Trusted Agent profile · Cardiff
★★★★★
1,715 reviews across 3 platforms
66 Albany Road, Roath, Cardiff, CF24 3RR
CPS Homes's office in Cardiff, at 66 Albany Road, is rated 4.2 out of 5 across 1,715 reviews on three platforms, including 572 Google reviews rated 4.3.
Every review we hold for the Cardiff office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
5/5
TrustpilotTamara was really helpful in the search…
Tamara was really helpful in the search for our final year home in Cardiff. She gave us plenty of time to make decisions but also didn’t forget about us. She always stayed in contact and was easily reachable over the phone.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. We're glad you had such a wonderful experience with us! We do hope we can be of assistance in the future. Take care! CPS Homes
1/5
GoogleHad a nightmarish experience with CPS homes. - They lied to me and told me that I had to sign a new tenancy agreement (with agency fees of course) when my initial 12 months agreement ended and they said I was not able to go on to a rolling periodic tenancy which is completely wrong. When I stated that I wanted to be on a rolling tenancy they told me I had to leave the property and began proceedings to that effect. - I had someone on their maintenance side literally unlock my door and walk into my flat in the middle of the day whilst in the middle of covid. They gave no notice. When I made a formal complaint, they again lied and said that they had given the required 24 hours notice. - They didn't replace a completely broken (and extremely old) washing machine for 3 weeks and kept insisting that it could be fixed even though the expert who originally came to fix it said it needed to be completely replaced. - When they (incorrectly) stated that I needed to leave the flat because I wanted to go on a rolling tenancy I started to receive constant messages on WhatsApp from one of their agents so 'he could take pictures' to put the property back up for let. I ignored his messages and eventually had to block him. One day he entered the building and knocked on my door to 'check that I was still alive and at the property' (yes really). - They lied to me and said they were not legally required to give me the landlords details when I requested it. Initially they refused but they eventually sent the details over on the 21st day of my request - which is the last day before they would have been breaking the law (as an agent is legally required to provide the details within 21 days). - Eventually I had enough of dealing with them and decided to move out. Like everyone else I know, they attempted to steal my deposit by 'inspecting' the property and giving ridiculous reasons why they should be entitled to a large hefty chunk of my deposit. One such reason was the flat was not completely clean, which is funny because I had paid professional cleaners to clean the flat the day prior. They refused to negotiate the deposit, essentially holding it hostage with DPS and I was forced to use the DPS adjudication service which took a while, but eventually I got the deposit back. There are several other incidents but I will leave them out as I think I've painted a good enough picture of CPS. All in all, everyone that I've spoken to that has had dealings with CPS homes has only negative things to say about them (and almost all of them involve CPS trying to steal deposits). Please avoid for your own sake.
Hi Daniel, We’re sorry to hear that you’ve had a less than positive experience with CPS Homes and are committed to looking into your concerns so that we may put them right moving forward. We would welcome information on the property you rented from us, which you may send to us via feedback@cpshomes.co.uk. Without knowing the property address at this moment in time, we can only respond to your concerns on a more general basis; - The ‘tenant fee ban’ has been in place in Wales since September 2019, and we became the first agent in Wales to stop charging them when we scrapped them in August 2019, so we can say with certainty that, if this happened since then, you wouldn’t have been asked to pay an agency fee in order to sign a new tenancy agreement as it hasn’t been a practice of ours for over two-and-a-half years. All tenancy agreements are contracts between tenant and landlord. As managing agent, we’re the middle man, so if you were advised that your landlord would prefer you to sign a new fixed-term agreement rather than let your existing tenancy lapse into a periodic state, this would have been us passing on an instruction from your landlord. Many landlords prefer the security of a fixed-term tenancy, rather than a month-to-month periodic tenancy, so this may have been in their thinking when they advised us that they would not like a periodic tenancy. It’s also a landlord’s right to serve the legally-prescribed period of notice to regain possession of their property when a tenancy is in a periodic state, which he/she appears to have done here. - If you’ve had contractors or members of staff arrive at your property without providing the required period of notice, this is a concern and we would like the opportunity to investigate how this has happened. Please accept our apologies for this. - We would need to know where you lived before we’re able to comment on the washing machine situation in detail, as there could be a variety of different reasons for a replacement taking 3 weeks. Yes, it could be due to failings within our office as we’re only human and mistakes do happen. If that’s the case, we apologise and will seek to do better next time, but we think it’s unlikely in this situation as we rely on information provided to us by our contractors. We don’t claim to be experts in appliance repairs, so if an engineer advises us that an appliance is beyond repair, this is what we would report to the landlord. We wouldn’t go against the expert’s advice and insist that it can repaired because this wouldn’t be of benefit to anyone. Indeed, often it is possible to repair an appliance but it would be uneconomical to do so, so we regularly persuade landlords to pay for a new machine rather than spend on an old one, which is of course within a tenant’s interest. If a repair was attempted, this would have either been because the engineer deemed the appliance repairable, or your landlord asked that a repair was tried before spending on a new appliance, as, again, we have to take their instruction. - We’re pleased that we provided your landlord’s details within the period of time the law allows. In the rare circumstances a tenant requests their landlord’s details, we do attempt to resolve any potential issues first, i.e. before involving the landlord, as we recognise that they pay us to manage the property and can reasonably expect us to resolve any problems without involving them. - 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, tenants 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, our process successfully resolves the vast majority of potential deposit disputes before they become protracted, which we think should be commended.
