“Tenant Experience with Bowes Mitchell/Northwood...”
1 Star Review
May 03,2022
By:
'Adam'
May 03,2022
Branch: Newcastle upon Tyne, 172 Benton Road
Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: NE12
Branch: Newcastle upon Tyne, 172 Benton Road
Lettings (as a Tenant)
Postcode: NE12
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I noticed that most reviews on Google are from buyers/sellers, so I wanted to make our experience as tenants known publicly.
Fundamentally, our experience whilst living in the property was okay, although the property was very poorly presented when we moved in (dirt and grime everywhere and filthy carpets that 'just needed a hoover'). We had to instead foot the cost of hiring a professional cleaner and a carpet cleaner to make it livable for us.
Some of our issues during our tenancy were addressed, however some were brushed off (e.g. intermittent hot water whilst showering was a particular difficulty that was never addressed). The process of renting was rather bureaucratic compared to our previous letting agents, but okay.
Our main issue was this;
We rented the property for 12M, until being served a section 21 notice just before Christmas 2021. This gave us two months to find a new property amongst the challenging market and financial climate. I must stress that this was of no fault of our own.
Our main problem with how this incredibly stressful time was handled was the lack of communication, empathy and compassion.
The timing of the notice (precisely aligned with our contract renewal) indicates that this was a completely planned move. If we had known this from the start, or at least a few months before, it would not have changed our decision to rent the property, but at least would have allowed us to adequately prepare. Otherwise, we were hoping to rent for a few more years until we could finally scrape together a deposit.
The Section 21 notice was shoved through the door with no prior warning, text, phone calls or knocking.
We quickly contacted the office and asked for their help in finding us a new property. They said they'd do everything they could whilst on the phone, and that they sympathized. This was the last time we ever heard from them. They never helped.
One month before we were due to go, I received a phone call asking if we were out of the property yet. Although brushed off as an admin error with the dates, I don't believe this. I'm sure it was their attempt at pressuring us out.
I hope that the team at Bowes Mitchell/Northwood read this, and learn how to be compassionate human beings. All it would have taken to turn this review to 4 stars would be a bit of a heads up, genuine empathy and an attempt to help us out.
Renters in this country at the moment are not blessed with choice, sadly. To prospective tenants, I know that this review will not afford you the consumer choice to look for another property, but at least empower you to find out what you're up against when moving into a rented property. Don't let them dehumanize you.
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