Kingstons Cardiff reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I would not recommend Kingston Properties to anyone. We lived in one of their properties, and when we moved out, they charged us £500 without giving any proper reason or explanation. This felt completely unfair and unprofessional. If I had the option, I would give them zero stars. The experience was very disappointing, especially at the end of our tenancy when we expected a smooth and fair process. Please think carefully before choosing this company. I strongly advise others to avoid going through the same situation we did.

Nida · 21 April 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Worst agency in the entire world makes keylet look like saints. The worst experience from start to finish. The rudest most unhelpful snarky agents. The closed door policy on move in day is despicable. Mattress was disgusting and weren’t able to be contacted to replace it. Literally went to the agency on move in day hammered on the door and they ignored me. Knowingly rent out a flat that is falling to bits and covered in cigarette smoke for years and years deducting deposits from every previous tenant and using none of the money to repair or even clean the flat. I had to repaint my entire room and hire a carpet cleaner and scrub the flat from top to bottom as it was such a state. You don’t get any money back for this. When you want to leave the tenancy and have found a replacement- doing their job for them they make your life so difficult by taking forever to do anything because of the stupid reading emails from bottom up policy. Act as if you are so silly and they know better. Literally so bad the reference agency from my next tenancy was perplexed at their complete incompetency. Will lie to you and also raise the rent to silly heights out of pure greed. The most disgusting grimy agency please what ever you do never ever ever rent with them!!

Grace · 21 April 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

[Fire hazard] Kingstons haven't responded to multiple emails about rats in the walls and the roof spaces. The rats have chewed through the wires of my neighbour's fire alarm (also renting from Kingstons), meaning the alarm went off constantly, and so the alarm is now non-functional. [Black mould] Kingstons have not repaired a hole in the shower sealant or reattached a door handle that came off 7 weeks ago despite multiple emails. There is black mould in the shower. [Rent hikes] Kingstons have hiked the rent for two years running. [Heating] For the first year and a half the heating did not work in the bedroom, and Kingstons continually failed to respond to my email requests to address this. The flat is not well insulated or soundproof, and we hear the traffic outside day and night. [Risk] The gas and electric meters are housed in a room that automatically locks from the outside, multiple tenants have been trapped in there. The kitchen surfaces aren't attached to the wall. The sinks constantly block. Kingstons have been absolutely no support and have only been in contact to raise the rent.

John · 26 February 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Worst Renting Experience Possible

Kingstons is unbelievably, shockingly and horrifically useless and has reached complete negligence that I didn’t even know was possible. Upon moving into my apartment, my apartment was infested with mold and just generally dirty and was obviously not “professionally cleaned” as I was told it was. The garden was completely inaccessible from overgrowth, and the shed was full of garbage. Of course I did the only rational thing and went back in person (as they refuse to ever answer the phone or email and are generally impossible to contact) and Lee so kindly told me to just “wipe off the mold.” What a very professional and normal thing to tell a new tenant! I filed maintenance reports for the garden which went entirely ignored. I eventually contacted a council member to report the garden as an environmental hazard after a month of radio silence, and then suddenly Kingstons finally decided to do their job and they sent someone out to do the clearing within the same day. They can send out people if need be- they just choose not to.

Customer · 17 June 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

I would not recommend Kingston…

I would not recommend Kingston Properties to anyone. We lived in one of their properties, and when we moved out, they charged us £500 without giving any proper reason or explanation. This felt completely unfair and unprofessional.

Nida · 20 April 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had an excellent experience at the house on Clive Street. The service was outstanding, very professional, friendly, and efficient throughout. Everything was handled smoothly, and I truly appreciated the care and attention to detail. Highly recommended!

