CPS Homes Cardiff reviews

Good afternoon,Thank you leaving us a review. We're sorry that you experienced problems with us during the course of your tenancy. We'd like to learn more about the issues you had so we can look into them and put them right moving forward. We'd appreciate it if you could e-mail us via feedback@cpshomes.co.uk, letting us know which property you rented and provide a little more detail surrounding the concerns listed.To address the points made, we did pre-warn our tenants that any item not belonging to the landlord would need to be removed from the property prior to the end of the tenancy. We appreciate that local recycling centres may have been closed on the day you left, but there would have been ample opportunity to dispose of these items before or after leaving. Many tenants made alternative arrangements and did not incur a charge. We'd love there not to be a charge, but we hope you appreciate that a contractor has to visit remove and dispose of the items, for which they require payment.Similarly, a contractor would have needed to purchase and then attend to fit the single light bulb that was out. Whilst £40 may appear expensive, contractors need to make a living like everyone else, so they always charge a call-out fee that typically includes the first hour's work. That's what has been charged in this case. Call-out fees are commonplace amongst contractors up and down the country. We did also e-mail tenants before vacating, letting them know it will be far cheaper to resolve simple issues like this themselves, rather than pay a contractor. Replacing a light bulb was given as an example of this within the e-mail.We look forward to hearing from you,The CPS Homes Team.

Good morning Mr Young,Thank you for leaving a review, and we're sorry that you've found the process of renting a property difficult.Renting to a professional often does take longer than renting to a student because students are usually only asked to provide a financial guarantor. This involves the signing of one guarantor agreement and it's job done. That's a quick and easy, one-step process, but when renting to a professional, landlords require us to obtain references from each employer and current/previous landlord, as well a credit check. So it can take considerably longer, especially if the references aren't returned promptly.We've had a look through your file to see where we may have made things more difficult than they needed to be. Due to your wish to move in relatively quickly after choosing to rent the property, we sent out your reference requests the day after we received your application forms, and the tenancy agreement two days later. Both of these actions are in line with our expected timeframes.We've successfully negotiated a couple of amended start dates to the tenancy with the landlord at your request, and the process has been slightly delayed due to receiving an incorrect e-mail address for an employer.We do believe we have been clear in our requirements from the start and have since spoken to you following your review to discuss any concerns. We can always aim to do better, of course, so we will take the relevant points on board and learn from them.Kind regards,The CPS Homes Team.

Hi F Davies,Thanks for leaving a review, and we’re sorry to learn of your comments.We’d like to learn more about the detail the check-out report contained and the parts you dispute. We’d appreciate it if you could e-mail feedback@cpshomes.co.uk, where it will soon be picked up and reviewed.It’s worth bearing in mind that the check-out report is predominantly photo-based evidence, so it won’t always contain a great deal of words. Without knowing the property you rented, we can’t say anything for sure, but there’s a strong chance we’ve picked up on things that have been deemed your landlord’s responsibility, so there will be no or minimal explanation next to these photos as they don’t affect your deposit return. Where we have identified items that we think are the responsibility of the tenant, we welcome your comments within the section of the report designed for your representations. The process is two-way and transparent. Your representations will be considered by your Case Handler and discussed with your landlord, in the same way the report was discussed with your landlord before being sent to you. Please bear in mind that, in our role as agent, we don’t have the final say over what, if anything, is claimed from your or any deposit; that is always the responsibility of the landlord. We provide feedback and evidence, but we don’t make the decisions.The cleaning company you refer to is not owned by CPS Homes or any Director of CPS Homes, nor are any of the several other cleaning companies we use. The cleaning company highlighted in the show you refer to is an entirely separate entity and is in fact one of very few local cleaning companies capable of managing the number of cleans CPS Homes requires year-on-year; particularly during the busy summer period when thousands of students vacate their properties. They are one of several local trades we have been using for over 20 years to carry out work in properties we manage, so we know and trust them. They price fairly and accurately for their time. Many letting agents opt to instruct national companies to manage their cleans, who typically charge more due to increased overheads and travel time, meaning a higher cost to tenants and landlords alike. As a company born-and-bred in Cardiff, we prefer to issue our work to local people.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. Where tenants agree with a landlord’s claim, they reserve the right to dispute. The same is true in reverse. The undisputed amount(s) is immediately returned to the relevant party or parties, so there is no truth or merit in the suggestion that it is CPS Homes’ aim to draw out the process.We hope this response helps and we look forward to receiving your feedback.Many thanks,The CPS Homes Team.

