Dear Mr K, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We understand your frustration, and we would like to take the opportunity to address your concerns in a way that reflects the efforts we’ve made on your behalf. When we took over the management of your properties, we inherited challenging tenancies that were already problematic, including significant rental arrears and properties in need of improvement. These issues were not of our making, but since taking on the management, we have worked tirelessly to resolve them. Our initial focus was on clearing the substantial arrears, which have been fully settled through our efforts. As you have acknowledged, we have consistently provided detailed property visit reports, which document the condition of the properties at the point of transfer and regular intervals thereafter. The tenants' living standards were already below acceptable levels when the property management was handed over to us, and unfortunately, these issues persisted due to the lack of proactive management before our involvement. We must also remind you that damage caused by tenants before our involvement is particularly difficult to rectify, especially when negative behaviours have already been established. Without an initial inventory to assess the property’s condition at the start of the tenancy, it has also been challenging to hold tenants accountable for damage that pre-dated our management. Regarding the closure of the Lichfield office, this was a planned transition and has had no impact on the management of your properties. Both properties are located outside the Lichfield catchment area and continue to be serviced by the Bloxwich office, which is the closest branch and only a 5-minute drive from each property. On the delays you’ve mentioned, we assume you are referring to the ongoing deposit dispute following your latest tenant’s departure. As we have previously explained, deposit disputes are subject to an external adjudication process, which can take time. While we remain fully committed to assisting you through this process, please bear in mind that the timeline is beyond our control. Rest assured, we will continue to chase this matter on your behalf and provide updates as soon as we have any news. Finally, we’d like to acknowledge the tone of your feedback. We recognise that property management can be stressful, and we fully empathise with your concerns. However, we feel your comments do not fully reflect the immense effort we have made to address the problems we inherited. It’s also important to note that dissatisfaction with previous agents has been a recurring theme, suggesting these challenges have persisted beyond our involvement. While we understand your frustration, focusing solely on issues beyond our control overlooks the significant progress we’ve made, particularly in clearing the substantial rental arrears. We must also remind you that the tenants who left the properties in these conditions were not placed by us. Their actions are the root cause of the challenges we have faced, and we believe your frustration would be better directed towards them, as they are ultimately responsible for the state of the property. We have always acted in your best interests and have worked tirelessly to improve the situation, despite the challenges we inherited. We hope this response helps provide clarity and context, and that it demonstrates the care and effort we have invested in managing your properties. Kind regards, Lisa Bills Lettings Director