Abode Sales and Lettings Canterbury reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I don’t like leaving negative reviews but the year I spent renting through Abode was the worst experience I’ve EVER had renting and potential tenants need to be warned. Just some of the highlights: - Introduced extortionate prices for laundry without consulting or warning tenants first, for a communal laundry room in which neither of the dryers worked for any meaningful period of time and a maximum of two washing machines were regularly working. Absolute joke to charge £4 for a washing machine and then another £4 for the barely working dryers. There were always building/decorating works going on in the flats and there was no communication around this, even when it resulted in genuine access issues like the lift being out of action for days or stairways being blocked or just a lot of intrusive noise - Horrible at responding to maintenance requests; the lock on my front door was insanely stiff to the point where I had blisters and cuts on my fingers from struggling daily and I had to keep asking neighbours to help me get into my flat. It took over a month of emails, requests and calls for anything to be done and it was never fully resolved, just repeatedly WD-40ed. At one point the entire block was without water for 36 hours and there was little communication or urgency around fixing the issue, I had to go to work to shower and buy bottled water to use at home. We were never reimbursed in any way or apologised to for this and similar things happened more than once - Regularly did dodgy/unlawful stuff and would lie or go quiet when questioned. Once I came home and someone had been in my flat & moved stuff around; when I emailed about this they said they’d sent an email warning me that the landlord would be entering to do something with the windows (I had not received this email). When I asked them to forward me a copy of this for my records this of course never materialised. Once they also sent me an email on a Tuesday asking me to pay a £149 charge I'd never been billed for before by EOD Friday, when I said I couldn’t pay that amount with so little notice or without an invoice explaining it they promised to send me an invoice ‘ASAP’ and then never did, again despite multiple calls and emails - Emailed me saying my flat was going to be viewed, which was news to me as I wasn't moving out yet (and had nowhere else to go). They then told me I ‘would need’ to sign another 12 month fixed contract in order to stay in the property at the end of my first one despite my original contract stating I could stay on a rolling SPT; they eventually agreed to let me do the latter but this was after multiple emails explaining my contract and how tenancies work. I know this isn’t an isolated incident either, as I have friends who rent through Abode and who were also pressured into signing on for additional fixed terms - Took ages to return my deposit at the end of my tenancy, despite multiple emails. They also sent an email demanding I pay a month’s rent when I’d moved out and did not live in the property anymore (they at least apologised for that, which is better than they did for other mistakes) Even when they're not doing the above it's just pulling teeth to get them to do or respond to anything. I promise there are better letting agents in Canterbury. If you HAVE to go with Abode make sure you know all your rights as a tenant because they will take advantage of you otherwise x Edit RE their reply - "It was all the landlord's fault" isn't really a mitigating response when Abode were responsible for managing communications between the landlord and tenants (including maintenance issues, which I was told I should raise through Abode's website only). Most of the issues outlined above are to do with the severely lacking and/or dishonest communication, not with the (myriad) issues with the property in & of themselves. Also, if this really was ONLY the landlord's fault (it wasn't) maybe Abode should be thinking about who they work with and how they manage them, given that said landlord owns a large number of flats on their books lol

Imogen · 15 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

i chose Abode to sell my property based on (in comparison to Oher agents in the area), their reaction time to my initial enquiry, visiting the property, the marketing of and the surprisingly quick selling of it. I dealt with Nina throughout the whole process along with 1 or 2 of the ladies in the office, their communication levels throughout the whole process was far more than i have previously been used to and could not recommend Abode of Canterbury enough to someone thinking of using them for their house sale.

Rob · 15 March 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Unprofessional, dishonest and unsafe. After living at bingley court for a year under abode I have had my worst experience with a land lord/ lettings company. upon first moving in, we noticed their inventory of damages were completely wrong, showing paintings on walls where there are actually holes, tried charging us £210 for a mattress to get replaced despite how their inventory pictures actively avoid showing the damages that are already there. We had spent the whole year complaining about black mould and they told us to sort it ourselves, despite the flat having no functioning ventilation and being ground floor. The flat was also in disrepair when we arrived, having drain flies, hair and mould present, clearly not cleaned before our entry. It took a total of 15 emails and 13 phone calls after moving out to get our deposit back which took them a total of two and a half months after our tenancy to get even a part of our deposit back and through rigorous disputes and their faulty claims that they ended up having to give into, we got our deposit back. The first I was able to contact the land lady was two months after tenancy ended through this dispute process. Attached I have shown the inventory for the mattress they tried to charge us for and what the mattress actually looks like. There is also attached their pictures of a 'painting' on the wall which was not there when we moved in but instead a great big hole they hadn't mentioned on the inventory. There are also pictures of the sheer amount of black mould that was in the boiler room which went through all the pipes of the water running in the house. I would urge anyone and everyone to avoid these crooks, their neglect of their land lord duties is lazy and disturbing. they will waste months of your time and are probably used to just stealing deposits after how hard I had to fight to get ours back, even with a faulty £50 professional cleaning fee which is absurd as any professional cleaning fee would be greatly more than this.