Salman · 26 February 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I can not stress enough how imperative it is that you should avoid this letting agency like the plague. From moving in until 3 months after the end of our tenancy, dealing with this firm has been nothing short of a nightmare. I arrived in Cardiff at the start of my 2nd year to a property that can only be described as uninhabitable. The lock on the front door didn't work, there were broken parts of furniture strewn across the floor, and the smell of rodents made it impossible to stay inside for more than 10 minutes. It was damp and looked as though it had not been cleaned for many years. As such, we told Kingstons that this property was clearly not fit to be lived in and we ended our contract. This meant we were to start uni in 1 week, and had nowhere to live. As our options for properties were very limited, we had no choice but to go through Kingston's again. Looking back on it, this was a bad decision but we were desperate. The second house, which we moved into a week later, was at least habitable but had not been cleaned and there was still a big issue with mould. It took several hours of cleaning it ourselves on the day of our moving in. We had several other issues during our tenancy, builders would be sent in without our being informed, doors would be left unlocked after people came in for a viewing, and many of the issues in the house - such as a broken blind and door knobs that were already broken when we moved in - were never addressed. There was also an instance when a painter was sent round to paint the ceiling of the bathroom which was black with mould. They then threatened to charge us if it happened again, despite the fact it was like that on our arrival. At the end of our tenancy, it took 3 months for us to get our deposit back. The information they did and didn't have and what they needed from us was so unclear that a process that should have taken days ended up taking months. When we finally received our checking out report, they were trying to claim back £110 from each of the three tenants which was laughable considering how much nicer a condition the property was left in compared to when we arrived. A couple of examples are as follows: Kitchen door closure broken - £20 per tenant (Door had no closure when we moved in, we asked Kingstons about this and they said it did not require one) Mattress Stain - £25 per tenant (Mattress was never used as we lived in a 4 bedroom house with only 3 tenants) Kitchen knobs fitting - £3.60 per tenant (Although a small amount of money, these were also broken on our arrival and we made them aware of this and they never came to fit them.) Suffice to say, the charges were ludicrous and when we queried them about this, they immediately dropped the charges per tenant by £75, which suggests to me they were just trying to see how much they could get away with taking with no real evidence. We still felt that £35 was too much but at this point we just wanted to be done with them and never deal with them again. Another interesting point is, by coincidence, I happen to know the people who live in the same property this year and they confirmed to be that the door in the kitchen was not fixed, nor were the kitchen knobs. All in all, I would never use this agency again and implore anyone who reads this too steer clear also. I am very glad I will not have to deal with such an incompetent and unprofessional agency for this following year.NegativeQuality, Professionalism, Value

Joe · 25 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

My daughter and two friends rent a property in Cardiff from these people. Had I seen the flat before they moved in I would not have let my daughter move in. They, like many others in Cardiff, pray on venerable students just to get their money. The flat is absolutely appalling. There is damp everywhere (my daughter suffers with asthma). The sofa is ripped to shreds and was covered with a blanket when the girls viewed the property. There is no light in the dark hall and stairs so is dangerous, the fire extinguisher is out of date, windows do not close properly. I could list many, many more faults. The oven is unsafe as there are no numbers on the dials, the toaster is rusty. There are numerous other problems in the flat, not least the heating does not work. Despite numerous promises that the contractors would visit and make good, days later no one has visited. It is disgusting that the so called letting agencies are allowed to rent substandard properties in such appalling conditions. I do not recommend anyone uses this company, as they have no care for the residents who pay overpriced rent.. Here are just a few photos:NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Gjclifford8 · 25 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Agent refused to return deposit

This estate agent refused to pay my daughter her renter's deposit back, for made up reasons. I visited the agent with her, and the woman in charge of lettings was unbelievably obnoxious and rude. She refused to give out details of the team we needed to contact, and her PC (amazingly) wouldn't let her send the team an email, nor were we allowed to contact them. My daughter's MS contacted them and they ignored this. Eventually, the deposit was returned on the instructions of the Deposit Protection Scheme/organisation. They found that this agent neglected to carry out and follow correct procedure. They are horrendous and try to keep deposits. DO NOT EVER USE THEM.

