Leaders
Norwich, NR3
2.5/5, 39 reviews
38% recommended
33% lettings valuation accuracy
58% lettings fee satisfaction

“Incompetent chancers. My girlfriend and I rented 2 bedroom terraced house ......”

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Oct 26,2020
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By: 'Joe'
Oct 26,2020
39 people found
this helpful
Incompetent chancers.

My girlfriend and I rented 2 bedroom terraced house through the Leaders branch on St Georges street in March 2019. We filled out the application form, and offered money as a holding deposit( something we were told WAS refundable) as lots of people have applied - that old chestnut.

Naturally, I was rushed into paying up immediately. I paid;
£750 holding deposit
£750 for the first month's rent (obviously)
£36 ''Residence Membership fee'' - whatever that is £126 prepaid ''checkout charge'' - now illegal to charge tenant
£120  Guarantor Fee - now illegal to charge tenant

Yes, we agreed to these fees and yes, we were stupid for doing it, but considering the lettings agents can't charge these extortionate fees any more, it really makes you wonder what is simply profit for the company and what is actually used to complete the process. Up until they'd received payment they were very responsive to emails, would pick the phone up straight away etc etc but the second I'd removed my card from the chip and pin machine, they couldn't rush us out the door quick enough. Any shred of friendliness and responsiveness had disappeared entirely along with our souls.

A couple of days short of a month later, the day comes to go and pick up the keys. Only once we get there as arranged, we're told we can't pick the keys up, as my girlfriend had made a mistake on the application form. She'd ticked the wrong box regarding her residential status. She made this mistake 1 month ago, but Leaders decided to process the application the day we were due to pick the keys up, and made us feel as though the delay was entirely our fault, when after speaking to the company that do the credit checks, they confirmed that they'd only received our application this day too, and that it should have been done pretty much right away. Weeks ago. So that was an outright lie. We'd already made arrangements with a removal man as well as taking time off work to come and do this.  

After all this grief, we finally move in. Soon after, we realised that the only two double glazed windows in the property did not shut correctly or securly, leaving cold drafts in the up and downstairs rooms. I could fit my hand through the bottom left corner of both windows while they were technically locked just by lifting the corner, and I'm not exaggerating.  Not only this, the downstairs window could be opened from the outside just by pushing it. Easily. Therefore we never felt entirely comfortable leaving the house for more than one night because of this. 

When we called E.M. in the Cringleford office and reported this issue, she said words to the effect of 'Is it really that much of an issue?' Imagine if we'd had young children, not to mention all valuable items in our house! Our landlord told us via Leaders that there was a 'knack' to it, and eventually we managed to secure the downstairs window a little more than it was, but would still have gaps at the bottom of both them big enough for my hand, it could still be opened from the outside, (these windows opened inwards and were very large)  It was still noticeably drafty and a lot of condensation. A LOT. We had to dry window sills regularly. 

A few weeks in, this holding deposit thing is still on my mind. I'm certain I didn't need to give them all that money for nothing, and I'm certain I was told I'd get it back. After back and forth emails with Leaders insisting that the holding deposit was NOT refundable and I wasn't owed any money, they finally realised they'd made a mistake and refunded it to me. Had I not challenged them about this, I'd have been well and truly robbed and they'd still be sitting on hundreds of pounds of my money. What about the people out there who wouldn't have put up a fight about this? 

On TWO occasions leaders phoned me to say that they hadn't received my rent. On both occasions, they had. An apparent ''glitch'' in their system caused the rent not to be ''allocated''. Again, somebody more vulnerable than me could have easily just paid again, and I wouldn't trust leaders for a second to let them know if they'd paid twice, especially if it was a struggle to claw back money which was rightfully mine! 

Bang on one year after moving in, I'm told by Leaders that the landlord would now like the contract to be on a month by month basis, but he had no intention of wanting the house back any time soon. I knew this was a lie straight away, then a couple of months down the line (once lockdown ends) the landlord wants to the property back. It's a shame as overall we loved living at that house, and had we known we'd only be living there for a year we'd never have signed - but that's the way it goes.

I mention to E.M. that there's a few marks on the walls here and there, and ask her if she can ask the landlord which shades of paint were used so we can make good on this. We're told that the landlord says not to worry about them (written proof). 

After the checkout process is complete,  I receive an email from Leaders asking for £65 for extra cleaning in the kitchen, £40 for marks on the walls, (despite what we'd be told about the marks) and £60 for the broken chiminea. We had hired a professional cleaner, and in all fairness she hadn't done a fantastic job in the kitchen as it turns out. The overall rating on the house was good, but there were a few little areas here and there that needed extra wipe down. £65 worth apparently. It's still daylight robbery. 

