29th Jun 2025 (12 days ago)
Worst Experience Ever – Unfair, Unsafe, and Emotionally Draining
I moved into 28 Ashby Court, Newland Road, Banbury OX16 5XT in May 2023 while I was 9 months pregnant. It was a cryptic pregnancy, and I had to find a home urgently. Trusting Baristow Eves, I signed the tenancy without viewing the property. I paid £865 as advance deposit and £750 as rent upfront.
Just five days after moving in, I gave birth — and was shocked to find the home in a terrible, unsafe condition:
• Mould all over the property
• Filthy, stained carpet
• Broken toilet seat
• Faulty gas stove
• Fridge barely working
• No inventory report was ever provided
We raised all these issues immediately. The agency sent contractors, but everything took a long time and many problems were never fixed.
A few months later, our kitchen sink got clogged. The agency told us to pay £400 for the repair. I got it done privately for £120, and the plumber confirmed it was due to long-term buildup, not our fault.
Last winter, the kitchen window wouldn’t shut properly. I reported it — and it still hasn’t been fixed to this day.
Now, I have given birth to my second baby, and we decided to move out because our family has grown. On top of that, my 2-year-7-month-old child now has a heart condition, which doctors believe could have been made worse by the toxic living environment. We had no choice but to leave for the health and safety of our children.
Now the landlord is refusing to return our £865 deposit, blaming us for damage that existed before we even moved in. And Baristow Eves is doing nothing to support us, even though they have full records of our complaints and never gave us an inventory report.
I was shocked to later see that Ms. Nelli Kovacs, who was involved in handling my tenancy, had also received negative reviews. I now completely understand why — my experience has been a nightmare from beginning to end.
We have evidence of everything: photos, videos, plumber’s statement, complaint history, and medical concerns. We are a young family simply asking for what is rightfully ours. We urgently need this money back to take care of our children, especially with our eldest now needing medical support.
Please, help us. Avoid renting this property and be very cautious dealing with Baristow Eves.... Read more