Elizabeth · 14 January 2026

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

84A Monthermer Road Kingston Cardiff. The tenants lived with the previous tenants old dirty mattresses against the walls in the hall and lounge for the entire tenancy. They had rats in the walls and the problem was reported several times yet the issue was not resolved. The landlord is very slow to respond. The agency fully manages but relays back to the landlord so the responses are slow. One tenant was without a bed for over 7 weeks. The place was filthy when they moved in, and although the agency did send in professional cleaners it meant that the tenants could not move in on the agreed date. There is so much more to add to the list, broken microwave, blocked sink, faulty locks on front door and bathroom and the list could go on...... do not rent this house !!!! The landlord is only interested in money!NegativeResponsiveness, Quality

Barry · 25 August 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. This is a phrase known for being above the gates of hell. Or, over your property if you decide to rent through Kingstons. The company is incompetent at best. From no responses to emails raising maintenance issues to being told to use their website to raise issues which then directs you to call. We waited several months for a leaking pipe to be resolved. This was only resolved when the landlord of the property below got involved due to the water going down into the flat below. This then caused issues with water damage to the floor which was never solved. Emails about this were never even acknowledged. The only time they acknowledged it was to make deductions from our deposit. We were left without a cooker for several months. I understand we must do our best to support those who have learning disabilities to have some kind of income. But running an estate agency is a bit too far. Perhaps maybe send them to a daycare instead?

Aidan · 29 November 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

If I could give a negative score I would. Kingstons have held onto my daughter’s deposit and despite many visits/calls have failed to return it. They have now had it for 3 months. This is a lot of money for my daughter who doesn’t earn much. The lettings woman is incredibly rude, dismissive and unhelpful. She couldn’t phone or email anyone to help us, as her PC was conveniently playing up. My daughter provided everything they have asked for and they still won’t return her money. Her MS has even contacted the company and they have ignored the correspondence. I have now had to tell them we will be involving a solicitor and taking them to small claims court if it is not returned. This is a terrible company with indifferent, ill mannered staff who simply don’t care. Avoid at all costs.

Elizabeth · 29 November 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

THE WORST LETTING AGENTS I HAVE DEALT WITH IN CARDIFF. Only just getting round to do doing this review but I have been meaning to do it for some time. Last year I was due to move into a 2 bed property in Cardiff Bay with my friend. It was a quick turn around with viewing and contract signing done within a week all supervised by Lee - the letting agent. Although this was a quick turn around we had paid everything that we were supposed to pay - including agency fees, deposit and first months rent; and signed all necessary documents (tenancy agreement etc). My old tenancy was due to end on the 30th June (Friday) and new tenancy in the new place to begin on the 1st July (but we paid extra to move into new Kingstons property on Wednesday 28th). I packed up my old place and went down to the Kingstons branch with a car full of belongings to pick up my keys on Wednesday morning. When we got there, Lee told us that the landlord had gone with somebody else over the weekend. He or anyone else in the branch did not think to let me or my friend know about this so we could make other arrangements (although we shouldn't have had to make other arrangements)! Instead, Lee was unbelievably defensive and arrogant claiming no responsibility on his behalf. He was also incredibly patronising when we demanded our agency fees back claiming 'I don't need your agency fees, £___, that's nothing to me'. Pretty incredible considering we were now homeless come two days from the day we were SUPPOSED to be moving in! There was however a young lady and gentleman in there who once Lee had gone off to the backroom to collect his things to go to another job, they tried to help out to look for another property for us. We did seek legal advice but could not afford to follow it through. So no formal apology - no nothing. I would recommend Keylet - great customer service and don't just care about taking your money. We had to go to a number of house viewings the next day (after what happened the day before) but they were the first we went to and they were very helpful - low agency fees (compared to Kingstons and Tailors for example) and sorted out the contract for the property the same day. AND you don't have to deal with things like this.

James · 9 June 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Rented a flat from them - genuinely the worst company ever, avoid like the plague. Flat was in a state when we arrived and no issues were ever fixed.