Dear Sian,Thank you for placing your review on record. We're sorry to learn of your comments.We’d appreciate it if you could let us know which property you rented from CPS Homes, including approximate dates of tenure, so we can look into your comments and address your concerns. We’ve approached you via Trustpilot’s private messaging platform asking for this information.We always require a landlord's authorisation before carrying out work at a property because it is they who own it and foot the bill. The same goes for removal of items. Additionally, many landlords choose to carry out their own work. Knowing which property you rented will allow us to establish what happened when you made these requests.Concerning your deposit, with landlords and tenants starting at opposing ends of the spectrum, deposit returns can sometimes be contentious matters. Quite rightly, tenants are keen to receive as much of their deposit back as possible, whereas landlords would like to be compensated for dilapidations that aren’t wear and tear. Our job as agent is to find the ‘happy medium’ and most of the time we’re able to do so, but we fully accept there will be times when we’re unable to fulfil this remit. In these instances, we’re grateful of the free, independent adjudication service offered by deposit protection schemes, where a legally-qualified adjudicator will collect evidence from both parties and make a binding decision on how the disputed amount is to be distributed between landlord and tenant.We’re always striving to improve the way we work, so the information you provide is important to us. We hope to hear from you soon. Kind regards,The CPS Homes Team.

Hi James,We're sorry to hear you had issues during your application and tenancy signing process. We would like offer our apologies for this and let you know that we will be looking into the circumstances described.Clearly, there is no excuse for losing information. There will be times when we need to ask prospective tenants to provide additional information in order to meet our standard referencing criteria, or if the landlord requires it.We're pleased to hear that your dealings with your landlord are going well.Kind regards,The CPS Homes Team.

Hi Fran,Thank you for placing your review on record; we'll be sure to take your comments on board and seek to make improvements wherever possible.We'd love to know which property you rented from us so we can look into our ways of working a little more, so we've approached you via Trustpilot's private messaging platform to find out :)Kind regards,The CPS Homes Team.

Dear Ali,Thank you for placing your review on record; the second we have had from you in the last 10 days.Your tenancy started in September and yesterday (7th May: the same date you placed your review) is the first time we received a report that your heater in the bathroom wasn't working. We promptly informed your landlord, who advised us that she will look at the matter today. This was communicated to you immediately. We believe this action is as swift as it can be and well within expected timescales.In terms of "mould and damp", we asked you for photos - like we do all our tenants when reporting such issues - so we can ascertain which of the two it is. Mould is typically caused by condensation, whereas damp is caused by a structural defect with the building, so they're two very different things. Mould can be caused by the occupants' living conditions, such as not heating or ventilating a room adequately enough. In this instance, that would tally with your heater not working, so once your landlord fixes the heater, it will be able to be managed and prevented moving forward. More information damp vs condensation can be found on our website: https://www.cpshomes.co.uk/damp.aspx.In terms of pressure on tenants, we believe you're referring to your previous review in respect of rent payments. To reiterate what we said then, we appreciate that the precarious climate surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all one way or another, with many losing their jobs or being put on furlough.Students or professionals, we encourage all of our tenants who are experiencing any difficulty to come forward so that we are able to liaise between them and the landlord and come to mutual agreement/payment plan. We are pleased to report that we have already agreed a large number of payment plans between tenants and landlords.No late rent charges have been added where tenants have been in touch to let us know they are in financial difficulty and have entered into a line of open communication with us. As such, we would encourage you to contact our Albany Road branch on 02920 454555 or roath@cpshomes.co.uk so that a payment plan can be agreed for you moving forward.Thank you.

