15th May 2025 (28 days ago)
A recent one star review fleetingly and obliquely extolled, but also damned, ErringtonSmith in the same sentence. ES were '...great for landlords, but if you're a renter, beware'.
If further proof as to ES's misguided allegiance to landlords was needed the reviewer went on to say 'When moving out, expect them to nitpick and try to charge you unfairly'.
To a casual observer of the review it probably smacked of ES deploying practises that Peter Rachman would have condoned and embraced. Great news for landlords but not for poor beleaguered tenants.
In the light of an ombudsman's findings this week it would be remiss not to keep the five 'Thumbs Uppers' (those supporting the 'One Star Review' and the assertions of tawdry practises at ES) up to date with what's happened. They might want to look away now. And gently withdraw their thumbs?
But first, let's go back to one of the claims made by the disgruntled reviewer.
'Despite hiring professional cleaners, they (ES) falsely claimed we hadn’t cleaned at all'.
And now, verbatim, the ombudsman's findings below.
'However, the more detailed and dated check out report illustrated the extent of the staining to the carpet of bedroom 2, additional staining to the lounge carpet, areas of the bathroom, kitchen and its appliances, as well as a number of cleaning issues to numerous surface areas and woodwork around the property. • While I note the provision of the cleaner’s PLI overview, it is for the tenant to ensure the property is cleaned to the required standard and arrange for any re-cleans with their cleaner, where required. • For these reasons it is reasonable to award for cleaning of the property because it was returned in a worse condition than it was let. • The letting agent is claiming £345.00 and has provided an estimate to this effect, which the cleaner states in the estimate is based on the contents of the check out report. • Noting those minor issues present at the start, I award £305.00 towards property cleaning'.
And one final time for those that may have missed it .....'because it was returned in a worse condition than it was let'.
Do try and keep up at the back because you seem to have struggled with 'the actualite'. Oh, and looking after the place.... Read more