This website has been designed to warn the community from ever using Northwood agents! 

 

I wish this existed prior to me using them…

 

Prior to publishing this, I tried to resolve things with them, and I even agreed to pay up to £2000 release fee to end things smoothly. Not only they wouldn't have lost a penny in commissions, they would actually have made more profit as there would have been less work and risk involved. While there were a few emails back and forth and all final details sorted, the director then refused to end things amicably, which could only be translated as looking for trouble.

 

Not only the experience on my side has been disastrous, but you don't need their services whatsoever anyway, even if they were any good… looking at all reviews, it seems I am not their only victim... there are many, on both sides, tenants and landlords (look at some other bad reviews on the next page!!). 

 

The list of issues encountered is quite long, so I will try to keep it to the point as much as possible! I have all email communications of the following as proof of my statements (which I might publish in the future). While some of the issues might be specific to the Eastbourne agency, they all offer the management and rent guarantee services which I can't NOT recommend enough.

 

1. The first issue is they do not keep their word. What was clearly said was then denied: they did not pay me what they stated. I was also informed twice that I could pay an early release fee which was then refused.

2. They dont manage properties at all! If anything goes wrong, they will contact one of their friends from their network of contractors who will charge extortionate prices! In my case their electrician quoted me around £1000, and I paid around £300 from one I organised myself. If the tenant has any query, they will just contact the landlord to pass it on. So they do not manage the tenant’s queries nor any building issue, the landlord has to deal with it all in the end as if the agent did not exist at all. Also the landlord cannot contact the tenant directly, and on top of this the agent took the tenant's side on numerous occasions when they should act fairly in the middle.

3.They allow pets even though this is clearly stated as being forbidden on the property! So just at the beginning they let me know that they would start an eviction if the tenant has pets, and a few months later I am getting emails to confirm they have allowed the tenants to have dog at the property while the mom was away??!! They dont respect what they agreed to and they seem to be on the tenant’s side…

4.They seem to be on the tenant’s side indeed! Days after the tenants moved in, they smoked a lot of cannabis inside the property! They have the basement flat so the fumes travel to the flats above where other tenants live including children. The tenants denied it when confronted (and started to burn cinnamon and all sorts from then on to hide the smells) and when reported to the agent, the latter completely denied that this could be true and even took the tenant’s defence and side even though they did not come physically to the property to experience it!! Absolutely no point in organising a viewing/inspection of the property, the agent gives them 4 days notice which is plenty of time to hide the stash and clean the flat (while asking their mates to smoke in the garden (witnessed by other neighbours)) as well as making sure all smells have gone by the time we are in.

5.They lied multiple times. They also insinuated that I said things which I never did. Luckily for me I have it all in writing for anyone’s perusal.

6.They dont communicate between themselves!!! So if you tell or email something to one staff, you will also have to let the other staff know yourself as they dont seem to pass it on or put the info in a file from you. It gets even worse as the staff keep on changing… they stay for less than a year on average… if that... surely a sign of their unhappiness?! … so everytime there is a new member of staff, they need to be informed of everything again.

To summarize, my advice is do not use any of Northwood services, you would be shooting yourself in the foot! Some of the list of issues is above! Even if they would have been any good at their job, it is a lot easier to deal with the tenancy yourself. Tenancy agreement templates and all necessary information is available online.

 

The guaranteed rent and managed property services are absolutely useless. You can get rent protection/guarantee insurance easily if you need it, and manage the tenancy yourself which would still be the case anyway if you were to use Northwood. The landlord association is a good port of call too.

 

This type of agency creates a barrier which will take some of your profits and make things a lot more difficult.

 

You can use any agent to find yourself a tenant though. In my situation Northwood advertised it at a different price which was agreed, so once again I would recommend that you look elsewhere.

 

There is so much more to write as well as publishing all emails... one of them is how you do feel like they take you for a total idiot at times. Here is an example where the director in this situation repeated the following only not to respect it at all and lied many times straight after!!

