100% sales valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
100% lettings valuation accuracy
81% lettings fee satisfaction
Mar 12,2014
Mar 12,2014
6
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this helpful
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I would like to share my experience and advice of my 2-year tenancy with Drakes. Their website states: efficient, personal, professional, local.
From my personal experience I can only fathom "Local" is the only applicable word. I shall explain how I have come to this conclusion.
Drakes uses it stance as small business to its advantage. They lure you in with affordable rates and promises that will leave you in awe. You will receive the whole standard estate agent treatment '' I have some other clients viewing this after you " - ¢â‚¬Å“ Spare room - let it out, we don't mind " - Make sure any promises you receive are in writing because their memories do not extend over 2 years.
What they fail to mention or publish for the matter is the extensive delays you will incur if you are unfortunate enough to have problems i.e. with security, appliance issues. My advice is record the first initial date you contact them, use this for your own protection. In my case waiting over 3 months to have an alarm fitted, if you can fix the problems yourself. Do it and keep the receipt and bill them.
Please note that and they will intrude on your property without prior consent, they will use a series of excuses that they tried to contact you: they have a wrong email? ¢â‚¬â€œ Wrong number? ¢â‚¬â€œ Please see other reviews that support my statement.
You have rights.
Something rather important they fail to see is that you are a tenant and with that comes the Law. Do not stand for any unacceptable behaviour. I incurred several intrusions for appliance checks, meter readings and viewings. This is your home and no one should be allowed in without them arranging prior consent and they should not then believe it is acceptable to turn up, if you have not agreed.
Beware the wrath of Drakes. My advice is be smart, collate all your evidence and then approach them face-to-face. They are very good at using the tenancy agreement against you however you can use this against them. Any infraction is breaking the agreement and if this broke by them, i.e. no providing you with adequate and legal lodgings for a shared-house they are liable. The agreement is void and you may walk away from the property.
They will of course, be very petty and unhelpful and even leave in a position with no other choice but to accept the terms they make up from their database of bad ideas. Blackmail? Who said that? They are very good at being accommodating, but when you are seen to be inconsiderate to their ¢â‚¬Å“good nature¢â‚¬Â, they will instantly take a dislike to you and therefore be as unhelpful and unprofessional as possible. They cannot see they have to be fair and provide a level of service that is unbiased and agreed them must have some horrific tenants but this is coming from a tenant who never missed any payments and was always willing to allow for certain delays, something I actually have evidence for.
Even their reply to the reviews above gives a glimpse into their nature, calling tenants inconsiderate? Once they quoted to me personally as ¢â‚¬Ëœungrateful'. I would not expect any company that advertises it self as professional to lower itself to inappropriate treatment. Their reply did not even address the said concerns above! If they are so many happy tenants why aren't they besieging sites giving commendations? I can inform you clearly why, there are none. Every single site that has the function to leave reviews, gives Drakes horrible reviews.
At the most you will leave satisfied, satisfied you have left the property and do not have to liaise with the so-called professionals at Drakes.
Oh, but make sure when leaving the house, you thoroughly clean everything to a high standard, as this has been a proven problem (From other reviews) with Drakes, there are no cleaners who are paid to visit your vacant property. It is Drake employees. Please note, I am not suggesting they are charging tenants and gaining profit from the stupidly obscene cleaning rates, but I do challenge to see who cleans the properties and the invoices and cleaning bills to which they have pulled these figures from?
Overall please take these main points from my review above:
-Everything in writing. ¢â‚¬â€œ No promises
-Record and note every time they have entered your property with out 24-hour prior notification and remember you can say no and you can rearrange, it is your property!
-Make notes on when you ask for assistance or call-outs and if you are experience a silly delay or they do not even remember you asking them, kindly explain to them they have to complete the said job within a month or you will have someone fix them and you will charge them.
- Before your move in date, make sure every problem or issue you raised on the viewing has been amended; remember you have paid a hefty deposit. My experience tells me that you will move in and they will take over 4 months to fix all the initial issues. Refuse to pay your rent until the jobs are complete, they have no excuses!
