Letting Firm Probe Follows Student Complaints

Letting Firm Probe Follows Student Complaints

16:56 PM, 23rd November 2011, About 12 years ago 40

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A student landlord who charged a tenant £290 for cleaning two flies from a windowsill is under investigation by a landlord consumer body after a number of complaints.

Campbell Property, based in Pewsey, Wiltshire, has removed accreditation from the UK Association of Letting Agents from its website pending an inquiry.

The firm specialises in letting to students in Cardiff, Birmingham, Exeter and Portsmouth.

Instead of the UKALA logo, the website says: “Please note that the UKALA logo has been removed from this website pending our renewal application which was submitted to UKALA on 5th October and is currently being processed. Campbell Property has been a member of UKALA since 2007.”

UKALA confirmed other disgruntled tenants had complained about Campbell Property.

A UKALA spokesman told the Birmingham Sunday Mercury newspaper: “They are members but their membership is under review. We have complaints about Campbell Property and we’re looking into them.”

One student, Katie Evans, 20, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, claims she left a property let to her in Edgbaston, Birmingham, by Campbell Property ‘spotless’ when she moved out – and then received a bill for cleaning together with a photo of the two dead flies as evidence of the cost.

She has also complained to the Midland Landlord Accreditation Scheme, which is also considering a separate complaint against Campbell Property. MLAS declined to comment about cases under investigation.

Property company director Victoria Campbell told the Mercury: “Campbell Property offered Miss Evans the opportunity to request a supervised clean.

“Miss Evans declined the offer and did not complete the cleaning required before she vacated the property and has subsequently been charged, at the rates that she accepted at the commencement of her tenancy, for external contractors to complete the work.”

Landlords can deduct cleaning costs from deposits handed over by tenants – or bill them for the work if there is no deposit.


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Comments

21:17 PM, 5th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Hi, yes they are singing in. Thanks to you guys they are also going back to check what they paid for has been repaired or replaced.
Regards

21:21 PM, 5th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Thanks Fay, that's no surprise. Not sure one set of photo's as evidence would stand up in court. Clearly they believe they are too big to touch. Has anyone thought about reporting to watchdog, I'm sure they would be interested.
Regards

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

21:27 PM, 5th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Funnily enough, one of my BBC friends works as an investigative reporter for Watchdog and Panorama. You are in the right place. We need to package it up and deliver it on a plate for them though.

8:09 AM, 6th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Well Mark, i have e-mailed them 3 times, and i know other students on the Face Book page have too, we were all really disappointed as not one of us has had so much as an acknowledgement from them?? they are either already investigating them or just a bit ignorant? i just hope it's the 1st because if anyone needs investigating it's them. They use their own cleaning company with the same directors as the company Campbell, they let maintenance workers in with no permission or telling the tenant, give invoices for work they claim they have done and do not carry out the work, then hound the tenants and guarantors with e-mails threatening bailiffs and court ! they need to be investigated and soon!! the Facebook page grows bigger and bigger every week ? they can't all be wrong? i know some are students and some their guarantors, watchdog need to look into this company!!! 🙂

Mark Reynolds

13:54 PM, 7th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Has the group on Facebook been removed for some reason?

15:12 PM, 7th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Hi Mark,

I've just logged onto Facebook Group

19:57 PM, 7th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Definitely still there Mark??

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

20:21 PM, 7th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Hi Fay

I know you were talking to the other Mark but I can still see it - see http://www.facebook.com/groups/257812827583474/

Mark Reynolds

20:26 PM, 7th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Thanks fay they must have banned me then - we were posting under Carole pierce of pierce and co and maybe they thought I was defending Campbell's which I wasn't - 🙂

22:28 PM, 7th December 2011, About 12 years ago

Ooops sorry Mark 😉

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