This issue was not isolated to our flat only, the problem exists with the flat opposite ours as well as the flat above us.
Underwoods were aware of this issue before we took the tenancy, as the tenants of flat 25 have raised this with Underwoods.
Their own contractor also claimed the damp issue is throughout the building not just our flat.
No wonder why we were asked to leave the property when I wanted to get Kettering Council to send a environmental engineer for assessment.
Due to this we have suffered mental, health and financial problems. My whole family including myself had constant throat problems due to the damp and often
missed work/school.
We had end of tenancy cleaning done by 2 professional ladies who spent 5 hours, which in some areas was much better than it was given to us. Yes some areas required
little more attention may be an hours work but Underwoods are now charging me £300 from my desposit to get minor issues resolved such as few crumbs on dinning table,
stain on rug which was already there when we moved in. All in all very poor, would advise not to deal with this agent.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Class A service from ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
By : 'Shannagh'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Rent PCM : £675
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN1
Jan 8, 2015
People found this helpful0
Class A service from Underwoods, polite, professional and hard-working lettings team as well as fantastic property management. Would gladly use Underwoods for any... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Class A service from Underwoods, polite, professional and hard-working lettings team as well as fantastic property management.
Was this helpful?:
Shannagh said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 8th Jan 2015
Class A service from Underwoods, polite, professional and hard-working lettings team as well as fantastic property management.
Would gladly use Underwoods for any property.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Efficient,effective,excellent! ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Lee
By : 'NorthamptonLucy'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Rent PCM : £695
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN3
Dec 16, 2014
People found this helpful1
Efficient,effective,excellent! I recently contacted Underwoods Town and County following a arduous struggle to rent out one of my properties without an agent. I spent many months of my own time and money attempting to self manage this property with little joy or benefit. After several... Read Full Review
Comments (1)Efficient,effective,excellent!
Was this helpful?:
NorthamptonLucy said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 16th Dec 2014
Efficient,effective,excellent!
I recently contacted Underwoods Town and County following a arduous struggle to rent out one of my properties without an agent.
I spent many months of my own time and money attempting to self manage this property with little joy or benefit.
After several unsuccessful meetings with other agents about listing my property I was speaking with a friend who recommended speaking with Lee Bosley at Underwoods Town and County as she had several managed properties with them over a number of years and really rates them.
I proceeded to contact Underwoods town and county and Lee came out to meet with me.
Unlike other agents who tend to be somewhat pushy and I feel unrealistic, Lee made me feel comfortable, not pressured and gave me a wealth of information that I felt I had the time to process before feeling like I had to sign any contract.
After some honest negotiation, i instructed Underwoods towns and county to manage one of my properties.
As I have previously attempted to manage my own properties I know that this is stressful and presents with challenges sometimes on a daily basis, I will be honest and say I had some apprehension as to how my experience would play out.
The first time there was an issue in the property it was a boiler fault, I was first made aware when the property management contacted me to let me know that there was a fault.
At first in my head I panicked but they detailed from start to finish what was the proposed action, how this was going to be achieved how long this would take. I instantly felt relieved that, with what I first thought would present as a major issue, was in fact dealt with so efficiently and promptly.
Unfortunately the boiler did take a couple of days to mend but every effort was made to keep me informed and attempts to keep the tenants as comfortable as possible, Lee Bosley even delivered portable heaters to the property to keep the tenants warm. Luckily it was an electric shower otherwise I dread to think what could of happened. A year later and the same tenants are still in the property and have just signed for another year. It is actions like these that really do help when you are a landlord, not only mainatinging theme relationship with me as the landlord but as importantly the tenant.
All in all from day one, Underwoods Town and County have been proffessional, honest and caring in every dealing I have had with them to the point, that they now successfully manage four rental properties for me.
Efficient Effective Excellent.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
By : MD
Dec 16, 2014Thank you Lucy, it's a pleasure looking after your property, please give us some more to look after!! Ha...
Anyone looking to have an ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Naomi
By : 'cashana'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Apr 23, 2014
People found this helpful0
Anyone looking to have an agent manage the letting of your property in Northamptonshire would do well to have the team at Underwoods Town & County do that for you. They have consistently secured us professional, caring tenants in all three of our apartments over the last three years and our... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Anyone looking to have an agent manage the letting of your property in Northamptonshire would do well to have the team at Underwoods Town & County do that for you. They have consistently secured us professional, caring tenants in all three of our apartments over the last three years and our Property Co-Ordinator went above and beyond liaising with an adjoining neighbour who's blocked downpipe created a damp issue in one of our apartments. Thank you Naomi for your always prompt, friendly and professional correspondence.
