31st Mar 2024 (25 days ago)
My review is regarding the lettings team, and the landlord Clydesdale Group or any of their associated companies (e.g., Templeton Stockbridge). More info on issues I've had with the Clydesdale rentals below (Elmfield block and Clydes Dale Court).
Make sure everything is in writing. Clarify any ambiguity no matter how small over email. Charters will continuously mislead you and intentionally lie with false information in order to secure deposits and have agreements signed. If this happens, you can contact your financial institute through which you paid. My bank confirmed that my deposit was obtained fraudulently and could be claimed as a scam. They will go back on everything written and verbal (e.g., their recorded calls) and claim misunderstandings every time. They probably won't honour what they initially agreed but it's useful to have the evidence for claims or if you need to get out of the agreement early.
If you do rent with them, they will likely send outdated inventories so you have to spend hours fixing and updating it, essentially doing their job for them. And then they'll try to blame you for issues they failed to record on the check in inventory. You need to be really thorough with the inventory to ensure you get your deposit back.
They take 3+ months to carry out repairs and hire contractors that do shoddy jobs (that cause further damage) if they even bother to do the repair. There is no communication, you have to chase up everything, and then they try to deflect the blame. Management is just as bad. Finally got in touch with a director 6 months into my tenancy only to get more excuses, minimising, glossing over things, not bothering to look into the details/complaints properly, and taking no accountability. Minimal morals, and minimal care for tenants. What's worse is that Charters staff gaslight you, and are passive aggressive. Staff are ridiculously incompetent, lazy.
Elmfield block
If you do an Internet search you will see that I am not the only one that was lied to by Charters and vital H&S information withheld. They lied about mould, the type of construction being done, and ongoing water contamination concerns. After being caught out they blamed it on a "new" staff member not being aware, except she wasn't new (she moved from sales to rentals) and the manager also didn't disclose any of these issues on the numerous occasions I spoke with her.
Clydes Dale Court
- Landlord refused to address mould and damp issues caused by various leaks despite being made aware of their legal obligations. There is a dampness and ventilation issue in the whole building resulting in a silverfish issue.
- Charters and the landlord lied to me about which furniture I was going to be provided. I rented a fully furnished house--everything is in writing about which furniture was agreed to and was told that it would be new. On move in day, 90% of the furniture was either missing or not correct, some of it really old and in poor condition. This was never resolved.
- I was assured it would be professionally cleaned. There were urine stains on the bathroom wall. Every radiator covered in layers of dust, spider webs, dog hair. Mould on every window sill and in the kitchen walls. Dirty surfaces. Stains on walls and skirting (including a brown stain near the bathroom switch). Overgrown garden with dog faeces, and covered with trash (amounting to bin bag full once picked up). Carpet smelled of wet dog after supposed professional wash for duration of my tenancy.
- There is a sewage issue for all the flats that they won't resolve.
- Numerous counts of unauthorised entry when I wasn't home despite me stating that I do not want entry without my presence or knowledge and that this is illegal. Also had a contractor try to enter using his own copy knowing that I was home. Contractors have copies of keys to all the flats, which is not safe at all. They eventually changed my locks after 7 months because I had evidence that someone entered while I was on holiday and because I said I was going to report it to the council and the police.... Read more