Henry · 28 November 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Any tenants or landlords that have been affected by the unprofessional actions of Abode Sales and Lettings LTD, please raise a complaint using the Property Redress Scheme completely free. You may be awarded compensation for events that have happened up to 12 months ago, even if you are not currently under contract with this lettings agency. This will go a lot further than just leaving a bad review, and for your own peace of mind please avoid dealing with these people at all costs.

Abc · 15 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I have been renting through Abode for several years and very happy with the agency. Everything smooth and sorted fast, no issues. Would recommend. Nina is always super helpful, professional and friendly at the same time, which you want when dealing with your home. 5 stars

P · 15 March 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Rude unhelpful staff - they won’t ’wholeheartedly recommend’ me to their landlords because of raised issues with my current property not being fixed (black mould, mice etc). They have found a way to make me liable for all of these structural issues and it’s borderline criminal. Black mould has made me ill, no callout, no help, just a friendly reminder to keep the bathroom ventilated 24/7. It’s no surprise we had mice when we’re told to leave our windows open all the time. Terrible experience and now they won’t let me move into their other properties (which are my only options currently)

Jimmy · 12 June 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Abode have just sold my house, and I can’t thank them enough. Always professional, , positive and achieved a price higher than other valuations. Thank you Nina & Stephanie and all the team. Highly recommended

Penny · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Before Tenancy: Contract process with averagely good with lots of regulations. House was not in standard shape of cleanliness. Note that they rarely offer modern houses. Mostly shabby old and poorly maintained houses. During Tenancy: Fairly responded to calls, very nonchalant about bills (note that if your house is bill exclusive, they don’t give a damn or even know the energy supplier). They even tried to accuse me of not paying rent and did not apologize after proof. After Tenancy: It’s been 33 days now after move out with no sign of deposit return. Keep being slow and avoiding to drive the refund process. If I could rate a 0, I would. As an incoming student in the area try to avoid them as much as you can. Trouble, unprofessionalism, laziness, dishonesty is their watchword. Nonsense bunch Quick Update: After extreme follow-up, Deposit was returned after a whooping £346.68 was deducted for cleaning and £26.68 for 1 toilet seat. Since October 2023, they refused to provide invoice/receipt for these expenses they claim to have incurred. Bunch of pathetic SCAMMERS!

Hajarat · 12 December 2023

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

An absolute delight to deal with, made my moving experience totally stress free. A big thank you to Stephanie who goes over and beyond. I would 100% recommend Abode to anyone who wants to rent, sell or buy a house. Thank you again.

Simon · 15 April 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Very professional, Amy was very helpful with everything.. would recommend

Liam · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Really recommend these guys, had been struggling to find accommodation suitable for me for a year and their team found me the perfect place in a week! Yesterday I was locked out of my place and one of their staff amy come down within 30 minutes of my call to let me in. Superb customer service 👌 …

Billy · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Rude unhelpful staff - they won’t ’wholeheartedly recommend’ me to their landlords because of raised issues with my current property not being fixed (black mould, mice etc). They have found a way to make me liable for all of these …

Johnny · 15 June 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Extremely rude staff, demonstrated a lack of professionalism. No option to reply below hence explaining here - The email I received had impatient tone, lacking professional courtesy. It came across as less of a polite reminder and more of …

Akanksha · 15 May 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

The worst agency you can get DO NOT USE THEM WHAT SO EVER. Refuse to provide invoices. They don't even know the numbers themselves as they contradict what they say is owed on multiple occasions. Ignore calls and emails. Staff are rude and unhelpful. Property was dirty on arrival.

Sam · 12 December 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

The worst in Canterbury. I have reported to My deposit. This house agency is the worst we have ever encountered. They urged us to sign the contract for the deposit, and then ignored us. We were not informed until the day before we moved in. The old tenant did not leave, so we couldn't move in. We have three children with us, so we can only find a way to extend our stay in the hotel. They also didn't have any compensation. After moving in, it was the beginning of a nightmare. The house was full of stench and the carpets were all sticky. We paid more than 300 pounds for two deep cleanings. There are no dining chairs for nearly three months, and the children sit on the floor to eat every day. The garage is so dirty that the back is full of debris. Our car can't park in, and the garage door can't be closed. It took more than three months for them to deal with it. No matter what happens, email will always sink into the sea. The response is always after several months, and the back and forth is still in email. Go directly to the office, and everyone is shirking their responsibilities. The most annoying thing is that since we moved in, the child's skin was bitten by insects, and he couldn't find the reason even if he had seen the doctor several times. Until I saw that the headboard they gave was full of bed bugs, and even the sunken rotten mattress for the child. This is really a bad housing agency. But they didn't care at all. When they talked in the office, they were still shirking their responsibilities. They always said that we would check the email and we would contact you again. Then it will be a few months later. They even let the new tenants move in without notifying us while we were paying the rent. It is very immoral. This house agency is really bad. They even lied that there was an email to notify me, and there was no email record until we checked it on their office computer on the spot. They still keep making up lies.

