CPS Homes estate agents in Cardiff

Thank you Jacob! Helping you purchase your first home was an absolute pleasure and we’re so glad we could make a difference. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter!

Hi Juliette, Thank you for leaving a review. We’re sorry that your experience with CPS Homes hasn’t been a positive one. We can see that you chose to rent two properties from us over a total of 24 months. For the purpose of this reply, we’ve assumed that you’re referring to the most recent property you lived in. Landlords and occupiers both share responsibilities in preventing condensation, which leads to mould. The landlord must provide the necessary ‘tools’ and maintain them. It’s then for the occupier(s) to use these ‘tools’ and live in such a way that does not create the conditions for condensation to turn into mould. The ‘tools’ a landlord should look to provide where possible are a fully working heating system with adequately placed and sized radiators, extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, vents in the windows, a washing line and a tumble dryer. We ask occupiers to confirm the presence of these items and if they’re working as they should be. If any of these answers are “no”, we will have a conversation with the landlord about making some changes. On top of this, we issue contract-holders with detailed, written advice, produced in conjunction with Cardiff Council, on how to reduce mould caused by condensation. It’s typically caused by not using the heating enough (common in today’s “energy prices are expensive” world), turning mechanical extraction off, not opening windows when showering or cooking, drying clothes indoors (sometimes even when a dryer is provided, again for fear of electricity costs), not using lids on pans when cooking, storing damp clothes or shoes in drawers/wardrobes, not opening trickle vents, failing to wipe down damp/wet surfaces and placing furniture too tight to a wall. Damp is something completely different as it's caused by a structural issue with the property, e.g. a leak coming in from the roof due to a broken tile or a part of the external rendering is missing and letting rainwater in. You’ll see a visible tidemark or wet patch on the wall/ceiling, which looks very different to mould. Rectifying damp is wholly a landlord's responsibility. We can see that your landlord promptly saw to the one damp issue you had. It should be pointed out that a damp issue cropping up isn’t uncommon, especially in older houses. We apologise for any communication-related issues. We provide at least 24 hours’ notice of any viewings or inspections, though if a maintenance issue is reported and we can have a contractor attend sooner than 24 hours’ time, we will always aim to do so as we assume that occupiers would prefer to have the issue rectified sooner rather than later. Contractors often get last-minute slots available in their diaries, so we try to fill them as it can sometimes be days until they get another slot. However, if an occupier indicates that they’d prefer to wait at least 24 hours for a contractor to attend, we will of course follow their instruction on that. Kind regards, The CPS Homes Team.

Thanks so much for your review Elby! We're glad you found the process smooth and that you love your new home.

Hi Joseph, Thank you for leaving a review. Having looked into your recent dealings with us, we can see that we successfully persuaded your landlord to let you exit your fixed-term tenancy over 4 months early, due to your personal reasons. Your landlord could have rejected this request, but went with our advice on it. We trust you were happy with this outcome. We'd be keen to hear more about your experience with us, so would welcome you getting in touch with further information via feedback@cpshomes.co.uk. Kind regards, The CPS Homes Team.

Hi Farzana, Thank you for leaving a review. We’re sorry that your experience with CPS Homes hasn’t been a positive one. We’ve looked back and can see that you only reported one maintenance issue during your 12-month tenancy. This was a bathroom light switch sometimes not working, which was resolved within 3 working days. We identified a few other minor, mainly cosmetic issues ourselves when we attended for an inspection. You hadn’t reported these, but we wanted them resolved for you. We promptly fed our findings back to your landlord and they had somebody attend to resolve them within 3 working days. Among the issues noted were a snapped bed slat, which your landlord deemed was not your responsibility. The attending contractor deemed a cracked freezer drawer was caused through misuse, but your landlord chose not to apply a charge for this. We highlight these elements because we think they demonstrate diligent management of what was a recently-refurbished property with very few issues, with fairness and transparency applied throughout, all of which is at odds to the picture you have painted in your review. In terms of the construction work, as previously advised, your landlord disputes that they had knowledge of any building work being done next door. When somebody applies to the local authority to obtain planning permission to do work, the local authority follows a prescribed process, which includes notifying neighbouring properties of the application. Crucially, it doesn’t say when the work will be done, as the applicant doesn’t need to specify when, or indeed if, they intend to do work. Additionally, neighbouring properties are not automatically informed of the final decision on a planning application by the local authority, so won’t necessarily know if it was granted or refused. Planning permission is typically valid for 3 years, so permission could’ve been obtained up to 3 years prior to the work being started. Bearing in mind the landlord had only recently bought the property when your tenancy began, it’s wholly possible they weren’t aware of the planning application. And, as stated, they’re only informed of the application, not the decision or indeed when the work will be done. We document the condition of each property at the end of the tenancy (as we also do at the beginning of each tenancy), then provide this report to the landlord for their assessment, as, being the owner of the property, they are the decision maker. Within the report, we highlight items that we believe are a result of wear and tear, therefore the responsibility of the landlord to make good before any new contract-holders arrive. We also highlight any items we believe to be over and beyond fair wear and tear, which, if substantially different to the condition at the start of the tenancy, they may wish to claim from the deposit for. When we completed your check-out inspection, we noted a stained mattress, which your landlord initially indicated they would like to make a small claim for (£40 to supply and fit a mattress protector). However, when we advised your landlord that the similar staining was present upon move-in, they agreed to drop the charge, and you were refunded your full deposit within 10 working days of your tenancy ending. Finally, we provide at least 24 hours’ notice of any viewings or inspections, though if a maintenance issue is reported and we can have a contractor attend sooner than 24 hours’ time, we will always aim to do so as we assume that occupiers would prefer to have the issue rectified sooner rather than later. Contractors often get last-minute slots available in their diaries, so we try to fill them as it can sometimes be days until they get another slot. However, if an occupier indicates that they’d prefer to wait at least 24 hours for a contractor to attend, we will of course follow their instruction on that. Kind regards, The CPS Homes Team.