Was this helpful?:
cashana said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 23rd Apr 2014
Anyone looking to have an agent manage the letting of your property in Northamptonshire would do well to have the team at Underwoods Town & County do that for you. They have consistently secured us professional, caring tenants in all three of our apartments over the last three years and our Property Co-Ordinator went above and beyond liaising with an adjoining neighbour who's blocked downpipe created a damp issue in one of our apartments. Thank you Naomi for your always prompt, friendly and professional correspondence.
They are all a friendly helpful team who have always worked promptly and efficiently with all aspects of Property management. Not to forget their sales qualities to boot. It was Director Lee at Underwoods himself that sold us the property two years earlier. His natural friendly persona gave us no doubt it was Underwoods that we wanted to manage the lettings once renovations were complete.
A great, trustworthy team to do business with!
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Underwoods Town & County ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Naomi
Helen
By : 'lisa'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN5
Nov 12, 2013
People found this helpful3
Underwoods Town & County have been absolutely fantastic the whole way through my rental experience. Naomi Stokes has been extremely helpful through the 18 months of renting, she has always been polite and professional, and is a credit to Underwoods. I have also dealt with Helen Brock &... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Was this helpful?:
lisa parker said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 12th Nov 2013
Underwoods Town & County have been absolutely fantastic the whole way through my rental experience. Naomi Stokes has been extremely helpful through the 18 months of renting, she has always been polite and professional, and is a credit to Underwoods. I have also dealt with Helen Brock & Matthew Chambers (property inspectors) who have equally been very polite and professional on every visit, also being a credit to Underwoods. All round I have had a very pleasant experience, and would highly recommend them. I have very close friends who have had terrible experiences with different Agents, and I just only wish they had used Underwoods. I have used lots of different agents myself, and I must say Underwoods have been by far the Best!!!
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
I only have 1 property that I ...
Share On :
2 Star Review
By : 'D312'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : NN3
Oct 9, 2013
People found this helpful41
I only have 1 property that I let out and it soon becomes apparent that you are just become a number after the honeymoon period. The communication between various agents (property management and accounts) is terrible and the fees they charge for i.e recieving yr end accounts (£60) is just... Read Full Review
Comments (0)I only have 1 property that I let out and it soon becomes apparent that you are just become a number after the honeymoon period. The communication between various agents (property management and accounts) is terrible and the fees they charge for i.e recieving yr end accounts (£60) is just ridiculous for such a simple job. There were several instances from which their mistakes cost me more money and inconvenience. After one instance that required attention all i got was a phone call at 16:55 on a Friday, essentially the last person on the list at the end of the week!
Was this helpful?:
D312 said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 9th Oct 2013
I only have 1 property that I let out and it soon becomes apparent that you are just become a number after the honeymoon period. The communication between various agents (property management and accounts) is terrible and the fees they charge for i.e recieving yr end accounts (£60) is just ridiculous for such a simple job. There were several instances from which their mistakes cost me more money and inconvenience. After one instance that required attention all i got was a phone call at 16:55 on a Friday, essentially the last person on the list at the end of the week!
I have just signed with a new agent in Northampton who has been excellent and even, and i quote, said "we don't charge for sending out accounts, it is just a press of a button and an email"
Use with caution.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Not impressed with there ...
Share On :
1 Star Review
By : 'Unhappy'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : NN8
Sep 29, 2013
People found this helpful42
Not impressed with there service at all have lived in this property for 5 years they are unhelpful everything I ring up about that need fixing they never get back to me and nothing ever gets done. At one point the property was so bad I got an inspected from the council to come out and inspect the... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Was this helpful?:
Unhappy tenant said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 29th Sep 2013
Not impressed with there service at all have lived in this property for 5 years they are unhelpful everything I ring up about that need fixing they never get back to me and nothing ever gets done. At one point the property was so bad I got an inspected from the council to come out and inspect the property and only when I did that they actually got there bums in gear and did something. I would never rent from this estate agent again. I would move if I could afford to but unfortanly I'm stuck hear with this terrible estate agents.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
The property has rising damp ...
