Choice Lettings, Watford - www.choicelettings.com

After my tenant stopped paying the rent Choice worked very hard and for free to complete the court papers to get them out. Choice even went to the court in my place to attend the hearing as I could not get time off from work. After 5 months they obtained the court order to remove the tenants. They arranged for a lock smith and were present when the bailiffs arrived at the house to carryout the court order.

Choice even managed the rent insurance claim for me for the months where the rent was not paid, I was very happy with their service.

I am now homeless with two children and a mother that I care for thanks to Choices! In just under twenty days I maybe on the streets, my mother in a home and my children scattered around town staying at friends.

Initially: Sorry a long story but it is a saga that needs to be said:

I used choices 16 months ago in Worthing. I was told 10th November confirmation date to move in and took time off work to turn up to collect keys. Then told the tenant had not moved out on that day. 16th November I moved in and found out that it was not indeed the tenant but the landlady that was cleaning the house before we moved in and she had tried to get choices to contact us two weeks before hand to let us know but choices refused.

The house turned out to be falling apart to the point it is dangerous (collapsing balcony)for my family, leaking like a sieve and has rising damp and mould spores to the point I could not get contents insurance to pay out any more for my damaged possessions within the property was being damaged and I decided to move on due to my son and daughters health also suffering as they are Asthmatic. Due to choices lack of contact with the landlord this was not their fault (the landlords) as the landlord was not even given the information about the problems within the property to be able to deal with them.

Choices were very unhelpful saying it was up to the landlady to fix any problems but I had trouble contacting them. Choices said they would but they didn't even try that I have recently found out.

I have been a perfect tenant and only moved to this current address from a family home of 26 years previously due to over-housing and needing more space. I have always paid my bills and have always been polite.

Choices even let a new tenant put down a deposit for my current property knowing that they were going to share it out and advertise the extra rooms on the internet making a profit. They led me to believe that this person had already had housemates and that they wanted to see the property I agreed unaware of the above. Every evening and during the day I had hounding phone calls wanting to bring people over off the internet to view (Which I said no and go to the letting agency stop phoning me).

Please note that Choices advertised the house to let and let it be viewed by new tenants before informing the landlady that I was moving on. They did not ask what the landlord wanted (i.e new tenants if thay have pets, housing benefit ect..)

SO! I looked for another property within the area and only found one which was being let but by choices! I agreed and paid the deposit. Sorted out all the referencing and given a CONFIRMED moving in date! It is now the 25th and I was due to move in on the 10th May. I had a phone call saying that the property is no longer available as the landlord is moving a friend/ relative in (which ever story as we have had two versions! Which ever you would like choose to believe).

Now I am stuck up a creak with no paddle and I have nowhere to turn. I am having to take a day off work tomorrow (unpaid) to see the social housing office and other letting agencies to see about any other properties.

Since this I my partner (the father of my children who also cares for his parents and was going to be a tenant at the new property) has visited choices and their comments were "this always happens and is a regular occurrence in this game". Word for word comment and a witness to vouch for this comment!

We have looked at our deposit contract as it is dated with our moving date and the dates that we phoned choices. We have had our referencing checked and this was all confirmed. Did choices let the landlord know before letting the property alike my so far current landlord? Up to you to decide as I have heard so many stories through the lovely Choices letting agency I dont know what to believe and I do not care any more as lies are lies and these are real lives and not just profits on a pay role!.

Obviously, we will be taking this further so I am not able to say from which area I am from for legal reasons. But, I need to advise others before they are left homeless like my family and I. Or are considering with letting their properties with them!

Worst agents I ever dealt with! Only once returned my calls before deciding to rent the property they were advertising, for the rest, never bothered, I must have made 10 calls at least to get through to the one in charge.

Extremely high fees for everything and very poor service.

I explained I needed to be in on Saturday and that Saturday morning estate agent would still drag on handing the keys over although the property had been empty for quite some time. Upon signing the papers I learned of hidden costs like tenant guarantee charge of approx 5% of the rent.

She sold me the landlady wants a minimum 1 year contract initially and I said I'd think about it, then said it's not needed anymore. Only to find out from the landlady that estate agent told her I insisted on a one-year contract and they wanted to charge her somewhere around GBP 750 for that and some GBP 300 for other useless services. Landlady hardly managed to get them off her back with that. Estate agent basically lied through her teeth and tried to make money off everything from both landlady and myself.

After the first month passed landlady asked me if I paid the rent as she didn't receive it, or the deposit money. Even almost a week later she still hasn't receive anything.

Extremely bad!!

We are very happy with service we received from Choices.

Choices were very ‘on the ball’ and fast to contact us with good properties and kept us updated throughout the rental process when we had found our property. Really nice people to deal with as well! Thanks!

Documents You prepared very quickly. That is very good for us.

The house is very nice & lovely. We are glad that Choices offered for us

this house.

Thank You.

Really surpised by some of the reviews. My experience with Debbie from Choices was good. She was good in following up with the landlord and us. Got regular updates regarding the negotiations and was also helpful with suggestions at times. I would definitely like to use them again in future.

I got told im not allowed a cat today and i am with choices. Before we moved and signed the paperwork, we asked if we could have a cat and they said yes in the choices office. So we have been looking at cats, had the rspca over to inspect the house and they its fine. They needed confirmation. I found out today that the email from the landlord (choices) have said no. I am so very angry and upset.

they also took their time with getting back to us with permission to have virgin media installed. They played us around and i am so angry.

I wanted to adopt a cat and they say no now.

It was one of the first questions we asked if they allowed cats and the lady told us yes.

So now we have settled in and reserved a cat. They emailed us to say no.

They lied and were not honest with us. Not returning calls or getting back to us, seemed like they were avoiding us! Was meant to be moving into a property next weekend, in only 6 days time, and I got a call yesterday to say that sorry but the landlady has now decided to sell the property so we can't move. We had put our deposit down, sorted all paperwork and referencing completed, they even caused a lot of stress for us because they kept calling and leaving numerous messages chasing us for paperwork and whatever else they needed. All in the end for NOTHING! We now have less than a week to find a place and to move into. This is terrible customer service and absolutely no care for anyone but themselves. I do not trust them and I would tell everyone to avoid this agency as they will let you down! They even told me a property was no longer available anymore, this was about 2 weeks ago, but it is still listed on their website as available whilst others state they are 'under negotiation'! I just dont know why they cannot be honest with people!!! Has made us very angry and have been treated unfairly.

I don't often give reviews but I do believe in giving credit when its due. Choices let my property quickly and they found me a really nice couple. I found all the staff in the office to be friendly and helpful. It's a shame some people have had bad experiences, but I would highly recommend them!!

Very quick to find you a property and very pushy to make you pay £250 deposit to secure the property. The charged us whopping £150 for admin, £82.50 for Guarntor and £100 for references. In the begining I was not told that they will charge 82.50 for guarantee which we found out on the day I went to collect the key as yhey knew I have van load of stuff and came to move in the property. There should be a law to stop these people.On top of that they put the tenancy starting from 21st when I moved on 23rd and I was told that if I want to change the date I have to pay further £150 pound.I would urge people note to use company like this ever.