As a fair landlord, I firmly believe it's unnecessary and unjustifiable for this company to charge tenants up to 23% of a month's rent plus VAT for simply nothing. They are not an insurance provider, and their services are identical to those of the DPS adjudicator. Save your money—pay your deposit directly, and you'll be assured of getting it back at the end of your tenancy if you adhere to your contractual obligations. The numerous 5-star reviews are clearly written by agents, which is quite revealing.
Reply from agent
Dear Vida,
Thank you for your feedback.
We offer the opportunity for tenants to pay a much smaller fee than the 5 week cash deposit, and although this fee is non-refundable, for many tenants it's a better option than having 5 weeks rent of cash locked away.
We have numerous positive reviews from tenants here and on Trustpilot. This recent review on Trustpilot gives a flavour of the benefits for tenants:
"Great idea, especially with the cost of living crisis. This has really helped my family. The money we’ve saved will go towards hiring a removal van, some much needed new furniture and a takeaway on the night we move in!"
Also tenants will have access to our end of tenancy platform where they can negotiate any charges directly with the agent/landlord. In most cases this negotiation is successful and if it's not, we have the adjudication process to fall back on, ensuring that there's a fair outcome.
flatfair is a choice, we are here to give tenants the opportunity to choose what is best for them, whether that's our deposit alternative service or the 5 week cash deposit and the regularity with which tenants choose the deposit alternative, is a strong indication of the value our service provides.
If you have any questions regarding our service, please reach out to us via support@flatfair.co.uk
Best regards,
flatfair team