Share On :
2 Star Review
By : 'Tom'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN8
Jun 3, 2013
People found this helpful7
The property has rising damp which I informend the agency over a year ago and the main person they use to fix/mend properties is unprofessional and unreliable. So just hope nothing needs any work in your property. The only reason I would use this agent again is that they seem to have a almost a... Read Full Review
Comments (1)Was this helpful?:
Tom said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 3rd Jun 2013
The property has rising damp which I informend the agency over a year ago and the main person they use to fix/mend properties is unprofessional and unreliable. So just hope nothing needs any work in your property. The only reason I would use this agent again is that they seem to have a almost a monopoly in this and surrounding areas.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
By : Managing Director
Jun 6, 2013Dear Tom Could you let us know who the contractor was please. If a contractor is unprofessional and unreliable we need to know about it. Many thanks Managing...
Terrible service from day ...
Share On :
1 Star Review
By : 'noggin123'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : NN5
Jun 3, 2013
People found this helpful47
Terrible service from day one. I don't know why I didn't see it as a sign. On viewing the property I waited 45 mins after the arranged time for someone to show me round, nobody appeared so when I called I was told that someone had come and I was not there. I had been sat outside the house for the ... Read Full Review
Comments (1)Terrible service from day one. I don't know why I didn't see it as a sign. On viewing the property I waited 45 mins after the arranged time for someone to show me round, nobody appeared so when I called I was told that someone had come and I was not there. I had been sat outside the house for the whole time and saw no one. They then said that the agent had gone to the wrong house and that someone would be there shortly. When looking round we noticed the carpet was very dirty and needed properly cleaning, the agent said this would be done prior to me moving in at no cost to me. Well that never happened so I had to pay for this myself.
Was this helpful?:
noggin123 said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 3rd Jun 2013
Terrible service from day one. I don't know why I didn't see it as a sign. On viewing the property I waited 45 mins after the arranged time for someone to show me round, nobody appeared so when I called I was told that someone had come and I was not there. I had been sat outside the house for the whole time and saw no one. They then said that the agent had gone to the wrong house and that someone would be there shortly. When looking round we noticed the carpet was very dirty and needed properly cleaning, the agent said this would be done prior to me moving in at no cost to me. Well that never happened so I had to pay for this myself.
Then when sorting out contracts etc the agent forgot to give us a copy of the agreement and ended up running down the street to catch us up to give it to us.
During my time in the property I had a problem with the boiler. It stopped heating both radiators and water in January when the weather was very cold. So I called the "emergency line" and was told by answer machine to call back during "normal hours" to sort my problem out. This was useless considering it was a Friday evening and normal hours does not include anytime after 5pm or weekend days so I was stuck all weekend without a boiler. I called first thing on the Monday and was told the agent looking after my property and all issues was not at the desk and someone would call me back. Monday afternoon - still no call. So I call back and get told the same. Tuesday comes around still no heating or water. I call up and the agents don't know who manages the boiler/whos name the cover was in so I would have to wait until they contacted the landlord - surely this information should be already there incase of this problem? Finally got round to booking someone in just over a week after the initial problem. Ridiculous considering it was so cold. I was having to travel to parents and friends houses to shower and keep warm.
Secondly my washer/dryer broke down and was leaking. Fair enough I had to sort this myself but when I called to ask if there was warranty on it/and whos name it was registered under nobody could tell me this either and the whole "we will call you back" saga began with nobody calling back.
The final straw was when the property was inspected for the second time in the space of 6 months. Before coming to view the property I was asked by the agent if I had any pets. I stated I had a cat that lives out most of the time but comes in to be fed or if it is really cold (he hates being in). The agent said she would call back if this was not permitted. No call back so I assumed the cat was okay to stay.
Anyway first inspection was fine. Nothing was said about the cat being present in the property. I believe he was also inside during their visit as it was cold and I was at work.
Second inspection I received a letter saying "there is a cat in the property" I thought well no shit. He had been there the first time, and was outside during the second visit. They then proceeded to say that a cat was not permitted and needed to be removed from the property before the next inspection. What I wanted to know was why did this not get mentioned during the first inspection?
After this I decided that I needed to move as I needed somewhere where my cat would be allowed and in addition needed a bigger place. I called them up to let them know and sent my notice via email. I was then sent a reply stating that I needed to get the flat professionally cleaned before leaving and flea treated (my cat never had fleas as he was treated routinely but hey ho) in order to get the deposit back. So I replied saying yes that is fine. I then receive an email from the landlord whom I have never met or had dealings with before as the agents were managing my property for them, saying that she was sorry that I was leaving and refusing to get the carpets done as that is what town and county had told her. I had never disagreed to getting carpets done. Anyway my inspection is coming up soon and the property is looking in better condition than when I moved in, especially the carpets!
Anyway would deffo not use these again and have steered well clear of any properties being advertised by this agent whilst looking for my new property.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
By : Managing Director
Jun 6, 2013Dear Noggin123 You have listed a series of complaints that require investigation. You may, if you wish, write to this office so that an investigation may be carried out. Thank you Managing...
