Northwood GB Reviews 309

Our 18-month experience with Northwood Aberdeen was awful beyond words can describe. As new international students who arrived in the UK in January 2022, my spouse and I were desperate to find accommodation and settled for an old, poorly insulated apartment managed by Northwood. Initially, Northwood was responsive to our inquiries, which is why I gave them two stars, but the subsequent experiences were terrible.

Our troubles began when we discovered a crack in the kitchen window. After reporting it, Northwood concluded we caused the crack by installing an adhesive blind, demanding we pay over £200 for a new window. Despite our explanations and the contractor’s confirmation that the blind couldn't have caused the crack, Northwood remained adamant.

Things worsened when we sought to move to a larger Northwood property, a 2-bedroom bungalow nearby. The viewing was unprofessional; the agent was preoccupied and dismissive. Despite this, we applied, providing comprehensive documentation, including my husband's payslips and a reference from his manager. I also provided my upcoming employment details and a reference from my future manager.
Surprisingly, Northwood insisted we needed a guarantor, despite our clear financial capacity and rental history. Reluctantly, we provided one, but then they absurdly requested a landlord reference from themselves, delaying our application because our property manager was on leave. After repeated follow-ups, we were finally informed the apartment was rented to someone else, indicating Northwood’s apparent unwillingness to rent to us.

As we searched for other apartments, we faced more issues. We needed a landlord reference from Northwood for a new application with another agency. Northwood refused unless we gave a one-month notice to vacate, even though we were only in the application stage. This seemed like targeted discrimination against us as immigrants. Forced to comply, we eventually secured a new apartment elsewhere, without needing a guarantor.

Before leaving, we hired a cleaning company and documented the apartment’s condition, which had normal wear and tear. The only significant damage was a fire-grazed kitchen hob. Northwood had 31 business days to dispute our deposit but waited until the last moment to claim the entire £495 deposit and demanded an additional £200 for damages and cleaning. This unprofessional behavior was rightly timed by the property manager the night before his three-week leave commenced leaving us without anyone to clarify our doubts.

We provided evidence of the apartment’s condition and the mould issue, which Northwood had ignored, but they rejected all our proof. We took responsibility for the damaged hob and made a reasonable offer through Deposit Scotland. After months of silence and deadlines passing, Northwood eventually claimed the entire deposit, suggesting they were doing us a favour by not asking for more.

Our prolonged struggle with Northwood was exhausting and felt deeply discriminatory. This detailed account aims to warn potential renters. Northwood Aberdeen seems to prioritize landlords and lacks respect for tenants, responding to emails at odd hours and openly discriminating without accountability. Now, living in a new apartment managed by a different agent, the stark difference in treatment is clear.

After being hung up on the first time, the lady who answered the call the second time was rude from the start. She offered little to no help and sounded like she really did not want to be there, awful experience. I've never experienced this with an estate agent.
First time dealing with Northwood and I certainly won't be using them.

100% not recommended this company to anyone , Portsmouth branch - ask for all the documents included bank details / payslip which they didn’t confirm to rent the place to me , already to send to them few time and still reply to me they didn’t get it. Just ask for the questions - if the landlord will put the deposit to TDS system , they turn down my application within 5 minutes . Wasting time ! Like many people that have left reviews, be aware of them for the deposit issues.

Absolutely would NOT recommend to anyone. (Falkirk Branch)
Poor service. Impolite staff. Scraping the bottom of the barrel to take your deposit, after being forced to leave after only 7 month tenancy due to the poor condition of the property overall, from weeks without heating and cooker/ oven, to damp and mould issues causing illness to name only a few. You have to chase everything as promises to call you back don’t happen, they don’t want to deal with it and can’t get you off the phone quick enough when there’s issues. I could honestly go on and on about all the service failings throughout.
Felt forced to accept a ridiculous deposit reduction as I could not deal with the stress they had caused any longer throughout and after the tenancy.

