Tenancy review for 3 Meldon Terrace in South Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne rented via Heaton Property

Agency rating: 5

I have mixed opinions of the agents. At first they seemed friendly and helpful but as time wore on it was fairly clear that they represented the interests of the landlord ahead of the tenant. Any negotiations were carried out on the basis of the agents having superior knowledge of property law and related matters, and the director was rather arrogant in his attitude, being over confident of his own talents. It was difficult to negotiate a short term extension to my lease to switch to an AST. In the end the solution on offer was not what I wished for as it would have cost me an additional fee as well as put me at risk of being stuck with rent payments after I had left the flat if it was not reassigned to a new tenant. My advice was to stand my ground and try to obtain the extension but I was threatened with eviction if I pursued this path even though a legal notice to quit was not served in writing. After the lease ended the check out procedure went fine until I was forced to wait for over a month for the agents to come to a deal over the return of the deposit. Even after that it still took over 10 days to actually receive my money with a deduction for a minor scratch to the kitchen floor that in my opinion did not need repairing (and certainly should be classed as "fair wear and tear"), if the boot had been on the other foot I suspect that I would have received threatening messages to make me pay up. Overall, I would recommend the agent only in cases where the renter is willing to "play by the book" and not question their decisions nor try and ask for something not out of the ordinary as the agent will not "go the extra mile" for the tenant. I have heard good reviews from landlords who use this agent which doesn't surprise me one bit

Property rating: 8

The flat I rented was in excellent condition and served my purposes well for a year. The whole property had been renovated really tastefully only a few years ago and the standard of the fixtures and fittings was high. I will dock a star for not providing adequate cycle storage, there was scope to add this to the rear but nothing was provided.

Area rating: 6

It has plusses and minuses. The plusses are the interesting range of bars and cafes and eateries, also transport links are good. The minuses are the bad behaviour of many of the students and young people relating to parties, noise and general lack of respect for the area. This is not helped by the local council's inability to collect refuse and keep the area tidy, resulting in a grotty, down at heel appearance.