Most of all is be respectful. Do not steep to there below ¢â‚¬â€œpar attitude. Make it known; if you were to enter their homes without permission they would not be happy. Explain in simple terms this had made you not happy and it is unacceptable. You are a student but that does not make you an idiot. They need to be reminded that you are a legal tenant in a shared accommodation and that bending the rules of the tenancy agreement is wrong and backed by Law.
Remember all students' houses are not luxury, but you should expect a level of service, which is of a high standard. I highly anticipate what extensive rebuttal Drakes and Co will return to this review but I assure you, if they can produce documentary evidence and independent reviews that denounce my comments and my experience, I will more than welcome this to enable a prospective client to gain a wider picture.
Good luck.
From my personal experience I can only fathom "Local" is the only applicable word. I shall explain how I have come to this conclusion.
Drakes uses it stance as small business to its advantage. They lure you in with affordable rates and promises that will leave you in awe. You will receive the whole standard estate agent treatment '' I have some other clients viewing this after you " - ¢â‚¬Å“ Spare room - let it out, we don't mind " - Make sure any promises you receive are in writing because their memories do not extend over 2 years.
What they fail to mention or publish for the matter is the extensive delays you will incur if you are unfortunate enough to have problems i.e. with security, appliance issues. My advice is record the first initial date you contact them, use this for your own protection. In my case waiting over 3 months to have an alarm fitted, if you can fix the problems yourself. Do it and keep the receipt and bill them.
Please note that and they will intrude on your property without prior consent, they will use a series of excuses that they tried to contact you: they have a wrong email? ¢â‚¬â€œ Wrong number? ¢â‚¬â€œ Please see other reviews that support my statement.
You have rights.
Something rather important they fail to see is that you are a tenant and with that comes the Law. Do not stand for any unacceptable behaviour. I incurred several intrusions for appliance checks, meter readings and viewings. This is your home and no one should be allowed in without them arranging prior consent and they should not then believe it is acceptable to turn up, if you have not agreed.
Beware the wrath of Drakes. My advice is be smart, collate all your evidence and then approach them face-to-face. They are very good at using the tenancy agreement against you however you can use this against them. Any infraction is breaking the agreement and if this broke by them, i.e. no providing you with adequate and legal lodgings for a shared-house they are liable. The agreement is void and you may walk away from the property.
They will of course, be very petty and unhelpful and even leave in a position with no other choice but to accept the terms they make up from their database of bad ideas. Blackmail? Who said that? They are very good at being accommodating, but when you are seen to be inconsiderate to their ¢â‚¬Å“good nature¢â‚¬Â, they will instantly take a dislike to you and therefore be as unhelpful and unprofessional as possible. They cannot see they have to be fair and provide a level of service that is unbiased and agreed them must have some horrific tenants but this is coming from a tenant who never missed any payments and was always willing to allow for certain delays, something I actually have evidence for.
Even their reply to the reviews above gives a glimpse into their nature, calling tenants inconsiderate? Once they quoted to me personally as ¢â‚¬Ëœungrateful'. I would not expect any company that advertises it self as professional to lower itself to inappropriate treatment. Their reply did not even address the said concerns above! If they are so many happy tenants why aren't they besieging sites giving commendations? I can inform you clearly why, there are none. Every single site that has the function to leave reviews, gives Drakes horrible reviews.
At the most you will leave satisfied, satisfied you have left the property and do not have to liaise with the so-called professionals at Drakes.
Oh, but make sure when leaving the house, you thoroughly clean everything to a high standard, as this has been a proven problem (From other reviews) with Drakes, there are no cleaners who are paid to visit your vacant property. It is Drake employees. Please note, I am not suggesting they are charging tenants and gaining profit from the stupidly obscene cleaning rates, but I do challenge to see who cleans the properties and the invoices and cleaning bills to which they have pulled these figures from?
Overall please take these main points from my review above:
-Everything in writing. ¢â‚¬â€œ No promises
-Record and note every time they have entered your property with out 24-hour prior notification and remember you can say no and you can rearrange, it is your property!
-Make notes on when you ask for assistance or call-outs and if you are experience a silly delay or they do not even remember you asking them, kindly explain to them they have to complete the said job within a month or you will have someone fix them and you will charge them.
