Tenancy review for 5 Drumcarrow Road in St Andrews, St Andrews rented from David Hill
“Potentially Nice Property Failed By Terrible Landlord”
Overall Tenancy Rating: 4
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
Moved In: 01/06/2019
Rent: £495
Date reviewed: 24 July 2019
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Landlord review for David Hill, St Andrews
Landlord rating: 1
Just before we moved in the legislation changed to say that rent deposits had to be put into a protected scheme. To get around this the landlord had us pay a £150 deposit "for the keys" that didn't go in a scheme and he mentioned he would take cleaning fees off of that if needed before we moved out. This is illegal.
The landlord was frequently incompetent. He often turned up with less than 48 hours notice, or let us know he was sending in tradesmen only the day before.
He promised to clear out the years of previous tenants rubbish that had built up in the shed since the day we moved in, and now 13 months later he still hasn't done it. He said he would need to get a license for a skip to do it but he didn't want to do that. Maybe he wouldn't have needed a skip if he had cleared it out after every tenant like he is supposed to. This meant there was little space to put things in or walk around the shed which was difficult given the tumble drier is in the back of it.
We reported that the house was infested with mice and none of our traps or poison had helped, and he did not deal with it for six months until the next door neighbours complained.
The halogen kitchen light never worked during the night because it was too cold, and he kept having the electrician out to replace the bulb before he stepped into the 21st century and put in a working light.
He kept telling us (a group of students with limited means) that we should keep the heating on 24/7 to keep the house warm (it didn't stay warm due to the lack of carpets/insulation/double glazing) which would be incredibly expensive and wasteful.
When we told him we were moving out and asked for a reference, he refused to give us one and then told us if we didn't confirm we were staying in his house in two days he would kick us out (i.e. stay with me or I will make you homeless). Thankfully the letting agents were very understanding when we showed them what he had said and let us apply for our next house without a reference but this was incredibly stressful.
He then listed the house without telling us, and we had groups of students turning up for days to look round the house who we weren't informed would be coming. The first day this happened we couldn't get in contact with him because he was out of the country.
I advise the next tenants to consistently hold him to the terms of the lease, and report him to the council or the students' union advocate if he breaks the terms of the lease or the law.
More reviews for David Hill ⇒
The landlord was frequently incompetent. He often turned up with less than 48 hours notice, or let us know he was sending in tradesmen only the day before.
He promised to clear out the years of previous tenants rubbish that had built up in the shed since the day we moved in, and now 13 months later he still hasn't done it. He said he would need to get a license for a skip to do it but he didn't want to do that. Maybe he wouldn't have needed a skip if he had cleared it out after every tenant like he is supposed to. This meant there was little space to put things in or walk around the shed which was difficult given the tumble drier is in the back of it.
We reported that the house was infested with mice and none of our traps or poison had helped, and he did not deal with it for six months until the next door neighbours complained.
The halogen kitchen light never worked during the night because it was too cold, and he kept having the electrician out to replace the bulb before he stepped into the 21st century and put in a working light.
He kept telling us (a group of students with limited means) that we should keep the heating on 24/7 to keep the house warm (it didn't stay warm due to the lack of carpets/insulation/double glazing) which would be incredibly expensive and wasteful.
When we told him we were moving out and asked for a reference, he refused to give us one and then told us if we didn't confirm we were staying in his house in two days he would kick us out (i.e. stay with me or I will make you homeless). Thankfully the letting agents were very understanding when we showed them what he had said and let us apply for our next house without a reference but this was incredibly stressful.
He then listed the house without telling us, and we had groups of students turning up for days to look round the house who we weren't informed would be coming. The first day this happened we couldn't get in contact with him because he was out of the country.
I advise the next tenants to consistently hold him to the terms of the lease, and report him to the council or the students' union advocate if he breaks the terms of the lease or the law.
Property review for 5 Drumcarrow Road, St Andrews, St Andrews
Property rating: 3
The house would have been nice but poorly upkept. Most of the bedrooms are of a good size although there is one that is slightly smaller.
However, the kitchen was tiny and clearly had not been upkept in years - the oven did not work or have a handle on the door when we first moved in, and consistently burned food for the rest of the year even after being repaired; there was a cupboard we could not use, because the door behind the oven.
