Forum Topic

SARGENTS ESTATE AGENT - BE CAREFUL

My daughter rented a flat for 18 months from this agency.  Despite four  people leaning the flat from top to bottom they are now claiming that it needs a professional clean and trying to charge £10 for a battery and £10 for a plastic ice tray (amongst other spurious things). My daughter experienced a nightmare with a neighbour who stalked her and her partner for weeks and Sargeants did little or nothing to resolve it - thank God the Police and Social services stepped in and they now have the cheek to try and charge over £400  to clean a spotlessly clean flat.  Shame on them. They must be so desperate to have to stop to this level to obtain income!

Natalie Mcdermott ● 2995d9 Comments

They have made a total deduction of £430 (from £1800 deposit which we have accepted.  This deduction was for cleaning (!!) and the inspection fee. A charge of £30 for replacement bulbs etc.  It is a shame that I had to name and shame this Company  in order to get them to act in a professional manner.  Thankfully, we can draw a line under this experience with them  now and will never use or recommend them again.

Natalie McDermott ● 2980d

I know what you mean Norman.  When my daughter left her student flat in Nottingham however the Estate Agents and the owner of the house were really fair and reasonable and we had no complaint about the deduction from the deposit. They were a very good managing agent.  I can not say the same of Sargeants  who left damp and mould on a wall for over 6 weeks and a downstairs window broken for 4 weeks!!  Shame they did not show the same zeal in dealing with the complaints of their tenant as they are with enforcing their deductions for cleaning et al.

Natalie McDermott ● 2987d

I remember when my son was a student, he moved out of a rental property and the two of us spent half the day cleaning it. By the end it was cleaner than when he moved in but the estate agent's policy was that they could not waive the cleaning charge because the cleaners would still charge them the same amount to clean a clean property as a dirty one. If we'd known we would have left the place in a mess.

Norman Redfern ● 2987d

I agree with Nathalie; sometimes naming and shaming is your only option.

Susan Kelly ● 2988d

Thank you James,I am pursuing the normal channels and am not forcing them to do anything except act in a moral and ethical way.  It is not in poor taste to that is simply your opinion.  The whole tenancy with them was traumatic for my daughter and her safety was a risk for many months during it. For the record, I have often read experiences of other people on this forum good and bad.  After all, if all else fails what can we do?  Suffer in silence?  Let them just get away with it with no consequence for actions? They should be accountable.  Do you  work for them by chance?

Natalie McDermott ● 2988d

Yes it is but we live and learn.  Thought they may have been a little more reputable.

Natalie McDermott ● 2988d

I don't think its fair to drag their names through the mud like this - you are doing it on all the forums which is in poor taste.  This is a bad way to use the forum. The postings seem to be a way to force these guys to give in to you - you should follow the appropriate methods instead of doing it this way.

James Feth ● 2988d

Standard BTL modus operandi

Robert Murray ● 2988d

First of all Sargeants hid behind the terms of their lease (weighted on their side of course) now they hide behind the "absentee landlady" agreeing or not to the return of part or all of a deposit. The flat was vacated on 7/2/18. It took them over 6 weeks to treat damp and mould in the flat so I expect of will take them twice as long as that to return the deposit. Awful firm.

Natalie McDermott ● 2989d