“Landlords - beware. Terrible customer services, unethical practices and unfair contract terms...”
1 Star Review
Jun 03,2019
By:
'Frustrated'
Jun 03,2019
Branch: London, 45 Westferry Road
Services: Lettings (as a Landlord)
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: SE1
Branch: London, 45 Westferry Road
Lettings (as a Landlord)
Postcode: SE1
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Used Atkinson McLeod to find a tenant for my property. The first tenant Atkinson McLeod found, the letting agent misrepresented the property information to the tenant so the tenant left within a week. A second tenant was found weeks after and I signed a contract with Atkinson McLeod that stated I will pay for a tenancy renewal fee, my understanding being that I will instruct as a landlord such tenancy renewals. When the time came to renew the tenancy, I instructed Atkinson McLeod letting agency to renew the tenancy, which they completely messed up: 1. me, the landlord, was chasing over the phone the letting agent to be provided with updates on the renewal process which they failed to provide, and it was only when I complaint via social media that the director of branch finally jumped to action. 2. the letting agent issued the tenant the wrong set of terms which the tenant refused to sign so the tenancy lapsed. 3. I ended up doing the letting agents' job, including dealing with the tenancy renewal and the tenant which is the service that I paid this letting agent for (over £1k paid to the letting agent. No tenancy renewal services provided by Atkinson McLeod Letting Agent).
I terminated the contract for breach due to the shockingly poor service I received. The agent has since then pointed out that Atkinson McLeod trading terms allow them to charge renewal fees to landlords when they are not providing the landlord a service at all. Furthermore, the director of branch has actually stated that provision of services is irrelevant (and so the quality of services) and that Atkinson McLeod are entitled to charge tenancy renewal fees to landlords for as long as the tenant remains in the property. This in fact means that they are using their trading terms as a cover to provide extremely poor services. It also means that you as a landlord may be forced to give a tenant notice due to these unfair trading terms and also may be stucked with a letting agent providing you no services or very poor services. Do not sign a contract with Atkinson McLeod whether you are a landlord or a tenant without the letting agent clearly explaining to you and having you acknowledging via email this business practice, or better, use a different, ethical services provider.
If as a landlord you have been impacted by this business practice by Atkinson McLeod, report it.
Comment on agent fees
BAD. There is no transparency on tenancy renewal fees charged by Atkinson McLeod to landlords – the director of branch was unable to provide a detailed summary of what the charge covers, reverting to the fact that their terms allow them to charge fees even though I am not receiving a service(!). As per the date of this review, 3rd June 19, Atkinson McLeod has not made public in their website the fact that their trading terms charges tenancy renewal fees to landlords when they are not providing tenancy renewal services. Such a practice, Atkinson McLeod should make aware in advance to both landlords and tenants, condition highlighted in bold in all contracts, as the letting agent trading terms have practical consequences for both landlord and tenant such as loss of earnings for the landlord and loss of a home for the tenant as the landlord will have no choice but to give the tenant notice rather than tolerate bad service and poor /unethical business practices by this letting agent.
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