Every review we hold for the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleOur Sandbourne rental was of a high quality and well furnished. It was clean and well-presented when we arrived. It was very well equipped and the linens and towels were of a lovely quality. The garden, opening off the dining area was a bonus, and being extremely lucky to have glorious weather, were able to lunch outside. In addition, it was a pleasure to deal with Bournemouth Beaches. the staff were always courteous and very helpful. We would return.
Jean · 25 October 2017
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you Jean for your kind comments. It is truly lovely to hear you had such an enjoyable time and we look forward to welcoming you back.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleBeware of the rogue practice of this company. Despite ensuring availability of chosen holiday apartment for a short break by phone, then paying deposit by debit card (which was processed) and receiving confirmation by email - this agent cancelled unilaterally in order to facilitate an offer for a longer term let. Left out of pocket with bank charges, exchange rate loss and had to re-book more expensive alternative as other preferred options had been booked out by then.
Zero professional integrity and high handed manner leaves a lot to be desired and a disgrace to the holiday letting business. No protection for the customer at all. Bournemouth Borough Council trading standards division should review.
I am updating this review having read the response of the owner of this business.
Firstly, It is untrue that we were offered “suitable alternative accommodation at the same rate”. Properties "at the same rate" were over two kilometres away or much smaller (studio for 2 +cot) than what we had booked (one bedroom + sofa bed sleeps 4). They were not suitable.
Secondly, I had never agreed to accepting a refund. I had intended to ask my husband if he wanted to pay more for a different property in the same complex or to take a taxi to/from the conference venue each day if we had to stay further away. The cancellation and refund was effected unilaterally before I had the chance to revert.
I feel the need to point out the way that this letting agent conducts its business. Whilst one can be understanding if a confirmed booking has to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances such as flooding, cancelling contracted and confirmed booking(s) purely to get more money from a longer rental appears to be inconsistent with the notion of "acting in good faith". The terms of this agent which allows them to cancel any bookings at any time for whatever reason (whereas cancellations by customers will incur penalties), is a textbook example of Unfair Contract Terms under EU Directive.
Pat · 26 October 2015
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Dear Mr and Mrs Craven,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. Our records show that a three nights booking was placed for April/May 2015 on 04/11/2014 and was cancelled by the owner on 06/11/2014, a refund of £150 (deposit) had been promptly processed. I am sorry that you feel it was unacceptable for the owner to cancel your booking due to a change in circumstances.
It is never our intention to leave our customers with negative feelings in regards to our services and I am sorry you feel otherwise. We believe that the use of the term "rogue" in such circumstances is inappropriate and unjust. I hope you can understand that the decision was made by the owner, which is within their right to do so, and as our client's agent we must follow their instruction. On this occasion the owner was not able to accommodate the booking. Bournemouth Beaches offered suitable alternative accommodation at the same rate, however this was declined and it was agreed by you that a full refund of the deposit to be made. As an agency we have performed in a professional and efficient manner and although we have been unable to assist on this occasion we thank you for your custom. Should you wish to make a claim to recover the losses incurred, please provide suitable evidence which we will forward to the owner for consideration. In the meantime please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Yours sincerely,
Sasha Bolatovich
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleStayed with Bournemouth Beaches at the end of 2012 after another holiday company let me down last minute. The staff member (sorry can't remember her name) stayed late to help me find an alternative property for two week stay. The flat was close to their office in the town centre and was very cosy, well presented and cheaper than my original flat. The stay was very good and the staff there deserve congratulations for helping me out. I would recommend people use Bournemouth Beaches as other agent might let you down as happened to me. By the way the flat i stayed in was 82 Westcliff Studios
Antony · 26 October 2013
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your kind words. We are sorry to hear of your experience of being let down at the last minute. It is not pleasant but unfortunately this can occur where the property may be deemed inhabitable due to unforeseen circumstances and out of the owner/agents control. However, I am pleased we were able to assist and we appreciate your lovely comments. We look forward to welcoming you back should you return to the area.
★★★★★ 4/5
GoogleThe apartment is very well appointed and extremely comfortable. The rooms are spacious, the kitchen would make any chef happy and the entertainment facilities comprehensive. Off road parking is convenient and the beach is a short walk away as is a great coffee cafe just up the road.
The agents, Smart Holiday Rentals were very helpful, efficient and dealt with our booking, payment and requests in a professional manner
One of our best experiences in a long time.
Rob · 25 October 2017
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your kind words and lovely review.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleWorst rental company ever!!!! Such horrible service, takes long time to reply. Unfair to tenant, unreasonable charges, overcharge on student tenants. Unorganised system within company, as summaries of each conversation regarding solutions on problems are not shared by everyone in the company. Require tenants to respond immediately yet takes them forever to deal with an issue, especially on property repair (informed them at the move in, still have not repair at the end of tenancy).
Hyphen_NCTzen · 25 October 2018
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Dear Sammi, thank you for your time in discussing your above review. We have investigated your claims and responded underneath each point below.
