I am sorry you feel the experience have been awful. I would really like to have an opportunity to discuss the matter directly with yourself but unfortunately we do not know which tenancy this review relates to. However, we do want to answer the points raised in the review as we think some of them are quite unfair and / or factually incorrect (our answers are based on our standard practices applying across our agency):

1) The £ 1,150 money you have paid would have been first month rent, deposit and our agency fees. We ALWAYS give those details before we even show a property (long before anyone decides to apply or actually move in to the property) as we do realise it is a lot of money. We then explain it once again when someone decides to apply for a property.

2) We DO NOT charge fees to change rent payment date (and we do not use direct debit but standing order). Any payment required would simply be a rent for a period between the old and the new payment date. As the tenancy comes to an end either the landlord pays it back or the tenant moves out at that later date. So neither party looses out financially.

3) Yes, we DO charge renewal fees. It’s clearly listed in our list of fees displayed in our office as well as in our terms of business for tenants which you have signed while applying for a property (with the fees listed on the very first page).

4) Moving out early. From your description I assume it must have been a fixed term tenancy. This means you signed a contract that you would be paying a rent for your property for a given period of time. If you wish to end the tenancy earlier, the landlord has to agree to it. In most cases landlords are willing to do so as long as they do not lose out financially as a result of it. So, an outgoing tenant has to keep paying the rent until a new tenant is found as well as landlord fees for finding a new tenant. This is a standard practice in lettings and usually the only way the landlord is willing to agree to release a tenant early. We understand that it may not feel like a fair deal, but one must remember that a landlord does not have to agree to a tenant vacating property earlier at all.

5) Checkout date. WE SINCERELY APOLOGISE if we indeed made a mistake and showed up too early. It shouldn’t have happened and we did fell short of our high standards. Without knowing which tenancy it is I cannot offer the apology directly.

6) The bond. The decision regarding the bond is landlord’s only and not our agency’s. We have no interest in making anything difficult for anyone. What’s more, since the introduction of deposit protection law, any disputes between a landlord and a tenant regarding return of a deposit are being resolved by an independent body (we use Deposit Protection Service to protect deposits).

7) Landlord’s details. I am quite astonished at such a suggestion that we do not have landlords’ details. It’s true that a staff member carrying out a checkout would not necessarily have landlord’s details with him during a checkout (as that information is not really relevant to carrying out a checkout itself) but it does not mean we do not know whose properties we look after.