Some years ago I rented a ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
By : 'Julie'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN6
Mar 4, 2013
People found this helpful3
Some years ago I rented a property for myself with Underwoods and found them a really nice company to deal with as they were always polite and helpful. Therefore, some years after this, when I was in a position of being a landlord myself, I immediately went to Underwoods to manage my property for... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Some years ago I rented a property for myself with Underwoods and found them a really nice company to deal with as they were always polite and helpful. Therefore, some years after this, when I was in a position of being a landlord myself, I immediately went to Underwoods to manage my property for me. Over the last 3+ years they have been absolutely amazing. I moved to France hence why I was renting out my property and they managed the property for me very professionally. The staff are always polite, personable and helpful. If there was a repair needed at the property they efficiently sorted it out for me and arranged for contractors to remedy the problem. The contractors they used were always local and their prices very reasonable - I never had the feeling of being ripped off, which was very important to me as I was at a distance. The administrative procedures were always carried out swiftly. I certainly can say that I had a hassle-free experience as a landlord with Underwoods taking care of things on my behalf. I would recommend this company to anyone else who is seeking property management services.
Was this helpful?:
Julie Price said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 4th Mar 2013
Some years ago I rented a property for myself with Underwoods and found them a really nice company to deal with as they were always polite and helpful. Therefore, some years after this, when I was in a position of being a landlord myself, I immediately went to Underwoods to manage my property for me. Over the last 3+ years they have been absolutely amazing. I moved to France hence why I was renting out my property and they managed the property for me very professionally. The staff are always polite, personable and helpful. If there was a repair needed at the property they efficiently sorted it out for me and arranged for contractors to remedy the problem. The contractors they used were always local and their prices very reasonable - I never had the feeling of being ripped off, which was very important to me as I was at a distance. The administrative procedures were always carried out swiftly. I certainly can say that I had a hassle-free experience as a landlord with Underwoods taking care of things on my behalf. I would recommend this company to anyone else who is seeking property management services.
My only gripe, and it is really minor, is that, when I was in a position to sell my property I contacted their sales department in the first instance to give them the opportunity to benefit from the sales commission. However, the staff member I spoke to gave me a valuation, seemingly from his desk, as he never viewed the property, but valued it at a similar level to other properties in the area (very lazy). As it is, the house has been sold via another estate agent for a price 20k above what this staff member (from his desk) valued it at! It is a real shame as the attitude of this individual is not indicative of the property management team.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
A very good professional ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Naomi
Suzanna
By : 'Jim'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN16
Feb 8, 2013
People found this helpful10
A very good professional company who always keep in touch, deal with tenants in a fair, polite and professional manner. All problems are sorted efficiently & cost effectively making my life stress free, which is all you can ask for as a... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Was this helpful?:
Jim W said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 8th Feb 2013
A very good professional company who always keep in touch, deal with tenants in a fair, polite and professional manner. All problems are sorted efficiently & cost effectively making my life stress free, which is all you can ask for as a landlord.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Underwoods Town and County ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Naomi
By : 'Elise'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NN5
Dec 8, 2012
People found this helpful12
Underwoods Town and County are such a wonderful agent to rent with. People I know who are tenants with other agents always seem to have problems but I happily tell them what a pleasure it is to rent from Underwoods. I have rented from them for 7 years now and wouldn't rent from anyone else. A... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Underwoods Town and County are such a wonderful agent to rent with. People I know who are tenants with other agents always seem to have problems but I happily tell them what a pleasure it is to rent from Underwoods. I have rented from them for 7 years now and wouldn't rent from anyone else.
Was this helpful?:
Elise said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 8th Dec 2012
Underwoods Town and County are such a wonderful agent to rent with. People I know who are tenants with other agents always seem to have problems but I happily tell them what a pleasure it is to rent from Underwoods. I have rented from them for 7 years now and wouldn't rent from anyone else.
A massive thank you and pat on the back should go to Naomi Stokes. She is a credit to the company and is great at her job and Underwoods should feel very proud and privileged to have her working for them. I have had some maintenance problems crop up recently and she has ensured that they have been sorted out promptly and has kept me informed about every step of the way. She is fantastic.
I thoroughly recommend Underwoods as a professional, hard working and tenant friendly agent! You will not be disappointed with the service they provide.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
The rating is a little ...