- Before your move in date, make sure every problem or issue you raised on the viewing has been amended; remember you have paid a hefty deposit. My experience tells me that you will move in and they will take over 4 months to fix all the initial issues. Refuse to pay your rent until the jobs are complete, they have no excuses!
Most of all is be respectful. Do not steep to there below ¢â‚¬â€œpar attitude. Make it known; if you were to enter their homes without permission they would not be happy. Explain in simple terms this had made you not happy and it is unacceptable. You are a student but that does not make you an idiot. They need to be reminded that you are a legal tenant in a shared accommodation and that bending the rules of the tenancy agreement is wrong and backed by Law.
Remember all students' houses are not luxury, but you should expect a level of service, which is of a high standard. I highly anticipate what extensive rebuttal Drakes and Co will return to this review but I assure you, if they can produce documentary evidence and independent reviews that denounce my comments and my experience, I will more than welcome this to enable a prospective client to gain a wider picture.
Good luck.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Be respectful back, aim to provide soultions to problems within a month. Show a level of service that actually gives you right to say proffesional.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Latest Reviews
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Opening Hours
Address
Drake & Co
161a Dickenson Road
Manchester
Greater Manchester
M14 5HZ
0161 224 2134
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 100% | 100% | £565,000 | £565,000 |
| Lettings | 100% | 81% | £367 | £1,900 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Areas covered
- M14
- Fallowfield
- M13
- Victoria Park
- Rusholme
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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Latest Properties
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Feb 08,2024
Feb 08,2024
0
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This is my first time living independently and had been a little nervous. Drake & Co explained everything so clearly and have always been at the other end of the phone if I had any questions. The maintenance of the property has been good, with an ...
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Nov 09,2023
Nov 09,2023
0
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Staff friendly, very helpful and reply quick. Any issues usually fixed quick. Would recommend!...
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Nov 09,2023
Nov 09,2023
0
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Been with them for since 2021, and signing up for another year for the academic year 24-25. Great and friendly staff, reply to any repair requests very quickly and get any problems sorted....
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Jul 31,2020
Jul 31,2020
1
people found
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Absolutely hideous. DO NOT RENT WITH THEM.
Lived with them for a year and it was the worst mistake.
Mice were present in the property before we moved in (we found evidence of mouse traps, wire to stop them chewing, and poison). They tried to ...
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Jun 10,2020
Jun 10,2020
0
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Very responsive, professional, and friendly. Problems and queries have been dealt with promptly and they have been great to let with....
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May 29,2020
May 29,2020
0
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I have been using Drakes for about 15 years to let student property.
I think it can be one of the most difficult areas to manage because of the client type, many of whom have never lived away from home before and not shared and looked ...
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May 26,2020
May 26,2020
0
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Drake&Co have been brilliant student estate agents over the past three years. We have been in two properties with them, both of which have been a walking distance to UoM, and have been reasonably priced. They are very quick to respond to maintenance requests; ...
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May 16,2020
May 16,2020
0
people found
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They're refusing to repair mould, refusing to consider rent reductions or utility bill waiving, and all of this during a time of crisis when we are supposedly 'all in together'. Despicable....
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Oct 25,2019
Oct 25,2019
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I can't say enough good things about how Roger handled the sale of my Condo, from the marketing to the showings and Open Houses. He went above and beyond to make sure every detail was taken care of as I wasn't present in the US ...
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Feb 06,2019
Feb 06,2019
0
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Property is nice however it was not cleaned before moving in. The living room had dirt marks all up the walls and some rooms had bluetac marks and again dirt but were not painted. They also do not give 24hrs notice before someone enters the ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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Nov 06,2018
Nov 06,2018
0
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Very happy with Drake so far, very friendly staff and cheap rent. However, just wish our house had been cleaned before we moved in otherwise would be 5 stars. They are always quick to answer any questions....
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Nov 05,2018
Nov 05,2018
0
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Very happy with Drake so far, very friendly staff and cheap rent. However, just wish our house had been cleaned before we moved in otherwise would be 5 stars....