Harry · 29 November 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

⚠️ WARNING STUDENTS, DO NOT USE! Our experience with this letting agency was extremely disappointing. As students, we felt taken advantage of throughout our tenancy. The property had persistent damp problems, and getting anything repaired took months and multiple follow-up emails. When maintenance was finally arranged, it was often done incorrectly, for example, a plumber was sent to fix a broken radiator but “repaired” a working one in the wrong room instead. After moving out, our deposit was withheld for nearly six months. We were told several times that the accounts manager was on annual leave, and the money was only returned after we threatened legal action. To make matters worse, we were charged £70 for “missing lightbulbs” and £300 for “cleaning fees,” even though the property was professionally cleaned before we left. It genuinely felt like they took advantage of us because we were students and assumed we wouldn’t challenge them. I strongly advise other students to avoid this agency and to keep written records of every interaction if you do rent through them.

Faith · 30 October 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Awful! Made me give 5 stars to get reduced fees! Such a scam! Do NOT GO WITH THEM! literally anywhere is better. They didn’t deal with mould or anything! Made everyone in the house so Ill! Landlord awful as well! Owned by the same guy it’s just one big SCAM! It’s hard to rent in cardiff but Kingstons is above the rest is incompetence and rude staff. We personally dealt with Jade a lot and she was no help what’s so ever and was out right disrespectful and rude.

Ruby · 28 November 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

The way they take advantage of students is disgusting. Unreliable and careless. Do not rent with Kingstons. All the 5 star reviews are fake- they give you a discount if you leave them when signing the contract. They do not care if you are living in a mouldy house, and will ignore multiple maintenance emails. Our boiler broke and we went weeks in December with no heating because they couldn’t be bothered to fix it. If I have a maintenance issue, I should not need to email and phone multiple times to get a response- they would flat out ignore us for weeks. I would send them an email about multiple issues and they would only fix one and ignore the rest. Our sofa was ripped, the house was damp and mouldy (which they blamed on us), the dishwasher was broken, lights were broken, mattresses were disgusting, the tiles in the kitchen were cracked and broken. Our fridge broke and they took days and days to replace it. Jade was unhelpful and issues took weeks/months to be fixed. I lived there for a year and issues that we emailed about at the beginning of the tenancy were still prevalent at the end.NegativeQuality

Bella · 28 November 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Me and my partner have recently rented a property with Kingstons. Having been with 4 different agencies previously combined, this is by far our worst experience to date. Although their staff appear polite and helpful at face value, they are extremely unhelpful when it comes to a) handling complaints and b) resolving issues. We were supposed to be moving into our property on 2nd September 2016. We picked up the keys, however upon arrival found all furniture in property moved to the kitchen and we were walking on bare floorboards. We were promised that new carpets would be fitted on the 1st September, however this happened instead on 5th September. Furthermore, the state of the property was abysmal and had not been professional cleaned (as stated in our contract) or had necessary maintenance carried out. During 2-5th September we were forced to relocate as the property was uninhabitable. Kingstons sent a contractor to the property on 5th September who noted all necessary work that needed doing as we were going on holiday the next day. We were promised all work would be complete by our arrival home on 15th September. Today is the 19th September. We are still living out of boxes. We are still awaiting delivery of furniture to the property. We are still awaiting completion of maintenance. We have had to contact solicitors as Kingstons have refused any reply to emails regarding compensation we are entitled to as they are in breach of contract. If you wish for a reliable, professional service Kingstons should be avoided at all costs.

