Tenancy review for 4 Westgate Close in Blean Forest, Canterbury rented from Derrick Charlesworth rented via Martin & Co

Landlord rating: 2

Landlord was proactive at first in fixing an issue with the boiler, was only a minor problem that could be talked through over the phone. Was slow to fix a broken bathroom light switch (which required an electrician) and washing machine (which we had reported proactively due to it starting to go wrong). As tenants we were very cooperative when people on the Landlord's behalf needed access to the property to retrieve items stored in the shed and when a surveyor needed access. Our sour end came when despite leaving the property in as clean condition as we could ourselves (including receiving an overall "professional clean except domestically clean in Kitchen & Bathroom" on our checkout report from the agency) and having had the house once-overed by the person the Landlord uses to correct damage or issues in the house after tenancy (saying it was also looking professionally clean) we were surprised by a £370 deduction from our deposit for cleaning & garden work including a "whole house clean" for items which weren't listed on our checkout report and £100 to do around 20 minutes of garden work due to "slightly long grass". After much back and forth and being treated in a very condescending manner by the landlord in his e-mail when reasonably trying to reach a compromise on the deduction (bold text shouting TENANTS RESPONSIBILITY is not professional) we were able to negotiate a £300 deduction from our deposit (£75 each) for the grass to be cut again (despite doing this ourselves using tools the landlord provided) and for the bathroom and kitchen to be cleaned. As I mentioned before, this was our 3rd tenancy, we were 4th year students and have had good track records from past landlords, we treated the property with respect and tried our upmost to return it in the state in which it was handed over to us, to be treated like we had trashed the place or shown no respect despite polite and well worded communications from us at the end is what has soured the end of what would've been a good tenancy. By far the worst exchange we've had to deal with over 3 privately rented properties.

Agency rating: 4

Martin & Co were very good when it came to paperwork and that side of the process at the start of the tenancy. The referencing checks via a third-party service were slightly long winded but all fairly standard procedure. Communication throughout the tenancy however was rather poor - we were often given wrong information about the times of viewings and when it came to arranging the checkout date at the end of the tenancy, despite replying straight away with a date when asked it took months to sort out and we were left not knowing what day we would have to move out by until one week before the end, when we were told the checkout would be AFTER we had left, giving us no chance to be there in person. Additionally, the split between it not being managed by the agents meant there was a lot of back and forth at the end in getting the deposit back (more on that in a second). It took a few trips to them in person and each exchange either by e-mail or in person did not seem professional and we were treated as though because we are young we do not matter or we do not understand what is going on. For us as 4th year students this was our 3rd private tenancy after student halls and 3rd agency to deal with, this was by far the worst out of all I've dealt with.

Property rating: 7

The house is modern and only had some minor issues throughout the year such as a small boiler problem (which was quickly fixed) and an issue with the washing machine (towards the end of the tenancy so wasn't fixed until we left). It did feel slightly cool in winter and lacked a thermostat or more advanced heating controls, only a timer so was difficult to adjust when needed - as a result the house was often too hot or too cold never just right in the winter.

Area rating: 7

Nice, quiet family neighbourhood in Canterbury. Not a heavily student-y area like some other areas - mostly families and retired couples, but it was a decent compromise between being able to walk to uni and into town. Only downside is it is a bit of a walk to a nearby bus stop but other than that - can't complain. The neighbours next to us were slightly noisy as a young family you could often hear the children screaming and parents shouting through the adjoining wall.