Wei · 19 October 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

The whole team are indeed very horrible. Firstly they are extremely dubious and do not plan on refunding the security deposit. They charge outrageous fees for “cleaning fees” but I will not let it slide. The bad reviews provided are not getting across to them so I will pursue it all the way to county court if I have too. They protected my deposit with government approved deposit protection scheme and I will use them to collect my full deposit back. After which I shall report them for fraud to their property redress scheme and get as many witnesses as I can such as former tenants. Abode sales and lettings you need to improve or you will get seriously fined .

Plab · 10 October 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Only took one phone call for me to leave a review which I don’t usually do but shows how bad these agents are. I called requesting to see more images of a property listed as it had 1, the person I spoke to was impatient and insisted it was …

Teeguwop24 · 15 September 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

If you are a student I warn you now - this agency is the most difficult I’ve dealt with. Their replies are either very delayed or non-existent, and it is like pulling teeth to get in contact with them. One of my housemates tried many times over the tenancy to get in touch with them and was ignored every single time meaning it took multiple of us emailing to finally get responses. We all only took freezing showers during the winter with no help, and with some heating broken we were all getting ill from the cold so often. There’s a reason why the rating is so low.

Elsie · 11 August 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Amy from abode was super helpful on the phone and organising and arranging me to view different property’s, whole team were professional and really well organised. Helped my find my dream place

Jake · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Abode sales and lettings went above and beyond, met all my expectations and answered all my questions honestly and professionally. Overall brilliant experience and would highly recommend.

Shyanna · 15 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Nina from Abode was amazing! Such a great experience, couldn’t do more for us and really went above and beyond. Great communication throughout. Thank you so much

Lily · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

I found the girl in office to be very helpful in helping sort out a place for my brother and he seem happy with everything Thank you

Darren · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Abode manage my rental portfolio, and having used a couple of other agents I now wouldn’t use anyone else. Always handle every situation with professionalism. Thanks ladies

Jax · 15 February 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

If zero stars was an option, I would give zero stars. Worst agency I've ever had to deal with EVER! I'm a student currently renting a three bed flat with two of my friends from Abode. In Feb 2024 our boiler leaked overnight and although they did send someone over on the day that it happened, the plumber said he had to order some parts which he didn't have. The leak officially stopped on the Thursday (it started on the Tuesday and had been leaking ever since, the plumber said he stopped it but it continued till the Thursday). The wooden flooring outside the boiler cupboard bubbled up and the leak went into bedrooms affecting the carpets. The carpet in my room and my flatmate's room was drenched, every step I'd take would create puddles of water in my carpet (I'll attach pictures). This created a lot of humidity and moisture in the flat and as we found that it was no longer liveable, my flatmates and I decided to not stay there anymore and commute from London to Canterbury everyday for uni, which caused a massive inconvenience for us mentally as well as financially. The agency placed a dehumidifier in the flat and stated that an agent was emptying the dehumidifier twice a day, this clearly shows how wet the flat was and still is. However other than this, they offered no more help even though the place is visibly not liveable for anybody, not to mention the smell that it has caused. I went to see how the flat was one day after uni and although the floors are now almost dry, there was a disgusting stench surrounding the entire flat, there are water droplets on the floor from condensation of the humidity and now mould has begun to form in my room and my bathroom, its revolting but they still claim that this is liveable. Our electricity bill for the week went up by £30 on the day of the leak, which I asked if we could get compensated for as it was not our fault and they took no responsibility and said its simply not their fault that the boiler leaked, bare in mind we're students, not earning much of an income and still having to pay for their messups. Our tenancy ends in August 2024, I've moved all my stuff out even though I still have to commute to uni, still paying rent every month and the agency is just continuously emailing us about viewings which in my opinion is ridiculous because that place is nowhere near liveable for any human being. When I finally moved my things out around two weeks ago with my parents, we unfortunately had to throw away the majority of my belongings because of the unbearable smell on clothing, personal items and mould on bedsheets and bedding. Still nothing has been done, to Abode, this issue was sorted out ages ago and we were left with an unliveable place to live. Think twice when looking to rent with Abode, I definitely do not recommend.

Karena · 10 May 2024