DO NOT GO with Martin and CO! I was with Martin and Co (renting) for 2 years. I had maintenence ignored to the extent of a bedroom being inhabitable during winter months as it had a broken window on moving in!! For 2 years the window was left broken, with email receipts to show they were aware from day one! A severe lack of comparison and care was apparent during the entire of my tenancy, even after making them aware I was medically vulnerable (confirmed by the NHS). I lost a lot of my savings having to deal with these people... make sure you don't too.
Reply from Martin & Co Bracknell & Wokingham: Hi Luke. I am sorry about the situation with your window. We did not ignore the matter. We passed it to the landlord. Unfortunately it is not our call whether some items get fixed or not. In this instance we recommended a repair. Regarding your end of tenancy - I expect this is what you are referring to - damages were claimed from your deposit. The DPS (not us) agreed with the landlord's claim for damages, backed up by evidence that we provide by way of an independent check-in and a check-out. This is industry standard. Our agency does not benefit in any way from maintenance (no mark ups) - in fact we prefer it when the deposit is returned in total because that means less work for our team. We do write to all tenants to explain how to ensure they get 100% of their deposit back and send a copy of the checkin as a reminder of how the property was handed over at the start.
I understand that you feel we did not display sufficient 'compassion and care' for which we apologise. I hope your current housing situation is more positive. If you want to talk about any of this, please contact me in the office. All the best, Erica
Mike Townend