Share On :
1 Star Review
By : 'dangermouse'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : NN2
Nov 28, 2012
People found this helpful57
The rating is a little innaccurate here as I have to have at least one star.Anyway my experience with this letting agency has been absolutely awful.Before moving into the property I had to pay £545.00 for the application fee and deposit combined.As a student this is a lot of money , most agents... Read Full Review
Comments (3)The rating is a little innaccurate here as I have to have at least one star.Anyway my experience with this letting agency has been absolutely awful.Before moving into the property I had to pay £545.00 for the application fee and deposit combined.As a student this is a lot of money , most agents would only charge £200 deposit and one wonders what the 'application fee' is actually for if the property was found and applied for by the tenant.Upon securing the property I paid a summer retainer which is reasonable and standard for student properties where the student does not move in until september.The retainer was at half rent for the summer months which again is very reasonable.However again one wonders what you're actually paying for.I paid a £250.00 holding fee(which is deducted at the end) a £395.00 deposit and £295.00 retainer for 2 months and still was not allowed to move any of my things into the property.With nearly all student property agents , you are allowed to move your things into the property on a certain day , hand back the keys and pay the summer retainer.When I raised this concern at the offices I was told 'what if there was a fire and all of your things where damaged , who would you hold responsible ?' this question alone did not put me in the greatest confidence as clearly the agent did not know the difference between content insurance and house insurance.
Was this helpful?:
dangermouse said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 28th Nov 2012
The rating is a little innaccurate here as I have to have at least one star.Anyway my experience with this letting agency has been absolutely awful.Before moving into the property I had to pay £545.00 for the application fee and deposit combined.As a student this is a lot of money , most agents would only charge £200 deposit and one wonders what the 'application fee' is actually for if the property was found and applied for by the tenant.Upon securing the property I paid a summer retainer which is reasonable and standard for student properties where the student does not move in until september.The retainer was at half rent for the summer months which again is very reasonable.However again one wonders what you're actually paying for.I paid a £250.00 holding fee(which is deducted at the end) a £395.00 deposit and £295.00 retainer for 2 months and still was not allowed to move any of my things into the property.With nearly all student property agents , you are allowed to move your things into the property on a certain day , hand back the keys and pay the summer retainer.When I raised this concern at the offices I was told 'what if there was a fire and all of your things where damaged , who would you hold responsible ?' this question alone did not put me in the greatest confidence as clearly the agent did not know the difference between content insurance and house insurance.
When I wanted to move in in September (I pay my rent on the first of every month , september is not a summer month so it is full rent) I rang the office to collect my keys , my messages where not passed on and basically I had to delay moving in by 3 days.Underwoods said that they where not aware that I had wanted to move in 3 days previously , which they wouldn't be as they did not pass on any messages.However although a minor inconvenience they did deduct rent for these few days.
Moving into the house is when the problems really started.I had been assured that the room had been cleaned after the previous tenant and was assured that it was in a fit state.When I moved into my room there where toenail clippings on the floor , large stains on the carpet , a red bowl with a mouldy cup in it , dirty clothes in one of the drawers, several stains in varying shades of brown on the mattress and on the main bed frame ,to sum it was an absolute sess pit.I contacted underwoods and informed them of the state of the room and they said that they where unable to clean it as they did not have the funds ( something which they should have checked before returning the last tenants deposit surely ?) and that I should do whatever I needed to do to make myself feel comfortable.Thankfully they did remove the mattress although they did refuse to refund rent for those few days that I could not sleep on the filthy bed arguing that this was my choice to sleep on the floor.
There have also been several problems with the house itself firstly there was a break in 6 months prior to my moving in , which I had learned about from the tenants , The door had not been fixed properly until now.This in my mind is an urgent security matter and far beyong a reasonable response time.Secondly the lock recently went bust , anyone could have broken in by lightly pushing the door, we notified underwoods immediately when it happened and they told us they had sent someone out to fix it.The next day , suprise ? it still was not fixed , I personally notified them the day after (I could not do this any sooner as I was working a night shift) and they basically blamed me for not notifying them sooner.Nonetheless they did send someone out immediately after my unpleasant phonecall.
Another problem upon moving in was the microwave which sent out blue sparks when turned on .Again we as tenants sorted the problem out ourselves by buying a microwave and notifiying the landlord directly.Dealing with the landlord directly seemed to yield better results.Additionally there where mushrooms growing in one of the rooms which was due to the shower above leaking through the ceiling.We were promised that the problem would be fixed in 2 weeks and that we would be able to use the shower room again.In reality it took 4 weeks.All six of us had to make do with the bathroom with detachable shower head for those 4 weeks.
