“We have 3 x 2 bed flats which we rent through Bridgfords ......”
1 Star Review
Sep 01,2014
By:
'Fiona'
Sep 01,2014
Branch: Manchester, 21 Albion Street
Services: Lettings (as a Landlord)
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: M5,
Branch: Manchester, 21 Albion Street
Lettings (as a Landlord)
Postcode: M5,
5
people found
this helpful
We have 3 x 2 bed flats which we rent through Bridgfords AT THE MOMENT. Since the changeover from Curtis and Bains to Bridgfords we have had nothing but grief. We are paying our management fee so I do wonder what we are paying for!! Every month we (I) have to call up and ask for an explanation of yet another anomaly on the statements;
Money deducted from rent for "repairs" but I don't have the invoice for the work,
Incorrect management fees charged,
Tenant extending as a sole tenant but no new checks being done nor new contract in place,
Tenant short paying for three months in a row. Agent "unaware" of this so 3 times had to ask them to chase tenant. Seemingly new rate had been agreed by then agent and tenant but we were told a higher amount hence shortfall - but nobody tells us (the landlord!!)
Got a call to say a tenant wanted to stay for another 6 months after all. Didn't know they were moving on!! AND the agency hadn't even started looking for a new tenant with 3 days to go before the end of the tenancy. "Thomas forgot to deal with it". Unbelievable.
These may seem only a few, but constant chasing and rechasing the same issue takes forever to be resolved.
However the most frustrating bit is that we seldom get to speak to anyone. The phones go unanswered, emails are ignored. If we do get to hear a phone ringing, eventually it asks for your "mail box number". What is that ??? and I do not have one. So we are unceremoniously cut off. So unprofessional. The person you want to talk to is "not at his desk", "on holiday" but nobody knows when he is back. You leave a message but 7 days later I have not been called back. Just called via another office- his phone is engaged. I don't trust him to call back- so I will!!
I dread to think how they are treating my tenants - I have full management service as we live some 200 miles away.
I have to say the worst and most time consuming bit is trying to speak to someone. At the same time, I run another business and so pay Bridgfords to deal with the properties. I should not be phoning them with queries -they should be on the case without my prompting.
When these tenancies end we shall be shopping around for someone who does what they're paid for.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Communicate, not just with us the landlord but within their office.
Deal with their phone calls.
Deal with their emails.
Assign someone who can talk to us directly about our properties instead of "going round all the houses" in the office.
Do their jobs without the landlord checking up on them and pointing out their errors.
Attached Filesnbsp;
Comment on agent fees
As we have 3 properties we asked for a reduced full management fee rate which we got. However not convinced we are getting value for money.
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