Worst rental experience I’ve had – poor condition, cost-cutting and excessive claims This has been the worst experience I’ve had renting a property. There were countless issues from the very beginning. On moving in, it quickly became clear that the property was not in a proper condition. Parts of the carpet were missing, leaving exposed flooring, and the carpets that were present were already stained. The kitchen worktop was stained and discoloured, and the paintwork throughout the house was of a very poor standard. There were also issues such as a broken curtain rail upstairs and damaged blinds in the kitchen. While the property may have appeared clean at first glance, the actual condition was very poor once properly inspected. There were also basic issues with workmanship around the property. For example, the fence in the back garden was not properly installed and had to be temporarily supported, frequently coming loose and being affected by wind. This is just one example of the general standard of upkeep. During the tenancy, maintenance was handled poorly. A faulty fridge freezer was reported and took over two months to be replaced, including during the height of summer. This made it very difficult to safely store food for a prolonged period. When it was eventually replaced, the new unit was around 30% smaller than the original, which felt like a cost-cutting decision rather than a proper like-for-like replacement. There were also serious concerns regarding access to the property. On one occasion, I was contacted requesting access on the same day. This did not respect my right to proper notice or quiet enjoyment. At my own expense, I installed an electric vehicle charger at the property (costing around £800), which added value to the home. Despite this, there was no willingness to show any goodwill at the end of the tenancy. At check-out, the report listed a large number of issues, many of which appear to fall under normal wear and tear. Given the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy, these claims feel excessive and unreasonable. I would also advise future tenants to carefully consider how their deposit is held. In my opinion, using a traditional protected deposit offers more protection, whereas the alternative deposit scheme where you pay monthly can leave tenants exposed to higher claims than what your standard deposit would have been. Overall, the experience gave the impression of a company that cuts costs wherever possible, does the bare minimum when it comes to property condition and maintenance, and then attempts to recover costs from tenants at the end for issues that were present prior to moving in. I would strongly advise anyone renting through them to thoroughly document everything at move-in and be prepared to challenge any claims. Also to use an actual deposit because they can attempt to claim thousands whereas standard deposit is just that. I see why they have poor reviews/ratings . It's just a shame we live in a world where housing is hard to find and we are forced to use companies like this.