5th Sep 2026 (11 days ago)
Upper Class Estates were so difficult to deal with that I ultimately felt forced to bring court proceedings against both them and their regulator before I was able to get out of housing that I considered unsafe and inadequately maintained. I also brought separate proceedings against the regulator because I believed its handling of my complaints failed to protect me as a tenant. I would not describe this property as somewhere I felt safe living as a woman.<br><br>This review is based entirely on my own experience as a former tenant and on matters I documented at the time.<br><br>During my tenancy I experienced repeated problems involving hot water, heating, electricity, flooring, communal lighting, rubbish and hygiene, the entrance door and other safety issues. These were not simply matters of taste or comfort. After the dispute escalated, a Haringey Council HMO Compliance Officer inspected the property and identified a number of additional safety and compliance concerns, including unsafe flooring, problems with the entrance door, missing communal lighting and fire/carbon-monoxide safety issues.<br><br>Despite repeatedly raising concerns, I found Upper Class Estates’ management rude, defensive and hostile in their communications with me. I have a history of mental-health vulnerability, which I disclosed during the dispute, and I became increasingly frightened and distressed while living there. In my experience, the combination of the physical condition of the property, problems involving other occupants and the way management responded left me feeling unsafe in my own home.<br><br>I repeatedly tried to resolve matters without litigation and asked to leave the tenancy. Upper Class Estates had previously told me that I could look for alternative accommodation, but when I later sought early release they refused and continued requiring rent. According to my court evidence, it was only after formal regulatory escalation, the HMO inspection and the commencement of proceedings that I was ultimately permitted to leave.<br><br>I also bought communal sanitation and household items myself because, in my view, essential shared items were not being adequately provided. I sought reimbursement for those purchases as part of attempts to settle the dispute, but those proposals were rejected. The recurring rubbish and communal-area issues also contributed to my view that the property was unhygienic and poorly managed.<br><br>After I moved out, I then had to challenge an attempt to obtain rent from me for a period when evidence indicated that a replacement tenant had already moved into the property. I obtained corroborating evidence from the incoming tenant and raised the issue formally.<br><br>I also took separate legal action against Upper Class Estates’ regulator because I considered the regulator’s complaint handling inadequate and felt that the process had protected the agent rather than properly addressing my concerns. That case was later settled, with the regulator increasing its settlement offer and reimbursing legal costs. I do not suggest that settlement was a judicial finding against Upper Class Estates; I mention it because even the regulatory route did not resolve matters for me without litigation.<br><br>My advice to other tenants is to document everything. Keep photographs, videos, WhatsApp messages, emails, receipts and a dated chronology. Report serious defects in writing and keep copies. If problems remain unresolved, get independent advice and use the appropriate council, regulatory or court process.<br><br>Based on my own experience, I would never rent through Upper Class Estates again.... Read more