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⭐ Tenancy review
Difficult landlord in an old, cold house set in a beautiful area
2 ★★☆☆☆
Overall tenancy rating
Moved out
2026
Date reviewed
22 June 2026
George Thom, Kendal
1 ★☆☆☆☆
Landlord rating
I rented a room from George as a live-in lodger for around five months (Nov 2025 to Apr 2026). A few things worth knowing for anyone considers renting from him.
The deposit was not protected in any scheme. That’s technically lawful for a live-in lodger arrangement, but it means you have no independent adjudicator if there’s a dispute, so go in aware of that.
Getting the deposit back was difficult. After I moved out I had to chase repeatedly, and the deposit was only addressed after I sent a formal Letter Before Action. The landlord then carried out a move-out inspection around six weeks after I had left, and proposed deductions for what I considered fair wear and tear: surface bobbling on a base sheet (charged at full replacement price) and minor marks on a 120-year-old original wood floor. We eventually settled, with me recovering most of the deposit.
Communication during the dispute became hostile. If you stay here, I’d strongly recommend documenting the room’s condition with dated photos on both move-in and move-out, keeping all correspondence in writing, and being clear that as a lodger you have limited security of tenure and limited deposit protection.
The room and house themselves were fine. My caution is specifically about the deposit process and how disagreements were handled.
More reviews for George Thom
The deposit was not protected in any scheme. That’s technically lawful for a live-in lodger arrangement, but it means you have no independent adjudicator if there’s a dispute, so go in aware of that.
Getting the deposit back was difficult. After I moved out I had to chase repeatedly, and the deposit was only addressed after I sent a formal Letter Before Action. The landlord then carried out a move-out inspection around six weeks after I had left, and proposed deductions for what I considered fair wear and tear: surface bobbling on a base sheet (charged at full replacement price) and minor marks on a 120-year-old original wood floor. We eventually settled, with me recovering most of the deposit.
Communication during the dispute became hostile. If you stay here, I’d strongly recommend documenting the room’s condition with dated photos on both move-in and move-out, keeping all correspondence in writing, and being clear that as a lodger you have limited security of tenure and limited deposit protection.
The room and house themselves were fine. My caution is specifically about the deposit process and how disagreements were handled.
River Bank, Garnett Bridge, Kendal
3 ★★★☆☆
Property rating
The biggest positive was cost. The rent was very reasonable, and if budget is your main priority, that’s the real draw here.
The location is nice being in the Lake District. The trade-off is that it’s quite remote and you need a car to get anywhere. Bit of a drive to the nearest shop.
The property itself is old with character but it’s also very cold. Heating was very much controlled by the landlord, who liked to restrict it.
The location is nice being in the Lake District. The trade-off is that it’s quite remote and you need a car to get anywhere. Bit of a drive to the nearest shop.
The property itself is old with character but it’s also very cold. Heating was very much controlled by the landlord, who liked to restrict it.
Garnett Bridge, Kendal
4 ★★★★☆
Area rating
Beautiful Lake District setting, peaceful and scenic, with lovely surroundings right on your doorstep. The trade-off is that it’s quite remote, so you need a car and need to be comfortable being a fair distance from shops and amenities. Ideal if you value quiet and nature over convenience.
More reviews for Garnett Bridge