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

Good morning A Iago,We're sorry to learn of your negative experience with CPS Homes and would like to know which property you rented from us so we can look into your comments and ultimately improve our procedures. We've been unable to locate you on our records via the information provided, so we have approached you via Trustpilot's private messaging platform for the information.Kind regards,The CPS Homes Team.

Good Afternoon John, Thank you for taking the time to place your comments on record. We have messaged you via Trustpilot’s platform to establish who you are and which property you rented through us, but you have opted not to give us any more information. Without knowing this information, we cannot explore this further and help resolve the issue for you. For all properties that we manage, tenant’s deposits are held in the Deposit Protection Scheme, as required by the Government. What this means is that where tenants do not agree with charges made against them at the end of their tenancy, they can take this to the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) who seek to resolve the issue, based on evidence, from a neutral standpoint.We don’t want to claim for deductions to any deposit. We don’t profit in any way from said deductions; in fact, at a time when we’re already busy with new tenants moving in and have a lot of deposits to return, it creates work for us when we have to send a contractor out to a property, so it’s quicker and easier all-round if you get your full deposit back. Any claims would always be evidenced with invoices and proof that the tenants are liable for these damages. Moving forward, we’re pleased to report that we have been successful in lobbying many Landlords to no longer require a deposit, thereby making renting cheaper and more affordable for tenants.Many Thanks.

Good Afternoon J Sadler, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We have messaged you via Trustpilot’s platform to establish who you are and which property you rented through us, but you have opted not to give us this information. Without this knowledge we cannot explore the issue further for you and help resolve the issue. For all properties that we manage, tenant’s deposits are held in the Deposit Protection Scheme, as required by the Government. What this means is that where tenants do not agree with charges made against them at the end of their tenancy, they can take this to the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) who seek to resolve the issue, based on evidence, from a neutral standpoint. Contrary to what outside sources would like to have you believe, we don’t want to claim for deductions to any deposit. We don’t profit in any way from said deductions; in fact, at a time when we’re already busy with new tenants moving in and have a lot of deposits to return, it creates work for us when we have to send a contractor out to a property, so it’s quicker and easier all-round if you get your full deposit back. Any claims would always be evidenced with invoices and proof that the tenants are liable for these damages. We can only apologise if you experienced any issues with works that had not been completed, but in circumstances such as these we have a dedicated Maintenance Team who would have seen that these were rectified for you as early as possible. When searching for a property, we always ask groups what their situation is with regards to when they need to move in. Most of our student properties become available on the 1st July, but we know that many student tenants aren’t looking to reside at a property until later in the year, in line with university term dates. Where tenants don’t want to move in until August/September, we offer periods of half rent (also referred to as a ‘Summer Retainer’) to reduce the financial burden on the student. The summer retainer means that tenants can store their items at the property, but cannot live there, and only half the rental amount is required. Your requirements would have been discussed with you, and if you needed to live in the property during July this would have been welcomed. Many Thanks.

Good Morning Sacha, Thank you for taking the time to record your comments.We apologise if you feel our staff were not accommodating to your needs during your tenancy. Our aim is to always work with our tenants and do our best to overcome any issues reported. To enable us to do this, we have several departments set up within the company that specialise different areas of property management. Before a manager’s involvement, we ask that our tenants first deal with the members of staff in each department who are fully-trained to assist. If a manager’s involvement is required thereafter, they will be happy to help, though there are times when we have to ask that a complaint is put in writing so that we have a written record of it and adequate time to both investigate and respond.For all properties that we manage, tenants deposits are held in the Deposit Protection Scheme, as required by the Government. What this means is that where tenants do not agree with charges made against them at the end of their tenancy, they can take this to the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) who seek to resolve the issue, based on evidence, from a neutral standpoint. Having reviewed your account, I can see that a charge was made for areas of your property which needed re-painting at the end of your tenancy. Whilst there was minor marks on the wall in one room when you moved in (as recorded on the inventory), the repainting required at the end applied to multiple rooms. I can see that we worked with yourselves on this claim, and did reduce it accordingly. Finally, we understand your frustration in relation to the delay in returning your deposit, however as you chose to resolve the issue through the ADR it is out of our hands and unfortunately does take some time. I can see that the ADR agreed for a portion of this disputed amount to be awarded to yourself, whilst the remainder back to us in this circumstance. Many Thanks.