Obviously I told them I'm not paying for some marks on the wall, and ''reminded'' them that they had already agreed I didn't need to - and to my surprise these charges were taken off. After everything that's gone on, I'm certain that this wasn't a mistake and that Leaders will chance it wherever they can for more money, even if it's just to give to the landlord. Does wear and tear not apply with Leaders? How nice. Furthermore, our neighbours were also very friendly with our landlord before he moved out of the house, and I'd passed the message on through them that I'd broken the chiminea and that I'd replace it. Our neighbours told us the landlord said not to worry about the chiminea, but when leaders catch wind of this, all of a sudden I DO owe money for that as well as the marks on the wall. I never had a problem paying for the chiminea, but why do I hear one thing from the landlord and another from Leaders? Has the landlord just changed his mind on these two things or are Leaders suggesting to the landlord that I should be charged? I think the latter.   It's very clear that the only service being provided is to the landlord. Tenants don't matter. Since then, we've now moved to a different property through Pymm and Co which really was a breath of fresh air. No hassle at all. 

For the sake of your sanity, DO NOT USE LEADERS. They have been unbelievably incompetent at every turn. The brain donors in the St Georges Street office AND Cringleford are constantly making mistakes, lying, dodging emails and phone calls and it took E.M. in Cringleford a whole year to spell my 3 letter name correctly, despite it being written on dozens of emails.

Lettings agents are notoriously cheeky anyway, but having dealt with 3 different companies now, I can assure you that Leaders are by far the worst.  I've been eagerly awaiting the day to write this review, and if I can make just one person avoid using them and go through the sh**storm we've been through, then I'd be delighted.

UPDATE 26/10/20 - 3 months on from moving out of this house, I am STILL waiting for a refund of over £100 which is sitting on my tenants ledger. I have been told a few times that my money is in the process of being refunded to me. How can the company be THIS incompetent???
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Opening Hours
Address

Leaders
14 St. Georges Street
Norwich
Norfolk
NR3 1BA
01603950263

Performance statistics
Services Valuation Accuracy Fees Satisfaction Min Price of property reviewed Max Price of property reviewed
Lettings 33% 58% £395 £1,600
Review statistics
From Landlords From Tenants From Vendors From Buyers Other
0 1 14 20 1 0 0 0 0 3
Areas covered
Services offered
  • Sales
  • Lettings
  • Block Management
  • Surveys
  • Conveyancing
  • Mortgage Advice
  • Home Builder
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“Letting...”

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Oct 02,2023
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Riley
By: 'Eva'
Oct 02,2023
0 people found
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Me and my partner had an amazing experience with Leaders in Norwich, and could not be happy enough. Our Letting Agent Riley Fox always kept effective and open communication with us; he helped us throughout the whole process and we couldn’t be more grateful. ...
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“Leaders gave us excellent reception and exemp......”

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Sep 05,2023
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Daniel
By: 'Maggie'
Sep 05,2023
0 people found
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Leaders gave us excellent reception and exemplary service. Daniel Copsey kept us updated in every step of the process and was very kind to us. We are happy in our new apartment courtesy of Daniel and his colleagues. We recommend leaders Maggie and family...
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“Don't go there, just don't. You will not get your deposit back unless you pester them to death!...”

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Aug 30,2023
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By: 'Unhappy'
Aug 30,2023
1 people found
this helpful
Leaders are all smiles whilst they are trying to get you signed up but once you are a tenant and have signed on the dotted line you will get no help. We rented an apartment and Leaders promised that desks would be provided, they even ...
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“The worst rental experience I have ever had. ......”

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May 27,2023
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By: 'Renter'
May 27,2023
0 people found
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The worst rental experience I have ever had. I've been renting for years and years but have encountered degrees of laziness and complete utter incompetence like at Leaders. It is remarkable how bad they are. It's really bold that they use so many children in ...
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“I would like to thank the lovely lady (poppie Bannis......”

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Nov 08,2022
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Poppie
By: 'Adelle'
Nov 08,2022
0 people found
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I would like to thank the lady (poppie Bannister) I spoke to on the phone for being so helpful and answering all of my many enquiries, very friendly and outstanding knowledge....
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“Incompetent is a complete understatement. I h......”

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Sep 29,2022
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Daniel
By: 'Chris'
Sep 29,2022
3 people found
this helpful
Incompetent is a complete understatement. I have been renting for more than a little while and I have never had to deal with the idiocy that is leaders. From day one we were chasing up on the phone because no one bothered to call us. ...
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“Utterly useless company to deal with. Avoid t......”