Lots of the furniture in the house could do with being updated (my chest of drawers fell apart whenever I used it and my housemates had similar problems).
The house was poorly insulated, had no carpets, and when we moved in none of the windows had double glazing. Just after we moved in, the landlord put double glazing in only the front facing windows (presumably because otherwise the neighbours would complain). The result of this was that the house, especially the bedrooms, was freezing cold even with the heating on in the winter, and during the summer many rooms became a sauna.
When we moved in the house also had mice (which the previous tenants had informed us where there when they left). Given the landlord said he got professional cleaners in, I find it hard to imagine he didn't know about it, and when we informed him he didn't deal with it until the neighbours complained.
More reviews for 5 Drumcarrow Road ⇒
However, the kitchen was tiny and clearly had not been upkept in years - the oven did not work or have a handle on the door when we first moved in, and consistently burned food for the rest of the year even after being repaired; there was a cupboard we could not use, because the door behind the oven.
Lots of the furniture in the house could do with being updated (my chest of drawers fell apart whenever I used it and my housemates had similar problems).
The house was poorly insulated, had no carpets, and when we moved in none of the windows had double glazing. Just after we moved in, the landlord put double glazing in only the front facing windows (presumably because otherwise the neighbours would complain). The result of this was that the house, especially the bedrooms, was freezing cold even with the heating on in the winter, and during the summer many rooms became a sauna.
When we moved in the house also had mice (which the previous tenants had informed us where there when they left). Given the landlord said he got professional cleaners in, I find it hard to imagine he didn't know about it, and when we informed him he didn't deal with it until the neighbours complained.
Area review for St Andrews, St Andrews
Area rating: 8
The house is in a very nice location. There are a few student houses nearby but most of the houses are local residents.
The house is about a two-minute walk from Aldi and about a fifteen minute walk from the North Haugh or the centre of town which was very convenient.
More reviews for St Andrews ⇒
The house is about a two-minute walk from Aldi and about a fifteen minute walk from the North Haugh or the centre of town which was very convenient.
Other reviews in St Andrews
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24 November 2018
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Address
Reviewed
11 May 2023
19 June 2022
16 June 2022
20 April 2022
26 December 2021
23 July 2021
16 June 2021
10 June 2021
10 June 2021
08 June 2021
01 May 2021
13 March 2021
11 February 2021
28 January 2021
10 November 2020
10 November 2020
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28 September 2020
22 September 2020
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05 September 2020
04 July 2020
25 June 2020
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04 April 2020
27 March 2020
03 February 2020
10 December 2019
05 September 2019
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20 August 2019
15 August 2019
13 August 2019
12 August 2019
25 July 2019
24 July 2019
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22 July 2019
07 June 2019
02 April 2019
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02 April 2019
24 November 2018
09 November 2018
08 November 2018
08 November 2018
08 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
31 October 2018
Other reviews in St Andrews
Address
Reviewed
11 May 2023
19 June 2022
16 June 2022
20 April 2022
26 December 2021
23 July 2021
16 June 2021
10 June 2021
10 June 2021
08 June 2021
01 May 2021
13 March 2021
11 February 2021
28 January 2021
10 November 2020
10 November 2020
09 November 2020
28 September 2020
22 September 2020
22 September 2020
05 September 2020
04 July 2020
25 June 2020
25 June 2020
24 June 2020
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24 June 2020
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24 June 2020
15 June 2020
11 June 2020
31 May 2020
22 May 2020
13 May 2020
05 May 2020
02 May 2020
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02 May 2020
02 May 2020
02 May 2020
02 May 2020
04 April 2020
27 March 2020
03 February 2020
10 December 2019
05 September 2019
02 September 2019
20 August 2019
15 August 2019
13 August 2019
12 August 2019
25 July 2019
25 July 2019
24 July 2019
24 July 2019
24 July 2019
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23 July 2019
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23 July 2019
22 July 2019
07 June 2019
02 April 2019
02 April 2019
02 April 2019
02 April 2019
24 November 2018
09 November 2018
08 November 2018
08 November 2018
08 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
07 November 2018
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31 October 2018
