John Shepherd Birmingham reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

!!!NEGLIGENCE REDEFINED: TENANT SAFETY IGNORED!!! I am currently on Day 50 of living in a property managed by John Shepherd (Birmingham) that is unfit for human habitation. Since 9th February, I have been dealing with a severe structural leak that remains active and unresolved today. The agency’s handling of this emergency is a disgrace. I am currently forced to live with: Active Electrical Hazards: Water is leaking through internal light sockets. I have witnessed sparks on the electrical board twice, yet the source of the water has not been stopped. Visibility Issues & Safety: The contractor’s only action was to remove the light bulbs. This has left one side of my living area without light, making it difficult to see the constant flooding on the floor. Physical Injury: Because of the poor visibility and the wet floor, I have already suffered a physical slip injury, a direct result of the agency's failure to provide a safe environment. Outrageous Management Demands: Property Manager Melissa Cannon has told me it is my 'contractual duty' to keep cleaning up this structural floodwater. I am being treated as an unpaid maintenance worker for a building defect I did not cause. For over two weeks, Melissa Cannon has hidden behind a scripted 'business formal' response, stating she is 'in talks' with the landlord regarding a rent rebate. It takes five minutes to call a landlord, but this agency has stalled for 14 days while I continue to pay full rent for a hazardous, partially uninhabitable home. They are clearly prioritizing the landlord's future interests over my current physical safety. If you value your safety and expect an agent who actually picks up the phone, avoid John Shepherd at all costs.

Saish · 2 April 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

My experience with John Shepherd Lettings has been appalling. They completely oversold their ability to manage the property and dramatically overestimated the achievable rent. In reality the property ended up letting for around 50% less than what they originally quoted, after I was pressurised into accepting a last-minute tenancy at a grossly deflated rate. Their management has been extremely poor. They do not reply to emails or complaints, and communication is essentially non-existent. Since deciding to remove them, the tenants informed me they had made multiple repair requests during the tenancy which were simply ignored, and eventually stopped contacting the agency because they knew they would not receive a response. The property was left filthy and badly damaged at checkout, showing a clear lack of oversight. They have also added charges without my consent, including rental protection insurance which was added without approval and they have refused to refund, despite me emailing multiple members of staff. Before appointing them I was managing the property myself while working full-time, and it was far less stressful than having John Shepherd involved. The whole experience has been financially damaging and incredibly frustrating. If even one person reads this review and decides not to use them, I’ll feel like I’ve saved someone from the same experience.

Thomas · 16 March 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

AVOID AVOID AVOID!!! This is the worst property management company ever, lying to their customers especially Claire!! I have been trying to book a viewing and from the minute she booked it, she tried everything to avoid it and finally when we showed up for the viewing nobody shows up and then she starts lying about the fact that I called her and then when asked for the call records, she needed IT assistance. This management company provides wrong information about contracts and mislead their tenants , trying to trap them. Avoid at all costs.

Ann · 16 March 2026

★★★★★ 3/5

Trustpilot

Good student property viewing

I recently viewed 2 different student properties and Arabel did a great job showing me around! There were some difficulties entering properties due to card access but Arabel handled everything well. I also appreciated the flexibility in pricing along with some freebies. Moving forward, I think tenants should be notified of house viewings as they were unaware and therefore interrupted by our viewing.

FL · 20 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Letting & Property Management

The lettings team at John Shepherd just did a fantastic job letting three properties for us. The service and responsiveness from Senka, Caitlin, Gemma, Shennay and Rebecca is exceptional. The renewals and property management team are equally brilliant so thanks also to Faye, Tina, Andrea, Lauren and Tracey. Apologies if I've missed anyone who deals with our properties, they’re all great.

Glen · 30 April 2026

★★★★★ 4/5

Trustpilot

Thank you to Maisy

Maisy Smith was really helpful when sorting the broken blinds in the property. These were been broken before I moved in and started the tenancy. After becoming my my property manager, Maisy has picked this up and got the blinds replaced quickly. Each step of the process was communicated clearly and I am really happy with the work.

Bethan · 22 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I recently moved into a rental property with John Shepherd and the process was handled really well. Sophia Tong was really accommodating, allowing me to view the property on a Saturday so as not to cause difficulties with my full time job. The process from viewing to finding out I had been accepted for the property was very fast and I was kept updated throughout, which I really appreciated. Gemma Davies was also very helpful with my initial queries and updates once I had passed referencing. Would recommend John Shepherd for renting :)

Lauryn · 15 September 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Compliance Certification Situation

Teresa Freville is an absolute credit to John Shepherd and she really does go above and beyond to make sure that she actions and sorts out all the compliance needs for myself as a landlord to make the whole communication situation with my tenant go smoothly.

