They are a decent enough letting company, and they did manage to tend to a number of issues that came up during my tenancy. The reason I'm only giving 2 stars is due to the 'checkout report' that was done by one of the staff (not mentioning names here) - which was forwarded to myself and the landlord. Now, I understand that its up to myself to keep the place tidy etc, and it was left in a very decent condition - considering I was there for around 2 years give or take. But on that report, it seemed very very thorough. Picking out every single detail, and making it sounding much worse than it actually was. (i.e. finger-marked sockets/switches, dusty doors/radiators etc). It was never going to be 100% immaculate was it? Inevitably, it resulted in me losing a big chunk of my deposit.

They are a decent enough letting company, and they did manage to tend to a number of issues that came up during my tenancy. The reason I'm only giving 2 stars is due to the 'checkout report' that was done by one of the staff (not mentioning names here) - which was forwarded to myself and the landlord. Now, I understand that its up to myself to keep the place tidy etc, and it was left in a very decent condition - considering I was there for around 2 years give or take. But on that report, it seemed very very thorough. Picking out every single detail, and making it sounding much worse than it actually was. (i.e. finger-marked sockets/switches, dusty doors/radiators etc). It was never going to be 100% immaculate was it? Inevitably, it resulted in me losing a big chunk of my deposit.

They seem OK, but as a middleman between you and a landlord they seem happy to leave you in the dark regarding works on your building... Even with emergency repairs. So sometimes you have to chase them up to find out what is happening. EDIT: A year on, still waiting for works... one of which has been 6 years in waiting now, the other is a huge crack in the wall that leaks every time it rains. Next to plugs. Never seem to be able to get someone out... but are happy to up the rent for the landlord. Second Edit: We are actually getting people out. Maybe. Perhaps. But at least its something. This does seem to be more an issue with the previous landlord who sold the property as 'in good condition' and the new landlord is now facing a surprise bill for work he didnt expect to need to do. Martins as the middleman are just trying to do their best to be a go between. The staff in Martins are always polite and helpful. If the review was just for them, it's 5 stars. But the process of being a go-between, and not having the info required half the time, its always going to be hard to recommend renting through this type of company

They seem OK, but as a middleman between you and a landlord they seem happy to leave you in the dark regarding works on your building... Even with emergency repairs. So sometimes you have to chase them up to find out what is happening. EDIT: A year on, still waiting for works... one of which has been 6 years in waiting now, the other is a huge crack in the wall that leaks every time it rains. Next to plugs. Never seem to be able to get someone out... but are happy to up the rent for the landlord. Second Edit: We are actually getting people out. Maybe. Perhaps. But at least its something. This does seem to be more an issue with the previous landlord who sold the property as 'in good condition' and the new landlord is now facing a surprise bill for work he didnt expect to need to do. Martins as the middleman are just trying to do their best to be a go between. The staff in Martins are always polite and helpful. If the review was just for them, it's 5 stars. But the process of being a go-between, and not having the info required half the time, its always going to be hard to recommend renting through this type of company

The Stoke branch has been looking after properties for me and my partner. They're exceptionally bad at getting contractors for maintenance issues. We've had to chase them up to make sure jobs are done. If they can't find a contractor in 2-3 weeks, they tend to forget the issue. We had one occasion where funds sent in as a deposit for one job were allocated to another job by a different contractor. The staff are pleasant enough to deal with, but it's a poor service. Landlords with fewer than five properties should be wary. For tenants, we suggest you avoid the Stoke branch. No guarantee that they'll sort out maintenance issues in good time.

RIP you off

Their sales team is good, Lynn was great to work with. Their renting team unfortunately does not fix core property issues for years and then will try to pin you for cosmetics that they are required to change after a lengthy tenancy anyway.

These estate agents were horrendous. I rented a house for two years while they were managing it, but not a single issue was ever fixed. Despite logging my complaints and calling them constantly, I went two weeks without a working toilet, which they seemed to deem acceptable. The house had severe dry rot and mould, and both the builder and damp specialist assessors advised that it was uninhabitable due to the damage. They refused to pay for any work, so they did nothing for another six months. I finally had no choice but to move out. Now, they are trying to hold onto my deposit to fix the dry rot issues they failed to resolve. It’s absolutely disgusting. If you’re planning on renting through this estate agent, think again. They won’t fix any issues with the house and they won’t return your deposit. I left the house spotless, in far better condition than I received it in. When I moved in, there was rubbish all over the floors and the cupboards were disgusting. I had to deep clean the place before I could move my stuff in. I went above and beyond what was required to clean the place before leaving, knowing they would be difficult, and they are still trying to charge me for a clean.

Tried to rinse me for most of my deposit, including taking money off me for keys that they claimed I had but were listed as "unknown keys" on their inventory and a cleaning charge because they found a tiny piece of fluff on the floor. Disputed through the DPS because they refused to agree to a fair amount and got the majority of my deposit back. The woman looking after my case was rude and unhelpful and very slow to respond to me if she even bothered. Took a long time to resolve this way when it could have been agreed fairly from start.