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★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotI have been attempting to contact a…
I have been attempting to contact a specific estate agent at the HotBlack Camden branch regarding an ongoing issue with one of the properties they manage and water damage to my property. Despite sending emails, I have yet to receive an adequate response to my emails.
The lack of communication is concerning and unacceptable. The agent in question is Jane Havel. I request that this matter be reviewed immediately and that the issue is addressed without further delay.
I expect a prompt response and resolution.
RESPONSE TO HOTBLACK DESIATO CAMDEN BRACH.
Firstly, while you state that the issue has now been identified as the freeholders responsibility regarding rainwater goods maintenance, that is not my responsibility to resolve.
As the managing agents, it is your role to liase with the freeholders/leaseholders/owners and take accountability and responsibility for ensuring this matter is properly addressed and resolved. From my perspective as the affected property owner, the issue remains ongoing and unresolved.
Secondly, although you reference email correspondence on specific dates, the communication has not been handled in an orderly or consistent fashion with a lack of clear updates, For example "as soon as possible" is not a clear timeframe to get the issue resolved?
I have sent videos clearly showing the rotten pipe and the ongoing condition causing the water damage (I have not mentioned waste damage just water damage ????). These videos are evidence that this is an active problem requiring urgent remedial action - not simply reassignment of responsibility.
If you wish to continue disputing the facts publicly rather than resolving the issue constructively, then so be it - I am prepared to have the full timeline of comunication and supporting video evidence reviewed openly.
I now expect HotBlack Desiato Estate Agents acting on behalf of their client to take full accountabilityand ensure this matter is properly sorted out without further delay.
UPDATE 18/04/2026
Replacement Drain covers on the property maintained by HOTBLACKDESIATO CAMDEN BRANCH still outstanding meaning the drains are still open and
vermin can still come up from the drains despite being told by the manager of the branch that the repairs would be done many weeks ago.
Ani · 2 March 2026 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
Agent replied · 31 May 2026
We were disappointed to read your recent Trustpilot review. I do not believe it to be accurate that you have had difficulty liaising with us on the matter of water damage to your property. You emailed us initially on 25th February and a reply was sent the same day and there was further email exchanges between us on that date.
Until you sent an email us on Monday 2nd March we assumed the issue had been resolved. We replied to your email and there were a couple of further email exchanges that same day.
We have and will always be pro-active in dealing with issues that impact not only the properties we manage but also any impact they may have on neighbours’ properties. Having checked the timeline of emails we refute your statement that there has been a lack of communication.
We understand that you are frustrated that the issue has not been resolved. It has transpired this morning that the source of the problem does not lie with the next door flat, as you had first thought, but has been identified as with the freeholders responsibility regarding rainwater goods’ maintenance.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleRating only, no written review.
James · 16 February 2026 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotAwful. dodgy. rude. unpleasant. I hate them. do not use them.
I never write reviews but this has just been an awful experience and the company seems to be staffed exclusively buy rude belligerent scammers. As soon as we moved out they did everything they could to extract money from us through dodgy claims and fake cleaning costs and lock changes and anything else they could to hold onto our deposit.
kiss your deposit goodbye unless you plan on breaking into their office and taking it back by force. I will never deal with them again and if you see the name Laura Simpson on any paperwork you should run a mile.
Joby · 10 February 2026 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
Agent replied · 23 February 2026
Hi Joseph,
I’m sorry to see this complaint, but it does need to be balanced with the full facts.
The flat was provided to you in a clean and well-maintained condition, and unfortunately it was left in a very poor state when you moved out. We have extensive photographic evidence to support this. In addition, the front garden was left full of refuse sacks and discarded belongings, which had to be cleared at the landlord’s expense.
You signed a tenancy agreement and were reminded of its terms a month before vacating, specifically that the property should be returned in the same condition and that all keys must be handed back. After you moved out, neighbours reported someone entering the flat. It transpired that you had retained a set of keys and let yourself in after the tenancy had ended. As a result, the locks had to be changed. After a tenancy ends there is no right of access, although we would have assisted had you contacted us.
Laura has simply been carrying out her role. Your communications with her have been inappropriate, including repeated contact on her personal mobile outside office hours, and this has caused her considerable distress. This has now been compounded by your comments here which she is seeking advice regarding.
It is regrettable that you chose to raise this in a public forum, which has required us to respond with the factual position.
Finally, as you are aware, your deposit is not being withheld. This matter must be addressed through the TDS dispute process, as previously advised.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe had an excellent experience with Hotblack Desiato Estate Agents in Camden. They handled the letting of my daughter’s flat in Camden Town and were professional, efficient, and very supportive throughout the process. Communication was clear and timely, and they made everything straightforward and stress-free. We felt confident that the property was in good hands, and their local knowledge was invaluable. We would happily recommend Diriye and Adriana to anyone looking to let a property in the area.
Sally · 16 January 2026 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
Googlefter many years of dealing with estate and buy-to-let sales agents, it wasn’t until my final sale that I found the agent I’d been looking for. Stuart at Hotblack Desiato has been excellent. When my property received multiple bids, he handled the situation perfectly. Sometimes, and I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, you can tell he’s been in the business a long time, and in my opinion, nothing beats experience.
Thank you for your help. It hasn’t been easy, but I would highly recommend Stuart at Hotblacks to anyone looking to sell a property.
Russell · 16 December 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
Agent replied · 16 April 2026
Hi Russ. Thank you so much for your high praise and recommendation. It was a rollercoaster of a journey, dogged with some really bad luck, but I am delighted to have steered your sale to a successful conclusion. I already miss our chats! Very best of luck for the future.