Roger · 6 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Natasha Watkins has been a fantastic…

Natasha Watkins has been a fantastic estate agent to deal with, she has continuously kept in contact throughout our purchase to keep us up to date. Thank you Natasha for all of your help, it is very much appreciated.

Sadie · 8 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

The whole experience from start to…

The whole experience from start to completion was professional done so happy to have chosen to go with John Shepherd Lettings Special thank you to Tom, Mia, Gema, thank yo all so much

Linda · 12 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Great service, great team!

Many thanks to Caitlin, Alan and team for being super efficient & friendly in sorting our tenancy out so quick! Quick responses to emails & messages, prompt action & expert guidance!

C · 5 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Moving made easy…

The whole process from the initial viewing of the property to receiving the keys was faultless, Olga and Michelle were so very helpful and made my move very easy .

Keith · 9 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Everything went very smoothly .

Everything went very smoothly .. Alan and Gemma were helpful .. they were diligent and considerate to our requests ., thank you for a professional experience ..

Julie · 14 May 2026

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

I had viewing with Mr Mohammed and it was very smooth where Mr . Mohammed had explained very well everything regarding the apartment then Elisa Robinson took my case she was amazing and helpful kind taking of my case . Thank you to all John shepherd team . Thank you Regards Rohit Singh jeena.

ROHIT · 8 September 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Avoiding this agency as I value my safety. I’ve been living with an unresolved structural leak for almost 2 months days water leaks coming through light fittings, electrical hazards, and no proper fix. Their only action was removing bulbs, leaving areas dark and unsafe, which led to me slipping and getting injured. Instead of resolving the issue, I was told it’s my responsibility to clean up the flooding. Poor communication, no urgency, and zero regard for tenant safety.

Sahil · 2 April 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Quality inspection from a tenant

I have been a tenant for over six years. I have had regular inspections of my property however my recent experience with Debbie Jackon was outstanding. The inspection was thorough going through each room and the outside, discussing what was good as well as issues. She recorded each area describing the issues and taking photographs. Debbie was good to talk to, being a good listener and communicator. Thank you Debbie for making an inspection an enjoyable experience and not something to dread.

ELIZABETH · 6 October 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Appalling experience with John Shepherd. After 6 years of loyalty, they have committed gross professional negligence by authorized an early tenant move-out without my consent, breaking a fixed-term contract. Most alarmingly, they have taken unauthorized deductions from my rent account (increasing fees by 2% without a signed agreement). They are also currently ignoring a formal complaint. Absolute lack of integrity and professional standards. Avoid at all costs. UPDATE (March 4th): In response to the agency's comment below: I have already escalated this directly to your CEO and Property Management Director. As your agency has admitted professional negligence and performed unauthorized deductions from my client account, I have set a final deadline of 12:00 PM tomorrow for a written settlement. If this is not met, I will be proceeding with formal filings to The Property Ombudsman and Propertymark. I am awaiting a professional resolution, not a generic redirect.

Dominika · 16 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I’ve had a very positive experience with John Shepherd Lettings, Birmingham City Centre office. After not moving for several years, I was quite nervous about starting a tenancy again, especially as I haven’t had good experiences with other estate agents in the past. However, from the very beginning, their coordination and communication made the move-in process smooth and stress-free. What really stands out is their maintenance team. They respond quickly to any issues and keep tenants regularly updated until the matter is resolved. Even after moving in, they don’t leave tenants on their own, the support continues. I can also clearly see that they manage properties professionally for landlords as well. The way they handle maintenance and communication shows they care about protecting the landlord’s property while also supporting tenants fairly. That balance is not easy to find. The entire team in the Birmingham City Centre office has been professional, supportive, and proactive. Highly recommended.

Vikas · 16 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Kelvin Zekeyo

Kelvin Zekeyo was so helpful and an amazing individual helping me through my accommodation process, which I was so delighted of.

Yaa · 29 May 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Chasing up money owed to us for a year - not paid.

Throughout our years tenancy with John shepherd we have been chasing up a £100 cash incentive that was originally offered to us for staying on with the company. After numerous emails, phone calls and visits to there office with promises being made to us, we are still yet to be paid. Overall, the management and staff communication at the company seems very poor, and they have very little regard to students.

Harry · 13 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Alexander Shomari was fabulous in…

Alexander Shomari was fabulous in offering suitable places and was quick to respond to queries. Happy with the service provided

Haajra · 22 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Joe was very helpful and knowledgable…

Joe was very helpful and knowledgable at the viewings and looking to book our place with him.

Dee · 20 May 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Gita has been really helpful with enquiries and she is swift in responding and resolving any issues I have with the property. Thank you Gita

Yusuf · 16 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Excellent service

Catie was lovely with me and my partner with looking for a property, Excellent service, super friendly.

Alahia · 11 May 2026