1. Lateness: our fences (reported early in contract year) and the ventilating fan in the en-suite (reported early in contract year) both were left unfixed even when we moved out
The fence panel to the left hand side of the property is not the responsibility of the owner. This was reported to the property managing agent of the block to the rear of 27 for them to deal with accordingly.
There is no maintenance request logged through propertyfile app for the en-suite fan, however whilst was conducting a cleaning inspection on the 22nd June 2018, it was tested and in working order (the switch above the en-suite door was off prior to the visit)
2. We have been in contact and keep communicating with the company in terms of issues in the house and rent payments. However even after speaking to a member of staff, explaining because of a financial issue with one of the tenants leading to late in payment, we still got a phone call from another staff member threatening to evict us in poor manner. (Internal communication issues) For this problem, I would like to ask if we were late in payment, shouldn’t the guarantors be contacted before eviction process begins?
We have a log of the correspondence in regards to the late rent payments and at no point did a member of staff use threatening language in regards to an eviction. Our residential staff are trained by ARLA propertymark and are aware of the steps required to process an eviction notice. You were not in debt by two months during your tenancy to warrant the steps required to start this process. To the contrary we believe the landlord was patient and understanding each time we advised him of the late rent.
3. In terms of charges, I understand this is a holiday property and meant for people with higher income. But for students, it takes us a lot of work to make up each month’s rent. I understand it is not your responsibility to be understanding. However I hope when dealing with financial issues (i.e. late in payment) with students, staff members can try to listen to our situation and figure out a solution with us because neither of us are trying to avoid paying rent.
This property may be used as a holiday rental in the Summer, but this has no reflection on the advertised monthly tenancy rate. It is entirely at any applicants discretion which properties they wish to rent and it is their responsibility to ensure it is affordable. The tenants sign a contract with the landlord to pay the rent on a fixed date. As previously stated the landlord was patient with waiting for the funds to clear in order to pay his mortgage and other finances related to the property. In the unfortunate event that a tenant enters financial difficulty we encourage them to contact us to arrange a payment plan, on several occasions we had to chase for an update of when to expect payment. This is simply our job to ensure the landlord receives his full rent as agreed and as per the signed agreement. All tenants were shown understanding and the sequence of events was fair and in good practice.
The points raised we do not feel are deserving of your review and certainly not a true reflection of our services. We hope that you are able to re evaluate based on the information provided.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleSmart home rentals organised me 4 weeks stay at The Coach House, 4 Somerville Road. It was a wonderful place - could not have been better! Unit 1 was lovely - relaxing bath. Unit 2 was easy access on the ground floor and Unit 4 lovely late after noon sun on the veranda. Very efficient service from the booking agency and friendly welcome from the owners of the Coach House. Highly recommended!! 5 *****!!
Kay · 25 October 2018
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are so pleased you enjoyed your time in Bournemouth with us and we can't wait to welcome you back in September! Smart Home Rentals
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleDON'T BOOK WITH THEM FAKE COMPANY THEY NOT EXIST ANYMORE !!! BE CARFUL WITH THEM 1000 £ COST ME TO BOOKING WITH THEM AND NOTHING HAPPENED NOT GRT THE STUDIO WHAT WE BOOK!!!
Szabolcs · 16 August 2025
★★★★★ 4/5
GoogleThe apartments was accpetionally clean. White fluffy towels. Very comfortable beds. Silly little things missing, like small hand towels would have been useful. Teapot and mugs were chipped. No coasters or table mats, so nothing to put hot drinks on. notices in the kitchen requested to keep a clean kitchen, however no cleaning supplies were there. No salt and and pepper pots. Other than those small things, it was a very enjoyable holiday.
Teddy · 25 October 2017
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your comments. We are unable to find a booking under your surname, please can you contact us directly so we can forward your recommendations to the owner of your booked property and also receive your returning customer discount code. We look forward to hearing from you.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThe Team at Smart Home Rentals were professional, knowledgeable, friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. As a first timer in renting out my property they were extremely patient! Thanks very much.
Katherine · 17 April 2024
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you Katherine for your kind feedback, we are pleased to hear you had a good first experience renting out Aurora for holiday rentals. If you decide to let Aurora out again next year, please do get in contact and we will be happy to help.
★★★★★ 5/5
Google"Smart Home Rentals is hands down the best rental agency in Bournemouth! From their exceptional customer service to their top-notch properties, they truly go above and beyond. The team is incredibly knowledgeable and always goes the extra mile to ensure a seamless renting experience. If you're looking for a place to call home in Bournemouth, look no further than Smart Home Rentals!"
Adalberto · 27 May 2024
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleIt was the most amazing apt. the rooms were neat and clean. linens were changed weekly, utensils were in good order. there was no need for a car because it was close proximity to beach, town center and bus stop.The internet was good reception. The team was wonderful, no hiccups. Overall we had a good time and we shall return.
One thing to add in the apt is a rice cooker!