Stuart
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotAfter many years of dealing with estate…
After many years of dealing with estate and buy-to-let sales agents, it wasn’t until my final sale that I found the agent I’d been looking for. Stuart at Hotblack Desiato has been excellent. When my property received multiple bids, he handled the situation perfectly. Sometimes, and I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, you can tell he’s been in the business a long time, and in my opinion, nothing beats experience.
Thank you for your help. It hasn’t been easy, but I would highly recommend Stuart at Hotblacks to anyone looking to sell a property.
Russ
Russell · 9 December 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI’ve been with Hotblack for nearly 20 years, and they’ve supported me through both the rental and the eventual sale of my property. They are professional, attentive, and friendly!
Thank you to the entire team, especially Stuart, for guiding me through the (complex) sales process so well.
Mark · 28 November 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleRating only, no written review.
Britney · 16 November 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleAvoid this agency at all costs! We rented a flat from them and they have not returned our deposit since we moved out over a month ago.
They do not respond to emails or calls and have essentially frozen comms with us.
Extremely concerning and I would advise all prospective tenants to proceed with extreme caution when dealing with this agency.
Fernanda · 16 November 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleVery happy to recommend Stuart Shiers and the team at Hotblack Desiato. Hard-working, professional and endlessly patient - they handled the sale of our property with skill and tact. Very responsive, very straight-forward. With a good result.
Beth · 12 November 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
Agent replied · 12 December 2025
Thanks, Beth for your kind words and recommemdation. It was quite a journey but we got there in the end!
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleStuart at Hotblack Desiato was fantastic from start of finish with the sale of my house! He gave a fair and I feel accurate valuation of my property and we ended up getting over asking price. He was always available to talk to and answer any questions and it really felt like a more more personalised service as opposed to just another customer. I would have no hesitation in recommending Hotblack for your sale. It really paid off going with a local agent with years of experience on the area!
Zak · 12 November 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
Agent replied · 12 December 2025
Hi Zak. Many thanks for your kind words and recommendation. It was a pleasure dealing with you too. Wishing you and Rosie every happiness in your new home.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleAdriana and Diriye have both been incredibly helpful with move-in procedures and solving any issues we had with our flat.
Kayden · 13 October 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe’ve been with Hotblack for over 15 years, they have always provided outstanding service in managing our rental property. They’ve been consistently timely and successful in finding and vetting tenants; they take care of everything from cleaning to maintenance to ensure the flat is always ready to move in to. Their professionalism and reliability have made the whole process stress-free for us. Highly recommended!
Cam · 13 October 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI recently worked with Charlie Sydee from Hotblack Desiato while renting my new place.
Charlie was the landlord’s agent, and honestly, he made the whole process way smoother and less stressful than I expected. He was calm but enthusiastic, super honest about the flat (even the less-than-perfect bits), and just really easy to deal with. Always early, always responsive, and even helped chase things up with the property management team after I moved in, which, from what I gather, isn’t usually part of the job.
Also, solid coffee recommendation, very appreciated.
All in all, the experience was great. Would definitely recommend Hotblack, and especially Charlie!
Raja · 11 October 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleHotblack Desiato in Camden is a long-established friendly and efficient office with a team that thoroughly knows the area. For anyone looking to rent out a property I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. They are always professionaly, helpful and quick to respond.
Catherine · 13 September 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe are happy to recommend the company’s service, it was very pleasant, professional, and efficient. They responded to every request quickly and attentively, always doing their best to help. The apartment they found for us was exactly in line with our family’s needs, and they were flexible and open when we needed to extend the original contract. In addition, whenever an issue came up, it was a pleasure to reach out, and we always received excellent support. I warmly recommend this company to anyone looking for an apartment in London :)
Hadas · 13 September 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat team, extremely helpful and knowledgable. If I was to buy or sell again in the area I wouldn’t hesitate to use this estate agent.
Tessa · 28 July 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleBrilliant service , completely professional and efficient .Adriana was an excellent agent and found great tenants very quickly. This is my second time using the agency and I recommend them utterly.
Sukie · 25 July 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleThey've been running these quite offensive ads for years. Even as a North Londoner myself I find these very upsetting given the extensive history of racist disenfranchisement of South London. There are so many positive things to be said, why base your ad campaign on playing off stereotypes and biases?
Edit to add photos of how long you've been running these ads and how extensive the campaign, after your responses. Nothing about this is lighthearted, you literally labelled what's apparently your home station as "turn around" and "don't do it"
Sydney · 20 July 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
Agent replied · 11 August 2025
Hi Sydney, thanks for engaging and making your views known.
We've been running this particular campaign for less than a year, and it was created to play on the light-hearted debate we often encounter between North and South Londoners. We've been based in North London for over four decades so feel like it's a topic we can get involved in!
I'd say your interpretation is a bit of a leap from a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign, but you are of course entitled to your opinion. We're pleased we've had lots of positive feedback from North and South Londoners alike, I hail from near Camberwell myself!
Thanks,
Alasdair
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI would like to thank Charlie personally from Hotblack Desiato. He was professional, polite and the communication was excellent throughout. Thanks for everything again.
Serkan · 12 July 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI strongly advise against using this letting agent. They were consistently unprofessional, with poor communication and little regard for tenants. Save yourself the stress and look elsewhere.
Melek · 6 June 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleRating only, no written review.
Stuart · 26 May 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleRating only, no written review.
Charles · 14 May 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (67 Parkway)
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI recently rented a place through Hotblack Desiato and the process was incredibly smooth. I worked with Gino, who was absolutely amazing - very knowledgeable about the flat, the area overall, and really helped with all of the details throughout the process, making what could have been a stressful process very easy. Cannot recommend enough!
Abigail · 12 May 2025 · Hotblack Desiato London (314 Upper Street)
A review that appears on several offices' pages is shown once. We leave out reviews that name another agent.