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Oct 12,2018
Oct 12,2018
1
people found
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this helpful
Drakes has been fantastic, I've been with them for 2 years now and they're always happy to help us out and any issues are sorted out promptly. It's easy and straight forwards to call up and they're always happy to talk and help us. Would 10/10 reccomend!...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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Sep 26,2018
Sep 26,2018
0
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Been with Drakes for the past 3 years now, always found us a decent house for the money me and my friends were looking to pay. Always friendly and have sorted maintenance work out quickly. No problems with deposits and would recommend them....
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Comment on agent fees
good
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Feb 16,2018
Feb 16,2018
0
people found
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Ive used drakes for just over a year and they are a great agent to use for student houses. The process of getting the house was smooth and everything has been smooth. We have collectively reported any issues and they are sorted quickly and they ...
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Comment on agent fees
Although the fees are sort of sprung on us, this is normal for most agencies. The overall pricing for our house is amazing, getting so much for our money.
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Feb 05,2018
Feb 05,2018
0
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I have been a tenant with Drake & Co for the past two years and cannot fault the service we have received. We have always had our problems sorted quickly and they have been very fair in terms of if we've been late with rent or ...
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Comment on agent fees
Agency fees are very low in comparison to others in the area.
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Oct 19,2017
Oct 19,2017
0
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Never reply to emails
Never come to fix anything and when they do only do half a job
We're told to 'deal with it ourselves' when we found out about our rodent problem
***...
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Comment on agent fees
Far too expensive for shocking service
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May 16,2017
May 16,2017
1
people found
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Promised all and gave nothing, the only time that they came round to fix anything was when a pipe burst. For other breakages, they couldn't care less.
Sales pitch includes the house being "deep cleaned" before tenants' arrival, but all they mean is that the ...
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Comment on agent fees
Fees were ridiculous - £40 each for agent fees aren't too bad, but they just see your deposit as something to be exploited.
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Apr 24,2014
Apr 24,2014
2
people found
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this helpful
The lettings agency are really good & also very helpful throughout your stay! The agency fee is not terrible and they have got a 24 hour emergency phone line....
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Mar 12,2014
Mar 12,2014
6
people found
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I would like to share my experience and advice of my 2-year tenancy with Drakes. Their website states: efficient, personal, professional, local.
From my personal experience I can only fathom "Local" is the only applicable word. I shall explain how I have come to this ...
read full review
read full review
What agent could do to change your mind?
Be respectful back, aim to provide soultions to problems within a month. Show a level of service that actually gives you right to say proffesional.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Nov 14, 2014
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(1)
We are sorry to hear that you have experienced a bad time with Drake & co, we try and offer the best service at all times. But what can I say, you mention you have been with us for two years and if we are as bad as you say why did you decide to stay for another year after the end of your first tenancy ended?? Also i implore people to look at the genuine reviews on Google to prove that we are not as bad as this person makes out.
regards
Drakes ...
Sep 13,2013
Sep 13,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
After two years of tenancy, during which my house has been burgled twice and after the second time, we had to wait one week to have a glass repaired, now that I've left the property they are asking to take part of my deposit as ...
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Mar 06, 2016
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These people are * - AWFUL - Do not trust. Our shower has been broken since December 2015, and nobody has fixed it - they had the cheek to say we have broken it ! Do not trust these people, they just lie and cheat. Avoid at all costs - not reliable. ...
Aug 12,2008
Aug 12,2008
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
The house was received in a shocking state (there was some old throw up in one of the rooms) and it took us numerous weeks to get any cleaning arranged by them. Numerous breakdowns of different equipment (hot water, oven, shower etc) all took far ...
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Jan 04, 2013
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Is'nt it a shame that the only people who leave bad comments get put on these websites and not the majority of our tenants are extremely happy with our services. Yes we do unfortunately have to deduct for rubbish removals when inconsiderate tenants do not leave the property in good order. We are covered by all letting regulations and also are an accredited agent with Manchester Student Homes who will agree we are a very good student letting agency. ...
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.
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Last updated at 8:59 AM 12/01/2021 by Darrell Kerr
regards
Drakes