5/5
GoogleGreat customer service. Staff are always friendly and polite and prompt in their responses. Minor maintenance issues we've had have always been completely quickly even when they aren't priority repairs. I've been a tenant for 3 years and I've never had an issue with neither the letting agent or the landlord. Extremely happy to continue to live in a CPS managed property. Recent experience with Sam in maintenance for a request to the landlord. Extreme quick and punctual and can't thank him enough for his service! :)
Thanks so much for these wonderful comments Rhys and for taking the time to leave them. It means a lot to us to hear you've had positive experiences with Sam and our team over the past 3 years :) Thanks again!
5/5
GoogleThank you very much to CPS Homes for helping us to find good tenants. Rhys is very helpful and nice. 5 stars experience from CPS Homes, highly recommended.
5/5
GoogleI had a viewing with Jordan,it was a lovely experience, very patient and professional in approach and was able to meet my needs when searching for a property. I also got a quick response from CPS, I was able to schedule a viewing immediately, not like some other agencies that requested your life history prior to viewing their properties.Thanks to CPS and Jordan,keep it up!
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts; we're thrilled to read such lovely comments!
5/5
GoogleCPS are faultless as a lettings company for Landlords. Always keep you up to date and take any hassle off your hands. I’ve been with them for around 20 years and have no complaints at all. In that time I’ve never had a vacant property. Unbelievable service really. I know they’ve had some bad publicity in the press but don’t believe what you read .
Thanks Philip, your positive feedback is greatly appreciated & we aim to exceed expectations as things go on as well.
5/5
GoogleJordan was great with helping us choose our flat, very chatty and friendly
Great to hear - thanks Lucy!
5/5
GoogleNathan and the team at CPS were exceptional to deal with when selling my property. CPS offered a high level service from viewing feed back along with the sales progression. Highly recommend to anyone considering to sell their property.
5/5
TrustpilotRhys was very Helpful.
Contact and Communication with Rhys was Very Good. Very Attentive, and understanding of our needs, especially when we were last minute getting a house as students, and he did all he could to help which we were very grateful for.Would Definitely recommend.
5/5
GoogleKelsey was very helpful for us when finding a new home to rent. Was very friendly and answered all our questions
Thanks Tom! We appreciate your support and are thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with Kelsey and our team.
5/5
TrustpilotRhiannon Hughes is a fantastic person…
Rhiannon Hughes is a fantastic person and helped me all the way to process the tenancy agreement. She was brilliant and always communicated with me on demand and was quite helpful. It was all well managed in a organised way. Definitely recommend CPS Homes for any property related matters.
5/5
GoogleExcellent service 👍for many many years CPS have been renting my property out. I've never had a problem excellent customer care. Rhys and the whole team at CPS are very professional, happy to go the extra mile. Highly recommend using CPS. …
Hi Barbara, thank you so much for the five stars!
5/5
GoogleI strongly recommend CPS Homes for their excellent customer service and communication on every step of the purchase process. Both, Angela and Chelsea have been professional and helpful at all times, and patient enough to answer promptly all my queries. Thank you for everything! 🙂
Thank you, Efi! We’re delighted that Angela and Chelsea could provide you with the support and guidance you needed throughout your purchase - your kind words mean so much to us!
5/5
GoogleJordan was really nice and helpful.
Thank you Arowofela!
5/5
GoogleVery friendly and polite communication, Marta ensured we were able to view all the houses which fit our criteria and advised us on what worked best for us all, we got a lovely house sorted extremely quickly for great value thanks to her :)
Thank you, Abby! We’re delighted Marta could help you find the perfect home so smoothly - enjoy every moment in your lovely new space!