Would NEVER trust to rent a property through them again personally.

Very surprised at the reviews, however our experience with the Wigan branch was second to none!

We were buying our first house through Northwood and had Kayleigh as our estate agent. We initially were looking at a house from strike and had problems left right and centre. When we finally found the house with northwood, It was a breath of fresh air. Kayleigh made the whole process extremely clear, Kept us up to date with everything and was very responsive when we had any questions. from start to finsh was much quicker than expected, all thanks to the hard work Kayleigh and the team put in for us. Extremely greatful for their time and efforts, we even received a fantastic little hamper with lots of goodies to get us settled in our new home which was just the cherry on top. Fantastic service all around and could not have asked for more!

I won’t go into details about their failings as there are so many, however, just to give you an idea, it was things like not paying the “Guaranteed” rent during Covid, quoting us £3300 for a central heating repair and the plumber we sent round fixed it for £120, but the worst part is when we tried to change agents, as they resorted to blackmail and carried out a forced eviction of the tenants against our wishes and despite one of the tenants being treated for Cancer (of which the knew), let me explain more.
After taking the final decision to leave Northwood, we employed a new agent to take over the tenants (switch service), however, Northwood had a clause hidden in the contract so they can evict the tenants before handing the property back, which they again explained this would cost me lots of money to move away, hence I should stay with them. I explained this was exactly the reason that I could not stay with them and even if they offered their services for free, I would still leave as their code of conduct was despicable. I explained that the tenants had done nothing wrong to Northwood and they do not deserve to be punished, but they proceeded to evict the tenants out of spite.
I spoke to the tenants to warn them of what was happening and the single mother of 3 children explained it was terrible timing as she was currently undergoing chemotherapy for Cancer. I promptly got in touch with Northwood to explain this and that they could not evict them as it was so cruel, but they issued the eviction letter a few days later anyway. I tried to work out with the tenant that they could stay after the eviction notice, but Northwood had this boxed off in their contract also, hence the eviction was carried out.
I lost many nights of sleep worrying about the tenant’s eviction and I tried all sorts of options to allow them to stay, but nothing could combat the Northwood contract, even my solicitor explained the contract was extremely unfair as it did not have any reasonable get out clauses, hence there was nothing I could do.
So my advice is that you avoid falling into the Northwood trap, as it is literally a trap which will punish both the landlord and tenant should you realise they are not capable of fulfilling a letting service and choose to leave.
But more importantly, if a company has staff who are happy to evict a single mother of 3 who is unwell, just out of spite, then even if they were the best letting agent in the world, this totally cruel behaviour should never be rewarded.

Worst company I have ever dealt with, for anything. Used them to sell my house, and had to constantly chase them. (Thorne Branch)

House chain fell through just before Christmas and I had to call them 2 weeks into the new year for an update, and they literally had zero clue what was happening.

Also told everything was sorted with mortgage for bottom of the chain, only to be waiting 5 days, so I asked my solicitor, and their solicitor was still waiting on mortgage. I questioned Northwood who knew about this and just didnt bother calling me to let me know.

WORST Estate Agents EVER

They lie to paying tenants, living with leaks that weren't getting sorted at all. I rented from Northwood for just little over a year and i can honestly say they are the worst out their. Problems from the day I moved in, taking days for replies from Agents, months for repairs and work not being completed and lies within their emails they send. Putting six tenants in a house share at risk of water flooding out of the ceiling near light switches. WOULDN'T RECCOMEND ATT ALL!!

This is the worst and the most incompetent letting agency. My property manager is off 70% of the month. And the days she is in she only responds by saying leave it upto me. And that’s all.. the issue is left with her and she doesn’t do anything about it. None of the employees would get back to you even after promising a call back including the managers. They simply don’t care what the tenant is going through.

If I could leave no stars I would!

The Doncaster branch has been nothing but incompetent as a letting agent!

This appauling service has been going on for several years.