Another word of warning is that in my experience I cannot speak for others , is that underwoods have not replied to my email complaints until recently.I would urge anyone to contact them by email and then phone them reciting the email verbatim or at least recording the phonecall.I propose that the reasoning behind not replying to the emails is to force the tenant to contact via phonecall , which is not recorded all of the time.Therefore when dealing with this agency leave a clear paper trail of evidence that you have contacted them.
Despite the rather long review , I am not someone who likes to complain as I think that everyone makes mistakes and people should be given a chance.However this chain of bad experiences is completely unacceptable and I feel that it is only fair and just that other tenants can avoid being treated in this way.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
By : MD
Nov 29, 2012Dear Dangermouse We are sorry to read your review. As we are already in dialogue with you we will respond to you direct. We are a little concerned about some of your comments that are not...
Overall I am disappointed ...
Share On :
2 Star Review
By : 'lizzybee87'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Nov 7, 2012
People found this helpful60
Overall I am disappointed with the service from Underwoods. When I have telephoned the office the member of staff who answered was very unhelpful and impolite. I felt she really had no interest in handling my query at all. We notified them a week ago now about our broken boiler, and having called... Read Full Review
What agent could do to change your mind?
Have someone polite answer the phone and talk things through in a helpful manner.
Comments (1)Overall I am disappointed with the service from Underwoods. When I have telephoned the office the member of staff who answered was very unhelpful and impolite. I felt she really had no interest in handling my query at all. We notified them a week ago now about our broken boiler, and having called them again today and was told that someone will be called today to fix it, but could not tell me when it will be fixed. It is November and very cold. The member of staff was very eager to end the conversation and hang up. I am someone who doesn't like to complain and understand that it isn't the fault of the staff in the office that my boiler is broken, but the person I spoke to was very short with me and didn't seem at all interested.
Was this helpful?:
lizzybee87 said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 7th Nov 2012
Overall I am disappointed with the service from Underwoods. When I have telephoned the office the member of staff who answered was very unhelpful and impolite. I felt she really had no interest in handling my query at all. We notified them a week ago now about our broken boiler, and having called them again today and was told that someone will be called today to fix it, but could not tell me when it will be fixed. It is November and very cold. The member of staff was very eager to end the conversation and hang up. I am someone who doesn't like to complain and understand that it isn't the fault of the staff in the office that my boiler is broken, but the person I spoke to was very short with me and didn't seem at all interested.
Underwoods promises a starter pack for new tenants containing basic groceries to assist when moving in. We moved in recently and received no such welcome gift. Only a little thing I know, but still a let down since we decided not to go out of our way and go buying teabags etc because we thought we had this nice little gift coming our way. I did call up to ask if we were going to get one, the person said we would receive it in two week but it never came.
I'm sad to have to write a negative review but it has left me feeling disheartened about this letting agency and like an unwelcome customer.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
By : MD
Nov 8, 2012We are very sorry to hear of your troubles. A letter is in the post to you and could you please contact the Manager of our Property Management Department so that we can immediately address the...
I have rented my property ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Diana
Anna
By : 'Sally'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Nov 7, 2012
People found this helpful19
I have rented my property through Underwoods for the past 10 years and have found them to be extremely helpful, efficient and organised with all aspects of renting out my property. The staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and when I have had the odd difficult situation with rent arrears... Read Full Review
Comments (0)I have rented my property through Underwoods for the past 10 years and have found them to be extremely helpful, efficient and organised with all aspects of renting out my property.
Was this helpful?:
Sally said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 7th Nov 2012
I have rented my property through Underwoods for the past 10 years and have found them to be extremely helpful, efficient and organised with all aspects of renting out my property.
The staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and when I have had the odd difficult situation with rent arrears or maintenance this has always been resolved quickly and in a disciplined/structured manner.
My house is extremely well looked after by them and I feel it is in good hands with a professional company employing professional staff in all areas - getting tenants, inventory control, house checks, maintenance management and payment of rental monies.
I could not recommend them more highly and look forward to another 10 years with them as I like the personal touch they provide for Landlords/Landladies.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
We have been letting our ...
