I feel like it is a cliché here, but I would happily give 0 stars if I could. The issues I had with Leaders were almost comically bad in duration and severity. I blame myself for ignoring the warning signs before signing a tenancy. Please don’t make the same mistake.
Pre-tenancy:
- The agent was late on 2 occasions (almost 30 minutes late on one occasion) for a viewing. She did apologise though.
- On another occasion the letting agent brought the wrong key to a viewing then we had to reschedule for a completely different day (did get an apology though)
- My tenancy was cancelled at the last minute despite having paid a £323 fee, which took it off the market. I was informed via email 15 days later that the previous tenant had decided to stay on and that my tenancy was void. This was 8 days before I was due to move in. I received no apology and was made to feel like I was an idiot because I thought that the fee I paid meant that I was guaranteed the apartment. Unfortunately, I was desperate and in an enormous rush so I obtained another tenancy with Leaders.
Intra-tenancy:
- The letterbox key did not fit the apartment letterbox. It actually fit the letterbox that was next to my letterbox.
- On day one of my tenancy the smoke detector was intermittently beeping to signify that the battery was low.
- The washing machine was not draining water after a wash, which meant that my clothes were completely drenched. The filter was completely clogged with years of decayed and extremely foul-smelling material. When I opened the filter, foul-smelling water spilled all over the kitchen floor. Then I personally had to clean the filter by hand. I picked the material off by hand, wiped it on the grass and then washed the filter in a bucket of water. Not my finest hour.
- Beware the residential membership package, which is a £48 monthly non-refundable fee that you pay so you don’t pay an upfront deposit. This is a scheme that Leaders use to squeeze as much money out of the tenant as possible.
- The drainage in the bath/shower was terrible. Unsurprisingly, Leaders tried to put the responsibility on me. They stated that if the blockage was due to a build-up of hair and dirt then I would bare 100% of the cost. After standing my ground on this they did eventually send a plumber.
- The ventilation in the bathroom was atrocious and led to a rapid build-up of mould on the shower curtain.
- The most egregious event occurred during the pandemic. I was informed that the apartment was going on the market for sale and that there were people who wanted to view the property. I stated that I was uncomfortable with this and that I did not want people walking around my place in the middle of a pandemic. Instead of clarifying the issues or arranging an alternative (for example I was willing to compromise by giving access to a single person for a video tour) Leaders ignored me. They entered my apartment without my consent and I found out when I came home and found the door dead-locked. So to make matters worse, I was then locked out of my own apartment and had to wait for someone from Leaders to come let me in. They did not apologise and they said that they had a right to enter without my consent. I phoned Leaders and requested to talk to the Manager. I was told they were busy and would call me back. They didn’t. It was only another agent who apologised later via email. This was all an incredibly stressful experience and I would not wish it on anybody.
Post-tenancy
- I have continued to receive emails and on one occasion a phone call informing me that I owe Leaders money. I double checked and I definitely paid my last month’s rent. The amount that I was told I originally “owed” was £1350, which could not be my rent because I had to pay £1398 each month. On no occasion have Leaders given me an invoice stipulating exactly what it is that I owe them for.
In summary I would call Leaders incompetent, unprofessional and unethical. If you want to find out for yourself then give them a go.... Read more
9 days ago