Go with Kingston if your looking for Mould, Poison, Flooding and Mice!

First problem: Mice
We had multiple sightings of a mouse running through the kitchen and living room. When we emailed Kingston’s about this they sent out a pest controller. They said there was already poison under the kitchen counters which meant that this was an existing problem that the agency was aware of but did not inform us.

Second problem: Drains
The shower drain was constantly blocked despite using cleaning supplies. This led to the bathroom being flooded and caused water to run down the walls into the living room and flooding that room too. Also, the drain the back garden was constantly getting blocked which caused an awful smell to go into the house.

Third problem: Attic Bedroom
Upon moving in there were already water marks on the bedroom wall (which I took pictures of). Throughout the storms the water marks got bigger and rain water actually started to leak from the roof into my room. I emailed Kingston’s who sent out a worker who ‘fixed’ it but then another storm happened and the same thing happened again. This time more workers were sent out and the problem seems to have been resolved, but the water marks are still all over the wall and mould has grown on them. When emailed about this they said they’ll send someone out to repaint (this never happened despite me informing them I have asthma)

Would not recommend.

Rent: £310

Deposit returned?: Still living at the hole in question

Interlet loves their place to get wet. Like permanent damage kind of wet.

Rented from Interlet during 17-18 academic year and we’re very disappointed. I shared with 5 other people and ended up in a damp, dirty and poorly finished house.

Moving in, the rooms were not cleaned, not just dust from the summer, but the previous tenant had left belongings in the room (you might get away with a duvet bit neuroscience notes are a bit far). The house was damp and included a special little door leading to a tiny, flooded courtyard approx. 1x1m. In which the sink and washing machine drained to. The courtyard drain was blocked and nothing was done about it for the entire year despite complaints.

The heating system was entirely manually controlled, so no timers could be set and frequently malfunctioned. The smoke alarms didn’t work as we had people burning food and eventually (very rarely) smoking in the house as they knew the alarm wouldn’t go off.

We had leak in the bathroom that had several emails sent about it and each was ignored with no response, it wasn’t until I stamped my feet after 3 months in the office it was fixed. I had to look them in the eye, tell them the floor was “spongey”, and was going to cause permanent, expensive damage that they acted. We had mold and a broken window that were not fixed for an entire year. After our tenancy finished we were charged for repainting a damp area, the same damp area we had told them about.

Interlet were so incompetent that they had the deposit amount wrong, despite “deductions” the entire deposit was returned (maybe they deducted it from an increased rent for the new year?). I would never rent from Interlet again. I would advise others to steer clear unless they want to go head to head in person with them on every issue!

Rent: £320

Deposit returned?: Partially

I don’t need CPS, I need CPR after this experience

CPS scammed me and my friends, it was our first time living outside of uni halls and they used that to their advantage.

As soon as we moved in there was a leaky gutter and I reported it several times over the following months. Water began leaking through my window and created mould all over the walls, which grew on my bedding and all my belongings. I had to stay with a friend as I have bad lungs and the room was deemed a health hazard by an independent mould inspector that my parents paid to get done as CPS continued to ignore the issue. Photos attached.

Finally, after 5-6 months they decided to repair the gutter and fix the mould (that was my fault for not alerting them soon enough?!) The work was supposed to take no more than a couple of days, but it turned into a couple of weeks and then a month for the room to be habitable again. In this time I had to remove all my belongings from the room, my bed frame was taken apart and the mattress up against the wall as they moved a CEMENT MIXER in and had several workmen in the room daily. There was absolutely no way I could function or sleep in a room without a bed or privacy, and so I continued to stay at my friends house. They offered me no compensation for this time, they did not provide me with alternative accommodation and they harassed me constantly to pay rent (the only reason they started the work was because I stopped paying rent until they fixed the room). It was a recurring issue with previous tenants, one of the workmen told me that years of mould had been covered up with paint year after year.

But CPS still pointed the finger at me and caused me incredible stress during my studies, I had to seek mental health support and I was physically unwell too from the damp/mould. Eventually, the room was fixed but the relationship with my flatmates was gone and I had been bullied by CPS to pay rent for a room that I couldn’t live in for months. I had been homeless for a couple of months at this point. I found someone else to fill the room and had to pay additional contract change fees (£150 to cross out my name and add a different one! Scam!) [As of September 2019 this is illegal!]

They gave me my full deposit back. Not sure how much was taken from the remaining housemates / my replacement but I was just so glad to be rid of them. I ended up paying CPS over a grand for the time I was effectively homeless including contract changing fees. It really ruined my second year of University and I would really ask anyone thinking of signing with them to reconsider. The house will turn to shit in weeks of moving in. They don’t fix anything. There weren’t even beds/mattresses for the first week of renting the property at FULL RENT. It was so dirty on the first day we moved in. They’re rude and aggressive and called me a liar despite all the photos that proved I wasn’t making up there was a damp problem (even more sinister when you consider how many times they painted up that same mouldy bedroom). They manipulate their reviews by sponsoring sports teams and getting team players to give false 5* reviews posing as tenants to muddy the clearly very negative reviews from honest tenants. Avoid CPS at all costs.

Rent: 275

Deposit returned?: Yes