Share On :
1 Star Review
Lee
Susan
By : 'Ros'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Nov 6, 2012
People found this helpful13
We have been letting our property for 6 years. Initially we experienced a very poor service from another Letting Agent and were just planning on leaving them when, luckily for us, the company was sold to Underwoods. From this moment onwards we have been very impressed with the service that we... Read Full Review
Comments (0)We have been letting our property for 6 years. Initially we experienced a very poor service from another Letting Agent and were just planning on leaving them when, luckily for us, the company was sold to Underwoods. From this moment onwards we have been very impressed with the service that we have received. As we live many miles away from Northampton, it gives us great peace of mind knowing that our property is in very capable hands. After a long tenancy our original tennants moved out, this was very straightforward and well handled by Helen. We decided to spend some time updating the property and Helen gave us good advice about this. When we were ready to hand the property back to Underwoods for marketing, we met with Lee Bosley at the house at our convenience. By the next day the property had been marketed and within 2 weeks tennants had moved in! We were thrilled with this and thank Lee and his team for such excellent service. Every detail was taken care of, as far as we were concerned.
Was this helpful?:
Ros said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 6th Nov 2012
We have been letting our property for 6 years. Initially we experienced a very poor service from another Letting Agent and were just planning on leaving them when, luckily for us, the company was sold to Underwoods. From this moment onwards we have been very impressed with the service that we have received. As we live many miles away from Northampton, it gives us great peace of mind knowing that our property is in very capable hands. After a long tenancy our original tennants moved out, this was very straightforward and well handled by Helen. We decided to spend some time updating the property and Helen gave us good advice about this. When we were ready to hand the property back to Underwoods for marketing, we met with Lee Bosley at the house at our convenience. By the next day the property had been marketed and within 2 weeks tennants had moved in! We were thrilled with this and thank Lee and his team for such excellent service. Every detail was taken care of, as far as we were concerned.
Generally, the level of service has been excellent, payments are processed quickly, communication is good and we feel well informed about changes in legislation etc. that may affect us as landlords. When there have been queries raised by us, they have always been dealt with the same day. I can't remember a time when I have left a message and the person has not got back to me the same day. In particular Susan Bouwman has been very helpful but I am sure there are others supporting to make such a seamless service.
Of course we can't comment from the tennants point of view, but we are very happy with the service we have received as Landlords.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Agent dealt with an early ...
Share On :
4 Star Review
By : 'Satisfied'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Nov 2, 2012
People found this helpful23
Agent dealt with an early lease termination in a helpful and understanding way whilst maintaining a professional approach to everything that had to be... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Was this helpful?:
Satisfied said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 2nd Nov 2012
Agent dealt with an early lease termination in a helpful and understanding way whilst maintaining a professional approach to everything that had to be done.
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
Considerable and very ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
Lee
Susan
By : 'B'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Nov 2, 2012
People found this helpful24
Considerable and very professional assistance given by Susan Bowman in the termination of a difficult Tenancy. Lee Bosley and his team efficiently and speedily handled the property re-let. I have several properties in the area for which the Let Only has been handled to my satisfaction by... Read Full Review
Comments (0)Considerable and very professional assistance given by Susan Bowman in the termination of a difficult Tenancy.
Was this helpful?:
B V Cox said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Owner )Date: 2nd Nov 2012
Considerable and very professional assistance given by Susan Bowman in the termination of a difficult Tenancy.
Lee Bosley and his team efficiently and speedily handled the property re-let.
I have several properties in the area for which the Let Only has been handled to my satisfaction by Underwoods
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
When searching for a ...
Share On :
5 Star Review
By : 'claire'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Oct 31, 2012
People found this helpful27
When searching for a property, I didn't really think about which estate agent to go with, as presumed all would provide a similar level of service... I now know better, so please do consider carefully. If you're considering Underwoods, go for it! Their reviews on here seem genuine and not as if ... Read Full Review
Comments (0)When searching for a property, I didn't really think about which estate agent to go with, as presumed all would provide a similar level of service... I now know better, so please do consider carefully. If you're considering Underwoods, go for it! Their reviews on here seem genuine and not as if written by the agents like some (see Ashby Lowry!).
Was this helpful?:
claire said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 31st Oct 2012
When searching for a property, I didn't really think about which estate agent to go with, as presumed all would provide a similar level of service... I now know better, so please do consider carefully. If you're considering Underwoods, go for it! Their reviews on here seem genuine and not as if written by the agents like some (see Ashby Lowry!).
Underwoods were approachable and helpful from the start. And they were patient as we looked around a lot of flats that were identical! When we found somewhere, we requested a lower rent if we signed for a year rather than the 6 months - they contacted the landlord and he met us in the middle. From then on, everything went by the book - we only needed maintenance once but it was handled really quickly. When we left, the inspection went fine - they kept about £40 for a few knocks and bits that we hadn't noticed that we'd missed when cleaning.... this seemed very fair. The deposit was returned to us very quickly.