Great to hear - thank you Georgia!

Fab to hear - thanks very much for the review and five stars Ffion

Thank you for the great review, Timothy!

Thanks Dany! We're thrilled to hear how happy you are with our team and service, it truly means a lot.

Thank you Sky for your lovely review! We're so pleased Erin made the process smooth and informative for you, she’ll be delighted to hear your feedback!

Hi Cristian, Thanks for your review. We’re aware that you’re currently in discussion with our team, who are liaising with you and your landlord regarding the landlord’s claim from your deposit. Bear in mind that occupation contracts are between the contract-holder(s) and the landlord, so it’s the landlord who chooses to submit this claim. We would much prefer not to have to make a claim from a deposit, as it's far quicker and easier to return a deposit in full. There have been delays in this return process, which we apologise for, though they have not been at CPS Homes’ end. The delays initially occurred whilst we attempted to ascertain what your landlord’s claim was, and subsequently when we’ve been negotiating with him on your behalf to have him reduce the amount of the claim. To explain further, our contract with the landlord stipulates that we will document the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy (as we also do at the beginning of each tenancy), then provide this report to them for their assessment, as, again, being the owner of the property, they are the decision maker. Within the report, we highlight items that we believe are a result of wear and tear, therefore the responsibility of the landlord to make good before any new contract-holders arrive. We also highlight any items we believe to be over and beyond fair wear and tear, which, if substantially different to the condition at the start of the tenancy, they may wish to claim for from the deposit. When you moved in, you signed an inventory that read “unless otherwise stated, the condition of the property…is clean and ready for occupation”. You didn’t note any cleaning concerns on the document. We have significant evidence that cleaning was required when you left. You even offered to return to the property clean the areas of concern, though we cannot allow contract-holders to access the property again after their tenancy has finished. Once the landlord has decided how they wish to proceed, we add comments to the inspection report and send it over to the contract-holder(s) for their perusal. We invite contract-holders to comment on anything noted as being over and beyond fair wear and tear. This demonstrates a transparent, two-way process that is geared towards avoiding any potential deposit dispute. When contract-holders provide their comments, as we always encourage them to do, we revert back to the landlord and attempt to negotiate the deposit return of behalf of both. This is what we’re doing for you currently. As you know, the landlord’s claim is not for just cleaning. We have presented you with evidence of other items too. We feel it's important to point out that it's not uncommon for there to be a dispute at the end of a tenancy. Quite rightly, contract-holders are keen to receive as much of their deposit back as possible, whereas landlords would like to be compensated for any dilapidation they believe is not a result of wear and tear. So, by virtue of their own standpoints, deposit claims are a contentious matter. Thankfully, the process described earlier in this reply successfully resolves the vast majority of potential deposit disputes before they become protracted, which we think is something that should be commended. As with any deposit return, if a contract-holder feels a landlord's claim is not justified and a mutual agreement cannot be reached, the deposit scheme that protects the deposit can appoint an unbiased, impartial adjudicator to consider all evidence and make a ruling. We're pleased to say that the vast majority of deposits CPS Homes returns are done so with mutual agreement between landlord and contract-holder, meaning only a small minority require independent adjudication. We hope to reach this outcome with your deposit return in the very imminent future. Many thanks, The CPS Homes Team.

Thank you for your feedback Tom! Great to hear the process was quick and straightforward and that Erin was so helpful in ensuring everything was clear for you :)

Hi Barbara, thank you so much for the five stars!