“I have very unfortunately been a tenant in a property ......”
1 Star Review
Nov 25,2013
By:
'Alison'
Nov 25,2013
Branch: Braintree, Freeport Office Village
Century Drive
Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: CM2
Branch: Braintree, Freeport Office Village
Century Drive
Lettings (as a Tenant)
Postcode: CM2
11
people found
this helpful
I have very unfortunately been a tenant in a property supposedly managed by CM Rent, and I have been waiting several months for basic repairs to be done. I had to call out the environmental health to assess the safety of the property as Paul Buck ignored a written formal complaint I sent them, and the environmental health found even more things wrong with the property that we weren't even aware of. CM Rent do not check over the properties they let out whatsoever, and they do not work with responsible or legal landlords so please beware.
Firstly, don't be fooled by the smart appearance of their offices. This is the only property they keep in good condition. And do not be fooled by the initial friendly attitude of the staff, as this soon turns to rudeness and bitterness once you are a paying tenant.
One mistake we fell for before we moved in was allowing them set up our direct for our first months rent despite us wanting to set it up. They somehow managed to not send it to the bank on time so this resulted in our first rent payment being late-so they could then charge us £25 in late fees ( please do thoroughly check their contracts very carefully for all their hidden charges ). This seems like a very convenient way to earn £100 for every 4 tenants they get to sign up, and the council are aware that they did this to me, so if they have done the same to you-please inform the council as they can then investigate them further.
I had to report them to the council for refusing to do repairs, I had to go to citizens advice to report them, I had to phone Shelter for legal advice on how to deal with illegal letting agents who refuse to do repairs, and finally had to call out the environmental health-who told me that they have had other CM Rent properties reported to them-and luckily they can force them to abide by the law.
The manager of the Braintree office , Paul Buck, is very obnoxious, rude and lazy when it comes to doing any actual work to manage properties. Paul Buck visited our property months ago and saw all the repairs that needed doing and replied later in writing saying that the landlady did not want to pay for any repairs and that their hands were tied. So we were left, paying rent for a substandard property.
This letting agent claim to have nothing to do with repairs of the properties they let out, and I have been told this many times in writing, so I showed all the emails to the environmental health to prove that they are avoiding their responsibilities as a letting agent.
Their fees are very expensive and nothing is done as a result of these fees, apart from rude emails and refusals to do repairs for months and months.
The environmental health can make CM Rent do repairs, but it will take weeks for this to happen-so rather than put up with all the stresses and expense I have had to deal with, avoid using this letting agent all together.
After seeing other reviews on here about CM Rent taking tenants deposits, I have had legal advice on this matter, as I am expecting they will try and do the same to us.
I will be present at my check out appointment, and may have a legal representative there on the day to take photographs ( I will also take my own photographs to prove I have left the property in a good state ) and I will have a witness to be at the check out too, so if CM Rent do try and wrongfully withhold my deposit, I will have more than enough evidence to win a case against them in court.
I have a huge file of written evidence built up against CM Rent and the landlord of this property, and I suggest you do the same if you are one of their tenants so you can stop them from taking your deposit or any other money they try and wrongfully charge you.
Do not be intimidated by Paul Buck, report him and get the service you are paying for.
11
people found
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