“we always endeavour to offer the highest levels of customer service and believe we should always treat our customers with respect”

 

I asked to come and inspect the property. I could see in the garden kitchen appliances as well as weed everywhere (the agreement does state that the tenant needs to maintain it). Just in and out, no meeting with anyone had been arranged at all. I had to wait 4 days for the viewing which gave plenty of time for tenant to make things look in order. On my arrival the tenant, her grandmother, and director were waiting for me, expecting to have a full meeting when I had made it clear beforehand that I wanted to keep everything in writing due to them not respecting their word! After the meeting the director emailed me a report which is stuffed with lies!!:

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and the sub-tenant this afternoon so the concerns you stated were raised by other tenants in the building could be investigated." I DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO MEET HIM WHATSOEVER. AND DIDNT DO IT ON THE DAY. NO CONCERNS WERE INVESTIGATED. LIE 1

"During the inspection, the following issues were identified:

1/. Much of the decking in the rear garden is rotten.  The sub-tenant has fallen through the decking, and this needs urgent attention. I understand you will arrange with your contractor to carry out the repairs." THE MEETING WAS AROUND 9 MONTHS AFTER THE PROPERTY WAS LET. THE PROPERTY WAS DEEMED IN GOOD CONDITION AT THE TIME, ONLY A COUPLE OF BOARDS WERE CHANGED AFTER THIS MEETING. SO NOT MUCH OF IT, JUST A TINY PORTION! LIE 2 (pictures available)

"2/. The guttering and downpipes from the very top of the building have fallen into the garden of the basement flat.  I understand you will arrange with your contractor to carry out the repairs and to remove the broken pipes from the garden as they are causing a hazard." ADVISED ON THE DAY THAT THIS WAS OLD GUTTERING NOT IN USE AT ALL. NOT REPAIRED WHATSOEVER. LIE 3

"3/. The shower door is broken.  Having inspected the shower door, you have agreed this is your responsibility and you will be making arrangements for the door to be repaired or replaced. 

4/. Condensation has formed in many areas due to poor ventilation in the shower room.  Can you please advise what action, if any, you intend to take to deal with this issue.  As discussed at the time, the sub-tenant is currently treating the mould with a suitable solution." LIE No4!! VENTILATION IS IN PLACE IN THE BATHROOM, SO WHEN THE TENANT SWITCHES THE LIGHT ON, IT WILL COME ON AUTOMATICALLY UNLESS THE TENANT SWITCHES IT FUSE OFF WHICH WAS THE CASE ON THE DAY AND ON EVERY VISIT LATER ON. Of course mould will appear and no point in using any solution but to put the fan back on. That was clearly told on the day and the fact the ventilation was not on was pointed. No need to blame me for this.

"5/. The kitchen tap was reported by the sub-tenant as being loose in January.  This remains an issue and I understand you will now ask your contractor to make a thorough and robust repair to this item.

6/. A broken fridge/freezer is currently being stored by the tenant in the garden. While this is not causing a hazard or inconveniencing anyone the sub-tenant has agreed to have the item removed within 14 days providing it is safe to do so, given the very poor condition of the decking that would currently prevent the item from safely being removed. The sub-tenant has explained that the item was due to be collected a few weeks ago but she had to cancel the arrangements when she contracted Covid. " MONTHS LATER THE FRIDGE WAS STILL THERE, AS WELL AS A WASHING MACHINE IN THE CORRIDOR

"7/. You have asked the tenant to remove the weeds that have grown around the decking in the rear garden.  The sub-tenant has agreed to this once it is safe for her to enter the garden.

8/. There was no evidence of the sub-tenant having smoked cannabis at the property and you were satisfied this was the case." NOT AT ALL, SUCH A LIE, OF COURSE IT WONT SMELL CANNABIS AFTER 4 DAYS.

"9/. The sub-tenant apologised for having her mother’s chihuahua at the property soon after moving in.  She explained this was due to a family emergency and was for no more than 2 days.  This issue has not occurred again." IT HAS SINCE, MANY TIMES, THERE IS EVEN AN EMAIL FROM ONE OF THE AGENT TO CONFIRM SHE ALLOWED THE TENANT TO DO SO…

 

That was just an example, the list is very long...

 

TO BE CONTINUED...!!!