The staff don’t care about the tenants or the landlords they are supposed to be acting on behalf of.

If you use this company with its inept and careless staff you are certain to have nothing but problems which you are paying the privilege for.

You have been warned!

I am surprised to see so many negative reviews for Northwood (Sandbach). Rena Andronicou and her team have always been very knowledgable, helpful and professional from my point of view and I have been with them now as a landlord for a few years. They are proactive when they need to be. I currently have excellent and happy tenant families in my properties which Northwood fully manage. It's a win-win for us all with all three of us: tenants, landlord and agent working together with mutual respect.

This letting agent leaves a lot to be desired. Zero support for tenants, acting solely as sales agents in the interests of the landlords, despite their obligation to provide clarity for tenants about what they're signing up to. My nightmare began with the tenancy agreement arriving just one week before I moved in, forcing me to sign a "Deed of Surrender" (I was led to believe it was a 12-month new contract via the existing flatmate who had gotten his information from the agent). When I raised concerns, the agent admitted it was a bad deal to take on responsibility for anything that had gone on with a prior flatmate, but offered no alternatives. Emails in one thread are typically answered by different agents, and phone calls vanish into an off-site messaging black hole. Even after I moved out, getting my deposit back was irregular. After a second email asking when it would be returned, I was told it should've been returned via the new flatmate (a stranger!), who didn't even have my account details. This is not standard practice, it's a recipe for disaster! How are you supposed to enforce getting your deposit back from a new tenant if they dispute they already sent it? If you pay your deposit into a Govt. Protection Scheme via an agent, it should be returned that way. Instead, this agent feels it is "problematic" to treat me as an individual tenant with my own rights and so prefers to wash their hands of it. The new flatmate is left feeling the same. UK law doesn't help flatmates moving in with existing tenants under one umbrella agreement, but the treatment I experienced felt demoralising. It was my first time in such an arrangement and an agent knowing this should provide support. If you value clear communication, tenant support and basic professionalism, avoid this agency and avoid joint letting agreements.

If I could give no stars I would. Do not, I repeat do not, ever use this company to let a property with either as an owner or as a tenant. They are thieves, take money each month and do nothing to earn it. We were stuck with them as had the same tenant for over 11 years, luckily our tenant was great. She hated them with a vengeance as did we because they were so useless. Sadly our tenant died a few weeks ago. Northwood Wigan have now plumbed the depths by not returning owed monies to our former tenants grieving family. They had the gall to tell them it was us witholding the money. I cannot express strongly enough how awful this company is. How anyone can work for them is beyond me.

Karen brown was amazing with us whilst renting , always willing to help us
Thank you :)

Bad customer service and incompetent - their rental properties are overpriced (obviously).

I was paying £750 a month (now being let for £870) to stay at 97 South Gyle Gardens in Edinburgh. The building was more like a drafty caravan and it has a really bad damp problem. It also has rats which chew the waste pipe of the toilet which floods your bathroom creating more smell and damp..

The damp smell ruins all your clothes and belongings as it is near impossible to get rid.

The staff are 'mostly' very arrogant useless pepole.

Having to deal with the incompetent estate agents and staying in that property was genuinely the worst experience of my life.

Please advise avoid at all costs.

Do not use this company- they are utter liars.

'You get your rental income on the same day of the month, no matter what, meaning that you know what to expect.'
- You absolutely do not. Only once have we received our income on time without having to chase. They have small print terms and conditions stating it can take up to 14 days.

'We hold regular property inspections and manage all maintenance queries'
-Luckily we have wonderful tenants in our property. Having said this, this was luck. Northwood didn't even tell us who the tenants were before they moved in. We had no idea until we popped over to deliver a card. However, they have informed us that Northwood have not been to inspect the property once (they have been in there almost a year). We deal with all problems ourselves and will be getting rid of Northwood after a year.