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Feb 03,2022
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Sean
By: 'TenementTenant'
Feb 03,2022
1 people found
this helpful
Utterly useless company to deal with. Avoid them at all costs. I assure you that your “dream home” won’t be found by the Leaders Norwich lettings team. Below are some of the delights you can expect: Delays to move in date announced with little ...
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“They preyed on my desperation. 1 star is too ......”

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Oct 25,2021
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By: 'No1'
Oct 25,2021
3 people found
this helpful
They preyed on my desperation. 1 star is too much. They couldn't sort out my reference checks in time, had to pay for an extra night in a hotel. All because the third party company they use couldn't muster up the ingenuity to make a phone ...
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“Despite the review from the previous tenant, ......”

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Oct 23,2021
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Jack
By: 'Mandy Copper'
Oct 23,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Despite the review from the previous tenant, we had a very positive experience with Leaders. Jack Carter was exceptionally helpful and our move was managed without any problems. We found Leaders to be friendly, helpful and professional at all times and wouldn't hesitate to use ...
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“My amazing experience with Leaders...”

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Oct 20,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Nmesoma'
Oct 20,2021
0 people found
this helpful
I have always thought that moving to a new a place was very stressful. On the contrary, the process was quite smooth, thanks to Leaders. The letting agent I have been in contact throughout the entire process, Tom Haskett, was brilliant. He was more than ...
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“Avoid at all costs...”

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Oct 16,2021
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By: 'Rebecca Kaznowski'
Oct 16,2021
1 people found
this helpful
We had the worst time whilst renting with Leaders right from the beginning. Before it was made illegal to do so they were sneaking in extra charges all over the place. They never repaired anything when we complained about something going wrong. We lived in ...
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“Would give no stars if possible a bunch of ve......”

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Aug 17,2021
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Sean
By: 'rich'
Aug 17,2021
1 people found
this helpful
Would give no stars if possible a bunch of very young unprofessional kids that couldn't run a bath I really wish I had looked at the reviews before using them to manage my flat I wouldn't trust them to look after my cat...
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By: Emma
Aug 18, 2021
Couldn’t agree more!

“Avoid this company...”

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Aug 09,2021
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By: 'Emma'
Aug 09,2021
1 people found
this helpful
As a tenant, who is supposed to have their property ‘managed’ by leaders, I can only say it’s one of the worst companies I’ve ever had to deal with. Inexperienced and incompetent. Always passing the buck to someone else so they don’t ...
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“Leaders and Thomas...”

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Jun 18,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Aleksandra'
Jun 18,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Has been a pleasure to meet and work throughout the time with Leaders and Thomas Haskett which allow us to find the correct property for our needs and expectations. Very professional and any queries were answered and addressed as needed. Ale&Ema...
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“Very nice agency, all the agents are friendly......”

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May 04,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Alexandra'
May 04,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Very nice agency, all the agents are friendly, kind, and Thomas Haskett with who we went through the process was really helpful and patient, we really appreciate all his work ....
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“Very helpful kind spoke always with a respect......”

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May 04,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Carlos Fernandes'
May 04,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Very helpful kind spoke always with a respectful manner and always willing to help (Thomas Haskett) Really good service and appreciate all the help...
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“Superb service. My process went smoothly . Th......”

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Mar 19,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Snehamol'
Mar 19,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Superb service. My process went smoothly . Thomas was very helpful ,kind ,and responsive to all my queries regarding the house and the process. I really appreciate his efforts ......
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“Tom Haskett is a great estate agent, very res......”

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Mar 19,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Benjamin'
Mar 19,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Tom Haskett is a great estate agent, very resourcesful and helpul with good advice on the local area which as I was new to Norwich I found very helpful, he is also a top bloke!...
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“Superb service , friendly , helpful , patient......”

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Mar 11,2021
Minithumbup
Georgie
By: 'Daniel'
Mar 11,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Superb service , friendly , helpful , patient and knowledgeable.Georgie has organised numerous viewings , and the property was sold for the asking price .Thank you ....
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“Brilliant service - the agent was really help......”

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Feb 16,2021
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Thomas
By: 'Charles'
Feb 16,2021
0 people found
this helpful
Brilliant service - the agent was really helpful throughout the process and It felt really smooth - I really appreciate it....
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“Absolutely the worst letting agent I have eve......”

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Feb 11,2021
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By: 'No Thanks'
Feb 11,2021
2 people found
this helpful
Absolutely the worst letting agent I have ever used. We received guarantees that the property would be fixed up before we moved in, solving damp mould issues, crumbling paint in the bathroom, and a beam that seems to be getting worse each day. Nothing was ...
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“Thorpe park apartment with help of Thomas...”