Clara · 26 October 2013
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your kind comments, we are pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay. If you're looking to holiday in Bournemouth again, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe stayed at Sandcastles on Banks Road, Sandbanks. A fantastic apartment in a great location 1 min walk to the lovely beach. We have 9 and 14 year old children and we said we would love to go back at the next opportunity.
I recommended Smart Home Rentals to a work colleague who went the week before us and they had a great time and stay also.
Mark · 25 October 2017
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you Mark for your kind words and recommendation of our services, it is much appreciated. The team look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThis is the second time we have booked with smart home rentals what can I say absolutely brilliant stayed at the boltons very clean an well looked after ad its own private pool which was looked after every day we will be definitely booking for next year can't wait centre to town beach an gardens brilliant holiday the only downfall was we ad to come home
Joanne · 25 October 2017
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your kind words, it is lovely to hear you had such a great stay. We look forward to hearing from you again soon.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleExcellent service. The booking process was straight forward and excellent information was received by email before our trip.
We were met by a friendly staff member when we arrived at our apartment - we had told him what time we would arrive and he handed over the keys and gave us a tour/answered questions. The apartment was furnished to a high spec. Will definitely use again.
Russell · 25 October 2016
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your lovely review, we look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThe whole experience was amazing...Bournemouth Beaches Limited were very easy to deal with and I would recommend them!
Aras · 26 October 2014
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your kind words. We are pleased you enjoyed your stay at our accommodation and we look forward to welcoming you back.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleFlashy website & grand offerings but BEWARE! rarely answer the phone or call you back so always prudent with these type of companies to check Companies House first a great free resource & it’s easy to see the company history & accounts don’t look good see SMART HOME RENTALS LTD (08965129) best to proceed with caution
Sunny · 24 October 2020
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Dear Sunny G,
Thank you for your feedback. It sounds like you had a bad experience with our company. Please contact us with the details as we are unable to locate you in our system to be able to assist. Your review does not provide any particulars for us to leave a fair reply. We are available for our customers between 9 am and 6 pm, Monday to Saturday so, we would welcome your call any time during these hours. If your call was not answered as quickly as you expected, it must have been on an occasion where all operators were helping other customers unless you tried to call us outside those hours. Our system allows us to track all phone calls so if you can provide the details of when you called and we will look into it for you. It will also be very helpful to hear from you as to what happened exactly for you to have such a negative experience and I am sure our helpful staff would be able to assist. We thank you for your time.
Smart Home Rentals
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleDo not use, in any way. The new owners communicated nothing, didn't pay landlords, didn't respond to tenants. Went from being an excellent service to appalling.
Jo · 1 May 2025
★★★★★ 5/5
Google29 A Sandbourn road. Great place, quiet location, close to the beach 20 min walk to the town center,
Bente · 17 April 2024
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you Bente for your kind feedback and we are pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay at 29a Sandbourne. Hopefully we can look forward to welcoming you again.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI have enjoyed this beautiful, very clean property. It was so calm and silent, since it is in a dead-end street near to a nice forest.
The property is well equipped with everything you need.
I warmly recommend it for everyone.
Thank youPositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Toperczer · 24 October 2021
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Dear Marianne,
Thank you for the lovely feedback. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to hopefully welcoming you back!
SHR
★★★★★ 4/5
Google3 Golden Gates
A 3 bed flat that is located next to the Haven Hotel and has the same fab views.
The flat is clean and functional but small if you have 6 adults sharing like we did but sitting on the balcony with a beer watching the world go round is great
Nigel · 25 October 2018
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your comments, Golden Gates does offer some spectacular views! We look forward to welcoming you back this Summer.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleJust returned home from another enjoyable holiday at "The Boltons" Bournemouth. Perfect location for the beach, town and visiting the surrounding areas.
As always Bournemouth Beaches make the booking and collection of keys service very easy and in the event of any concerns are just at the end of the telephone.
Many thanks
Angela · 25 October 2016
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your lovely comments, we look forward to welcoming you back again next year!
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleDO NOT BOOK WITH THESE!!! Awful experience form start to finish, they put you in UNSAFE unchecked accommodation, NO fire extinguishers on the 3rd floor, Fire blanket in room out of test date, and placed on top of a cupboard. No TV for the …
Daniel · 17 April 2024
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe stayed in appartement 27A Durley Chine and found it clean and comfortable . Access to the beach was good so it made a great base for a holiday.
Will look to stay here again in the future.
Gary · 24 October 2021
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you Gary for your kind feedback. We are glad you enjoyed your stay at the property and hope to welcome you back soon.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleStayed at 6 Sandbourne - fantastic property, even better than the pictures suggest! Extremely well equipped - although a BBQ would have been nice. Very close to the beach and Vesuvio restaurant. 20 mins walk along the prom to the town centre. Bournemouth Beaches couldn't have been more helpful.
Sue · 25 October 2016
Agent replied · 23 October 2024
Thank you for your kind comments. It is lovely to hear you had a great time in Bournemouth. We look forward to welcoming you back.
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