Good Afternoon Rebecca, Thank you for taking time to leave us a review. When on checkout inspections we look at the consideration of the property, taking into account what was noted on the original inventory, and factoring in normal wear and tear. Some areas, however, are not always black and white and as such, we may need to refer to photos taken at the same time as the inventory or periodic inspections to make it clearer. We do this to ensure we are accurate in deeming what is tenant damage as opposed to something the Landlord needs to improve more generally. It’s possible that we will discover something previously considered to be tenant damage (where the tenant hasn’t noted this on their signed inventory, but it’s apparent at the checkout) which, having looked at photos attached to the inventory and subsequent inspections, turns out to actually be something we suggest the Landlord does as an ‘improvement’. This would then not be claimed from your bond. In your case, some areas initially considered tenant damage at the checkout were removed and suggested to the Landlord as an improvement, but the deep scratches on the bedroom wall caused by moving the bed from its original position was evidenced as fair tenant charge. For all properties that we manage, tenants deposits are held in the Deposit Protection Scheme, as required by the Government. What this means is that where tenants do not agree with charges made against them at the end of their tenancy, they can take this to the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) who seek to resolve the issue, based on evidence, from a neutral standpoint. Any claims made are always to cover legitimate invoices, and CPS Homes does not retain the money for these claims. Many Thanks.

Good Morning Nathan, Thank you for taking the time to place your comments on record.In order to minimise any deposit disputes, we give all tenants of properties we manage the opportunity to record the full condition of the property on the inventory when they first move in; we also meet them for a check in inspection to confirm this in person, which we did with yourselves. When tenants move in, we stress the importance of completing the inventory and noting down everything to ensure they do not get charged unnecessarily. When issues are reported to us, we always work with the Landlord to ensure necessary repairs are sorted as soon as possible.I can see that on the inventory you signed, there was only one recorded mattress stain, and thus any new stains would be your responsibility as tenants. A claim was made for new stains on two mattresses, which you contested, but we worked with you constructively and you agreed to paying the full amount for one, and 50% of the cost on the second. With regards to the freezer, it was agreed with yourselves at the checkout that this would require a deep clean due to a mould build-up. I can confirm that the cleaner asked to complete the job in this circumstance was not a relative or relation of any employee of CPS Homes. You were not charged for any issues that were already recorded on the inventory.For all properties that we manage, tenants deposits are held in the Deposit Protection Scheme, as required by the Government. What this means is that where tenants do not agree with charges made against them at the end of their tenancy, they can take this to the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) who seek to resolve the issue, based on evidence, from a neutral standpoint. Yourself and your housemates chose not to exercise this, as you worked with us directly and accepted the claim made from your deposit. We can only apologise that you are not happy with your experience with us, however we do feel your deposit was handled fairly and efficiently. Many Thanks.

Hi Seba,If the property has been left clean and in good order at the time of your end of tenancy check- out, there will be no reason for any deductions to be made. The property is expected to be returned to the landlord in good order; something that is expected from each and every tenant whose tenancy is coming to an end.We appreciate that the precarious climate surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all one way or another, with many tenants having to leave their properties earlier than originally thought. In spite of this, we do not feel that it is unreasonable to expect a tenant to leave a property in a clean condition when they leave; especially given that this is also the expectation for tenants whilst they are living in a property. Kind regards,CPS Homes.