5/5
GoogleI have had a very pleasant experience with CPS homes so far. Marta and the team in Cardiff were very professional and kept me in the loop which I appreciated.
5/5
TrustpilotFriendly, helpful, and supportive.
I have been with CPS as a landlord for over 10 years and have always found them friendly and helpful and work well with me to resolve any issues that arise. Properties always been fully let.
5/5
GoogleWe had such a great experience with Max from CPS homes. He helped to make the process smooth sailing, efficient and enjoyable! We viewed three houses and were successful with one of these and he answered any questions we had to ask. Thank you Max :)
1/5
TrustpilotCharge for damage present at start of tenancy
Deposit Return Report stated a rip in sofa, this rip was present when i moved in and CPS took photos of this when i moved in and provided to me. I also sent them a photo of the rip on day 1 and this was acknowledged. They are trying to charge me for damage that was recorded by themselves at the start of the tenancy.
Hi Richard,Thanks for leaving us a review.We feel your rating and comments are unfair, given you're aware it's the block management company who maintain and are responsible for reading the meters. As you know, we're doing our best to have them provide the readings to either you directly, or to us so we can pass them onto you.We agree that the installation location for the meters is poor, and the block manager should have a better way of obtaining readings for occupants, but as a company who manages a single unit in the building, neither of these things are our doing.We'll continue to do our best to lobby the block manager to provide you with the reading. You also have their details, so we ask that you do the same. In the meantime, I'd suggest making your energy supplier aware of the issue, as they may be able to offer further assistance. As your tenancy only ended 5 days ago, they should be understanding of the delay.All the best,The CPS Homes Team.
5/5
TrustpilotCPS have been renting my property out…
CPS have been renting my property out for me for many many years now.Rhys and the team are a excellent team very professional always happy to help. Never had any problems would recommend 100% to anyone looking for a agency or to rent a property from.
5/5
TrustpilotI have been using CPS homes ever since …
I have been using CPS homes ever since I have been a landlord.I find them very helpful and professional ,nothing is too much trouble .I would like to thank Clare and her teamJenna, Nikki and Jordan.The team kept me up to date, and all were excellent.Jordan has dealt with me most recently and have found him to be very diligent and interested to make sure all is well for all concerned.A big well done!!
1/5
TrustpilotAvoid!!
Went with CPS as a student in my third year and would recommend anyone to avoid signing with them, specifically their apartment buildings! The flat was dirty when we moved in with food and condom wrappers down the side of some of the beds, the desks were filthy in the bedrooms and there was old chewing gum stuck to the rug in the lounge area, even though cps stated the flat had a deep clean before us new tenants moved in. They treat students with very little respect and my emails have been ignored multiple times, as have my housemates.The wifi doesn’t work and cps refused to help or give any guidance when it is a bills included property, as well as this, cps are in charge of when the heating comes on and off throughout the apartment building (corner house), so if you’re cold in your room and want the heating on but it’s not the time that cps have put it on, you have no choice but to freeze in your room. Their bedroom windows don’t close properly as they’re cheap, creating a constant draft coming through.Our flat has been infested with silverfish multiple times which we’ve learned is a consistent problem in a lot of their properties.We haven’t been given warnings when someone is coming to check things in the property and have found random men letting themselves into our flat to do maintenance even without a knock on the door sometimes, bearing in mind 5/6 of us are all girls so it can be extremely unsettling leaving your bedroom and finding random men in your hallway. Cps also didn’t let us know that they had signed a 6th tenant to our flat so we found a random boy in our flat when we moved in without any sort of warning that a tenant had even been found and signed to the property, which we then found out that he was given details about us prior to moving in and he was fully aware that he’d be living with five girls, making it a ridiculous lack of communication with us as we were shocked to find someone already in our home when we moved in, again we’re all girls.They claim there is 24/7 CCTV in the apartment building, however myself and three other girls (some from different flats in the building) have had our parcels stolen from when they’ve been delivered in reception, all 4 of us have contacted cps on separate occasions about this and requested CCTV to see who had stolen our stuff, 3/4 of the responses was that their CCTV in the building is ‘broken’ and isn’t even in use, which can be a cause of concern with people’s well-being and safety if something was to happen in the building, and provides no evidence when people’s property is continuously getting stolen. With one of the girls, cps claimed that their CCTV did in fact work and they would look through the footage to see who had taken her things, who they then never got back to and ignored her emails, giving the impression that they were too lazy to check the footage in the first place.I could go on forever about all the issues I have had with this letting agency and have so many more stories, please avoid!!!!!!