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Nov 03,2020
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Thomas
By: 'Cabiro'
Nov 03,2020
1 people found
this helpful
I’ve dealt with Thomas from day one he was extremely helpful and helped me throughout the all process of finding the best property for me even tho there were some delays and stressful times he reassured and and always kept in contact. I very ...
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“I have rented privately my entire life. Leade......”

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Sep 30,2020
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By: 'Dean'
Sep 30,2020
4 people found
this helpful
I have rented privately my entire life. Leaders are without doubt the worst agency I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. I have been a tenant of theirs for over a decade and the treatment I have recieved has been shockingly bad. They ...
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“Unprfessional, Dishonest and Incompetent...”

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Aug 28,2020
Minithumbdown
By: 'Robert'
Aug 28,2020
5 people found
this helpful
Unbelievably bad service in all aspects. Properties are not checked or maintained and staff are rude and unhelpful. The rent increases with frightening regularity and by quite a substantial amount. Most of the staff are young females with no clue as to their responsibilities or ...
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By: Joe
Aug 31, 2020
I’m glad I’m not the only one who had an awful experience with them, awfully incompetent at St. George’s street!

“Why did we not see the warning signs? .......”

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Feb 22,2020
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By: 'Mandie'
Feb 22,2020
3 people found
this helpful
Why did we not see the warning signs? They didn't get back to us when we enquired about the property and we had to do the chasing. After travelling 140 miles to view an apartment for my daughter, we were told just minutes before the appointment ...
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“Brilliant Agents...”

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Dec 17,2019
Minithumbup
By: 'John'
Dec 17,2019
1 people found
this helpful
Right from our first meeting at the property Leaders have been most helpful and supportive. When there has been a problem (which there have been few) it has been attended too very quickly and efficiently. We can't recommend them more highly....
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“Rubbish service...”

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Oct 11,2019
Minithumbdown
By: 'Kenneth'
Oct 11,2019
10 people found
this helpful
Since Leaders took over City Lettings in Norwich, their service standards have steadily fallen and all you ever get as a landlord is another apology for failing to act or communicate. Unfortunately, you cannot terminate your contract with them until the end of a tenancy. ...
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“41 days to get our rent deposit back!...”

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Feb 15,2019
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Georgie
By: 'Cathy'
Feb 15,2019
9 people found
this helpful
I wouldn't normally go to the effort to write a review but I wouldn't want anybody else to experience the same stess and upset we did. Mid-tenancy our property was taken over by Leaders, whom immediately (for no good reason) put the rent up. During ...
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Comment on agent fees
Increased our rent for no apparent reason
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By: Victoria Albert
Apr 04, 2019
I had almost identical circumstances, I moved in a very old shabby property, I was only there for 8 months and left the property in a great condiition very confident I would be getting all of my deposit back (although i thought thery may try it on woth a couple of things as agents usually do). To my total shock they were asking for £1400 to cover things that just were not there. They encouranged me to just leave the keys with them and they would do the exiting inspection on their own, and now its obvious why! So they cpould make up things. The doors has been glossed so many times that it would chip off regularly and they were trying to say that I had caused chips in the doors. Martin the property manager is very VERY devious and its obvious that their main way of making money on rentals is to keep the deposits.
By: Lisa
Feb 18, 2019
Good luck with them fixing the boiler, I was without hot water for over a week last year, they're never in a hurry to help, they're just interested in money. Would never rent thru them again in a million years
By: Lee
Feb 18, 2019
That's not good my boiler broke down on Saturday I have phoned them up and they said they would send somebody out on Monday but it would be round about 6 o'clock which is no good to me or my partner as we both work shifts we have been without hot water & heating now since Saturday and it is now Monday still no further forward was told by leaders the plumber would be phoning me direct I have looked into this matter and they are meant to repair this within 24 hours as it is an emergency

“Good viewing service...”

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Feb 11,2019
Minithumbup
Alex
By: 'Steph'
Feb 11,2019
1 people found
this helpful
Alex was extremely professional when showing me around the property. He was informative, considerate and patient, allowing me to take my time when viewing the property. He provided me with a list of the associated fees, as well as other properties of interest....
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“Never again...”

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Oct 08,2018
Minithumbdown
By: 'Ellie'
Oct 08,2018
11 people found
this helpful
I've dealt with several letting agents and these are by far the worst! Once these people have your money they do not care about you. They do not respond to emails or telephone calls/messages and will fob you off saying they never received them. ...
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Comment on agent fees
Extortionate
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No fees information available
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Awards won by Leaders, Norwich NR3 1BA



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