Words fail me in trying to explain how horrifically terrible this company are. I've dealt with the Cheltenham branch for 3 and a bit years and unfortunately had no choice but to stay with them as the flat I was renting off them was perfect for me. I would like to say that this comment includes all staff members except for Holly and Julie who were an absolute delight whenever our paths crossed.

I dealt with one person in particular, Lisa. An extremely unhelpful, unprofessional, rude woman. I won't go on and on because it's clear I have had a horrendous experience with the company but one incidence really feels like it needs to be shared. Our immersion heater broke in November one year so i called Northwood and explained the situation, they promptly got an electrician round to check if that was the issue but it wasn't so a plumber came round and it turned out they needed to replace a piece but the immersion heater in the flat is from a company that doesn't exist anymore so they need to have a bespoke piece made by another manufacturer to put into the boiler. The flat I was in had no central heating, single glazed windows and no hot water ... for 6 weeks! I was assured I would be kept in the loop but not once did I receive a call with an update on the whereabouts of this piece for the immersion heater. When I called after 5 weeks of no hot water and no central heating in a freezing cold flat I was told, and I quote, that I was being unreasonable and if i didn't stop asking about when the heating/hot water would be fixed then the landlord was prepared to serve notice. You might think that in this situation they would think about the fact the rent had never been late and always in full and on the day requiredor that the flat was beautifully maintained and was complemented on how well it was kept in every inspection but no, asking about an immersion heater part is just one step too far!

Absolutely delightful service, really felt like I had someone on my side when things felt pretty terrible! Of course that is complete sarcasm, I've never had such horrendous service from a company. Could not recommend less. Hope they get shut down.

Northwood (Warminster's branch) is A.OK with me. As a lettings agency I have found them to be friendly, helpful, and professional. This all began with Kirsty, who first found my dog-friendly, garden maisonette haven... Kirsty was so encouraging towards the end of what had been a really tough 8-month search, even though I could only view the maisonette, virtually; whilst other would-be viewers; nearby; would surely secure it... Then, Tracey Graham (Lettings Administrator) and Charli Pearce (Lettings Portfolio Negotiator); both of whom I wouldn't hesitate to contact about anything at all; have both been friendly and very helpful.

There was an unhappy hiccup, after I'd moved in (when a relentlessly determined, deceitful, overbearing, and malicious neighbour tried to persuade Northwood staff that my dog was living in the property without me, and - as I found out, eventually - that neighbour simply didn't want a dog to live in this dog-friendly property, in case there was a lot of barking). After, initially, apparently believing the neighbour's extreme efforts; the malice was pointed out (by myself) and Northwood staff then kindly reassured me about it all, as did the doggie powers that be...

Since then, I have been very happy with Northwood and, above all, feel relaxed about my home and - believe me - that is worth its weight in gold. I count on Northwood staff to be warm and friendly towards me and haven't had any repair arrangement difficulties.

If you want to rent in the Warminster rental zone or surrounding areas, I recommend Northwood, Warminster to you. I have no regrets. Thank you, so much, Kirsty, Tracey and Charli 🙂🙂🙂.

(Sanbach Branch) You have properties for sale that other estate agents in Cheshire will no longer market. There is one such property currently listed by your Sandbach branch. It has been advertised as SSTC on 3 separate occasions now! The neighboring properties have also alerted us that this is/was the case. However, it was far too late for us to pull out. I feel sorry for all the potential buyers who had to back out because of costly major defects, running into tens of thousands of pounds. Defects that the estate agents and the company that owns this particular home are never going to acknowledge. Instead, they will spin you a web of lies. These are unsuspecting buyers who have put all their faith in this team of agents. They, the agents ignore costly independent surveys as do the vendors. This cowboy outfit has cost me about £700. There is one particular member of the Sandbach office who has also lied about a family member of mine. It is a good thing we are recording all our conversations.

Once you rent it, it becomes pretty much useless for any fixing or agreements that were made verbally. You have to deal with rudeness and lies all the time. I feel sad for all the tenants signing up with them