Dear Rosie,Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear that you have been disappointed with the service you have received from CPS Homes so far. I’d really like to help to get any outstanding issues resolved for you so that you can enjoy the rest of your time in your property. I’d need a little more information on some of the maintenance issues you have raised, so please get in touch with me directly at marie.willis@cpshomes.co.uk.In response to your other comments, you’ve mentioned that your Wi-Fi is currently not working and that no one has offered you any support. A member of the maintenance team spoke with another tenant in the property regarding this on Monday. She advised them to contact Virgin Media directly so that they could run diagnostics over the phone, which is something they often do when tenants are experiencing issues. We would be unable to do this from the office as Virgin would need to have someone present at the property to run tests. The member of staff provided your housemate with the details needed to arrange this, but if you are struggling to get anywhere with Virgin Media, then please let me know as we can follow up with them. We did have the property professionally cleaned before you moved in. I believe that when you arrived at the property, another tenant had already been living there for a little while, which may have accounted for the condition of the property in part. In any case, it looks like we arranged a second clean here, but I apologise if you were disappointed with the property on arrival. Your group agreed to take just 5 of the 6 rooms in the apartment, so you were always aware that there would be a 6th tenant who we would source separately. We can’t and don’t share personal information with people who are not named on the tenancy in question.I’m sad to hear that you feel that we treat our student tenants with little respect. It is our aim to treat all of our tenants, student or otherwise, in a friendly and professional manner. As our tenants are predominantly students, it would not be in our best interest for them to feel this way. Perhaps you could contact us directly and give me a little more information on this so I can look into it further for you.I am sorry to hear that you have had parcels stolen and that there has been miscommunication regarding its working status. I will ensure our team is fully aware of its status, but to confirm, there is working CCTV installed at the property, though it isn’t our job or responsibility to look through potentially hours and hours of footage of alleged crimes. We would always recommend that crimes are reported to the police, who may then decide to ask to review the footage themselves. You may also choose to contact the delivery company to check if a signature was requested on receipt of the parcel.In terms of the heating system, the heating is set to automatically come on once the temperature drops below a certain level inside of the building. Currently, it will come on if the temperature drops below 21c in the living areas. Each tenant has the ability to control the radiators in their bedrooms when the heating does turn on. Generally, the feedback we have is that this is a pretty warm block and 21c is within Government guidelines on minimum temperature within properties. If you think you are experiencing issues with individual heaters in the flat, please let me know and I’ll be happy to look into this for you. I can only apologise if you have not received adequate notice of visits in the past. Typically, contractors arrange their own notice with tenants. If you could provide a little more information on this, I can raise it with the responsible parties.I believe you have raised a formal complaint previously regarding another tenant in the property and have had a response to this complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response, I would urge you to follow our complaints procedure which you should have a copy of.We appreciate your feedback and will of course take your comments on board. Please get in touch with any outstanding maintenance issues at maintenance@cpshomes.co.uk. I am hopeful that we can change your impression of us.Kind regards,MarieMaintenance Manager
5/5
GoogleToday i make visit 2 bedroom house Florence was there to help us. She was very helpful with us. She was very professional with her work
1/5
TrustpilotThe unlimited guarantee and no…
The unlimited guarantee and no requirement for the property to be insured.We requested a copy of the property insurance certificate and this was declined.We are commercial landlords and thus have some experience. The answer to the last complaint is not acceptable. CPS might have great service, so why such an unacceptable guarantee.Yes the property must have landlords insurance, and yes there must be a cap. The value of the property if nothing else.
Dear DJ Collins,Thanks for your review.Whilst it is not a legal requirement for property owners to have building insurance, the vast majority, if not all, mortgage lenders will require it, particularly for buy-to-let properties, so it would be very rare for a landlord not to have building insurance. Additionally, our terms of business with every landlord dictate that building insurance is a must. Where a tenant or guarantor requests to see a copy of said insurance policy, we put the request to the landlord, but they are under no obligation to provide a copy.The guarantor agreement you've been asked to sign is signed by more than 4,000 guarantors every year.A guarantor agrees to meet the terms of the occupation contract where the person they are guaranteeing fails to do so. Although failure to comply with the terms of the contract is rare, where it does happen, it's most commonly for non-payment of rent or minor damages. The liability for rent is limited to the total rent owed. We have never seen a limit imposed for obligations that aren't rent payment-related, as they are impossible to quantify in advance. However, as stated above, they are usually always minor damage-related.Kind regards,The CPS Homes Team.
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