The only thing I felt was a shame was that we never dealt with the same person twice. It wasn't a big deal at all. However, it did mean I went from renting with them to a one man operation for my next estate agent.... big mistake! (He couldn't cope with the work load and there was no one to complain to when he continually breached the contract.) But it has made me really appreciate the excellent service that I got from Underwoods.
I'm now on the look out again for a property and I'm disappointed that Underwoods don't have as many properties on their books at the moment.... I want to go with them again! I have viewed a couple through them and Bradley, who showed me the houses, was friendly, professional and very helpful. He also didn't seem to mind that I had him out showing me places when I hadn't quite worked out what I was looking for.
If they have a property suitable for you, go with them. If not, take heed of these reviews (but also read all of them for the agent in case its the agent being sneaky and writing as customers).
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
I rented a property in the ...
Share On :
1 Star Review
By : 'Miss'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Sep 3, 2012
People found this helpful63
I rented a property in the County Chambers building for 2 years. I had no problems with Underwoods or the property for the first 8 months of my tenancy, things soon went down hill though after that! *Firstly my washing machine broke down. I reported this straight away, but still had to wait 5... Read Full Review
What agent could do to change your mind?
Provided a better service, and generally upheld their side of the tenancy agreement.
Comments (4)I rented a property in the County Chambers building for 2 years. I had no problems with Underwoods or the property for the first 8 months of my tenancy, things soon went down hill though after that!
Was this helpful?:
Miss E said about Underwoods Town & County
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )Date: 3rd Sep 2012
I rented a property in the County Chambers building for 2 years. I had no problems with Underwoods or the property for the first 8 months of my tenancy, things soon went down hill though after that!
*Firstly my washing machine broke down. I reported this straight away, but still had to wait 5 weeks to get a new one (not exactly fair and reasonable time)
*I had a problem with the electrics in the bathroom which I reported 4 times, and nothing was ever done about it.
*I asked for countless meter readings which I never got.
*There were issues with tenants dumping rubbish in the communal areas. I had reported this to property management on a few occasions so imagine my disgust when I received a bill for £30 for rubbish removal services. This was apparently charged to every flat in the building (there are a total of 27 flats in the building.....you do the math!!)
*When it came to renewing my tenancy I requested to have my Boyfriend added. I paid all fees as requested and he was initially added on to the tenancy agreement. Somehow over the course of the next 12 months though his name miraculously disappeared from said agreement and Underwoods refused to have any dealings with him.
*There was an incident where the young lady in the flat opposite us got locked out of her flat one morning. She knocked on my door still in her nightclothes with no shoes, etc, and asked to borrow our phone to get someone from Underwoods to pop down with the spare key and let her back in. The response she was given was that there was no-one free in the office and she would have to go and collect the key herself. My Boyfriend kindly offered to collect the key for her(as she had no clothes or shoes on), and on his arrival at the office was greeted by the sight of 4 people sitting at their desks! Yet apparently no-one was free!
* My shower stopped working properly 6 weeks before I moved out. Once again this was something that I reported to Underwoods, yet nothing was ever done about it.
* There were countless times when the lift in the building broke down, this would be reported to Underwoods but nothing was ever done. In fact when I moved out of the property the lift had not worked for 2 months. Not fun when moving out of a second floor apartment whilst pregnant!
* The communal areas of the building were no longer being cleaned, at one point we went 9 months without cleaners coming in, even though it clearly stated in the tenancy agreement that Underwoods were responsible for providing this regular service.
One of the most disgusting things to happen though was when some delightful little urchin vomited in the stairwell one evening. I reported the matter to Underwoods, and was informed that I was not the only person to have made such a report. Nonetheless it was almost 3 weeks before the vomit was cleaned up. You can only imagine how delightful it was to have to walk past the contents of someones stomach every day for 3 weeks!!
So in hindsight I will NEVER use Underwoods Town & County again, nor would I recommend them to anyone else for that matter. They are very happy to get your money out of you, but tried every way possible to try and diddle me out of my security deposit, even though I left the flat cleaner than it was when I moved in.
My advice to anyone looking to rent with them..........DON'T!!!
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
By : MD
Sep 3, 2012WE DID MANAGE THE BLOCK. QUITE SOME TIME AGO JP LETTINGS, WELLINGBOROUGH ROAD, NORTHAMPTON TOOK OVER MANAGEMENT. WE DID NOT DEAL WITH YOUR DEPOSIT RETURN. BE CAREFUL WHO ACCUSE PLEASE AND TAKE...
1 - 20 of 80 items
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.
Complaints Procedure