P · 9 June 2017

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

MICE!! Our overall experience of this place was terrible. Viewed a house with them and was happy with the house overall but was not happy with the cleanliness of the kitchen and state of the carpets/walls and was told they would be re carpeted, re-painted and the house would be cleaned over the summer period before we moved in. Shock, when we moved in that none of this had been done. There was food still in some of the kitchen cupboards that we had to clear out and it took 8 weeks before they finally arranged for a cleaner to come round and clean the whole house - although they only cleaned the kitchen. When winter came we noticed the heating was not working and I then also discovered the boiler did not have a gas safety certificate (against the law) needless to say that they sorted that issue out fairly quickly, the same day in fact. The worst part of our experience though was the mice. We had mice in the house during our whole tenancy and Kingston never really dealt with the issue. They sent someone round with rat poison (and I know that some rat poisons require a license to do so, I would question whether this elderly gent they sent round actually did). The rat poison though was just put all over the kitchen, even in cupboars where we were storing food and it was just left there, nobody ever came to clear it up - they left that to us. I had numerous occasions in the night where I would wake up and find a mouse in my room, scurrying along the cables to my TV. Finally, to add salt to the wound, when we had our check out inspection they then tried to charge us all something like £430 as a 'cleaning fee' and blamed us for the carpets and walls that they NEVER addressed initially. Now, I don't work in the cleaning business but 6x430 = 2580. If cleaning paid that well I would not have gone to university. Profit was being made here for sure. After approx 6 months of disputes over email and phone (all of which I still have copies and audio recordings of) they finally gave in, albeit charging us £30 each for what they said was ONE bin bag that had been left in the house. Case in point, these guys are cowboys and avoid them at all costs. Also ask yourself this, why are the majority of 5 star reviews given by people that are ONLY giving 5 star reviews to other businesses around the world? (Just click on a few of their profiles) Paid reviews are a thing people, don't have the wool pulled over your eyes.

Jamie · 9 June 2017

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

It's interesting that there is multiple reviews reflecting the hostility they face when dealing with them. We had exactly the same experience, we agreed to rent a house via them and paid the deposit. Prior to the payment of the deposit we agreed minor changes at the house .then they pulled back to their agreement. Which is a red flag for future encounters. The other 'true' reviews are just a reflection of their attitude and lack of professionalism. I believe we dogged a bullet. Warning ⚠️ to everyone to be careful.

Abbas · 6 November 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Look up incompetent under the dictionary and you’ll find Kingstons Lettings. Have let from Kingstons 3 times, and each time has been absolutely abhorrent. Every time I’ve moved into a house it’s been absolutely filthy and riddled with problems, and they have the nerve to charge a cleaning fee despite the property’s being cleaner than when moved in! Regarding maintenance issues, we have had to wait days-weeks for responses regarding home essentials, like broken microwave, dodgy showers, smelly/broken fridges. There are even safety issues like sparking outlets/ones that don’t even work, which were not addressed at all in a timely manner. The only reason you’re able to let from them so late is because everyone steers away, and for good reason!

Space · 31 August 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

AVOID! Staff are very rude when you call up and completely disregard anything you say. Any issues with the property took months to resolve, we had water leaking into the kitchen through the ceiling for 5 months causing black mould and mushrooms to grow on the wall. This was despite us sending constant emails. There is no number to call maintenance when you have an issue so you have to email which is normally ignored. Do not rent a property with this company.

Richie · 11 July 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Totally agreed with all the poor ratings. It is all the same thing. Poor quality housing, infested with mice in rooms the kitchen and the garden. We ended up fighting over the cleaning as well, lived there for 2 years 2 months and the cleaners only ever came once and even they were disappointed with the state of the house. Awful responses and rudeness from the office staff. Only one staff member was sensible. The rest hung up the phone or ignored emails and would be flat out rude to your face with no regrets whatsoever. There is a serious lack of duty of care. I struggled with antisocial behaviour, which was not addressed despite several complaints. Instead the perpetrators were supported. I took them to court and they covered up covered up everything as if they had done a lot and blamed me instead. I liked that house and even took to fixing it up. Horrid bunch.

Bell · 23 June 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

We lived in a Kingston property for about 18 months, but our experience was very bad. Whenever we needed help or had an issue, they ignored us. When we moved out, we cleaned the property thoroughly, bathroom, kitchen, hall, everything was cleaned well. Only a few small stains remained, but they still deducted £400, claiming the cleaning was not done properly. In addition, we placed all the rubbish outside on the street so they could collect it, but they also charged us for that. All of this felt unnecessary and unfair. We are extremely disappointed with their attitude and service, and we would not recommend them to anyone.

Mehtab · 11 August 2025