Every review we hold for the Harlow office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotWave goodbye to your deposit
New home built with the cheapest possible materials. Like living in a rabbit hutch. Spent most of the winter without heating or hot water due to constant boiler problems. No apology or reduction in rent. Moved out as soon as the contract allowed (12 months) and the landlord attempted to withhold our entire deposit, claiming that the entire house needed redecoration - even though we didn't touch the decor. If you rent from these guys, assume your deposit is forfeit. Seriously, don't even bother to clean when you move out.
Mr · 9 August 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Mr Hunt,We’re sad to see your review and your dissatisfaction while living in a Simple Life Home. Since leaving the review, our team have reviewed your check out report and we can see that comparing to the check in and check out reports and photos, the proposed deposit deductions were necessary to bring the property to the same standard it was when you moved in. We note that when moving in you made no amendments to the inventory to advise that if was anything but in good condition throughout.We have also investigated your comments regarding boiler problems throughout your tenancy and we can see that this was raised twice, the first time relating to the thermostat / heating not working to the first floor only, the job was seen to and closed out within our expected urgent time frames of 3 working days. On the second occasion the issue was closed by yourself within 24 hours as the issue was with the meter and not the boiler.
★★★★★ 3/5
TrustpilotSimpleLife are
SimpleLife are, as far a property management is concerned, pretty good. The estate is well maintained and most issues with the property are addressed promptly. My two main issues are, firstly that, I am puzzled by the year-on-year rent increases which outpace inflation in an area where in the last 12 months there has been stabbing, a person on the estate was shot and body parts were found in the adjacent park. Secondly, the overall build quality of the housing is poor and despite snagging lists etc, nothing has been done, though I appreciate this isn't SimpleLife's doing it should be their responsibility.
Naaman · 5 August 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Naaman, thank you for your honest and valuable feedback.We're sorry if our rents are not aligned with your expectations. We try to take a considered and fair approach when reviewing rents but as we are not an Affordable Housing Provider, like any business, our rates have to be aligned with that of the local market.We're also sorry to hear that you're having a number of snagging issues. You're right in that we have to rely on our housebuilding partner for many of these while the property is still within it's first 12 months, but Simple Life should and do take responsibility for the partners we rely on. I will pass your details on to the team to chase up the problems you are facing and I will request that they get back to you with an update.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotI’m still in the process with them but…
I’m still in the process with them but would like to give Caitlin Wilkinson a shout out for being so helpful and quick with her responses to help. She’s been brilliant to deal with. Give her a bonus or something!!!
Nadia · 9 December 2025
Agent replied · 25 December 2025
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that Caitlin has been so helpful and responsive.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotRivers Edge
Rivers Edge I’ve just completed all my checks today and I would highly recommend Simple Life Homes to anyone looking to rent, Jade, Daniella and Caroline were all amazing they were patient, friendly and very efficient they knew exactly what they were doing every step of the way 😁I’m looking forward to life in my new home
Diane · 16 November 2022
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Hi Diane, thank you for your review and feedback! We will make sure the team is aware of your kind words. We look forward to getting your moved in to your new home at Rivers Edge!
★★★★★ 5/5
Trustpilotvery helpful staff spoke with charlotte…
very helpful staff spoke with charlotte on the phone helping me and my partner during the process and viewing
Ruby · 28 May 2026
Agent replied · 8 June 2026
Thank you for your lovely review, Ruby!
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotLovely First Home
Our flat is lovely and the maintenance portal is great if anything ever needs sorting in the house. Olivia Gresswell our Asset Manager is very friendly and quick to respond to any emails. The overall development is very attractive and everyone always comments on how nice it is when they visit.
Edward · 25 May 2023
Agent replied · 9 June 2023
Hi Edward, thank you so much for your review and kind words!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotAvoid!!
I would describe this company as a scam based on my experience. When you inquire about any of their properties, they will rush you to pay for a £400 holding deposit (£120 of which is non-refundable). I received the email around 7 pm asking for deposit to be paid before 9 am next day . This is the trap!If you don't like the property, you'll lose £120. This is contrary to standard letting practices, where a viewing is usually arranged before any deposit is paid. However, this company requires the deposit payment before any viewings.Additionally, their property descriptions are misleading. The property I was interested in was advertised as being within 0.4 miles of the nearest school, but in reality, it was about 1.5 miles away, necessitating a car for daily commutes. They also failed to mention that the property is in the middle of nowhere, in a new development with ongoing construction work in the neighborhood.In summary, I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone. I ended up feeling deceived, and they deducted £120 from my deposit when I decided against the property.
Ameer · 20 July 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Ameer,Thank you for providing us with further identifiable information so that we can locate your records.We’re sorry that our processes haven’t met with your expectations. As a build to rent housing provider, it is extremely common for people to want to reserve a property off-plan (just like people buying a property on a new build housing development). We will always offer viewings as soon as homes are handed over to us by the housebuilder, but as many homes are still under construction, this isn’t always possible. Interested parties are always more than welcome to hold off applying and paying a holding deposit until we are in a position to offer a viewing, but as we operate on a first come, first served basis, and demand is extremely high, we are unable to guarantee that someone else won’t have reserved the property at that point. We do make it clear that by paying a holding deposit, this reserves the property, it will be taken off the market and if the applicant thereafter changes their mind or fails referencing due to withheld information, a proportion of the holding deposit will not be refunded. We can see that the team arranged a viewing for you, but you decided to cancel and withdraw your application 2 hours before the viewing was due to take place.We have checked both our listings and website for Beaufort Park and it states that there is a range of Outstanding and Good Ofsted rated schools within the local area, no exact distances are given.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotTotal Lack of Understanding, Empathy and Compassionssio.n and Support
My wife and I have been tenants with Simple Life for approx 3 years. A week before we moved into the property we went to have a look at it. We found the gate to the back unlocked so we took a quick peek. The grass was over grown approx three foot high.Stupidly we thought it would be sorted by our moving in date. Guess what !!!!...it wasn't. We were told by the then asset manager that it was our responsibilty to maintain the grass. I replied, " yes thats fine but its not my responsibilty to do that for you and that you (Simplelife) should have had the garden in suitable state that could be managed by my self as the tennant. After a couple of weeks, two (so called) gardeners arrived. At the time it was raining quite a lot and the grass was very wet. I assumed that the grass would strimmed, racked allowed to dry and then mowed... how wrong was I. The grass was mowed and left for my wife and I to sort out. Now the ground is so uneven underfoot that it not safe to walk on.Now for cherry on the cake.I have recently been diagnosed with onset of Dementia/Altziemers and my wife with Cancer.I contacted Simple Life and explained our situation and that were were no longer able to work asked if they could reduce/ freeze our rent and was given a firm NO!!...Please take your hard earned money and use it some where else. FOI I believe their parent company is Sigma Capital.....(my next port of call)
Surinder · 14 July 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Surinder, Thank you for your feedback. Firstly, we’re very sorry to hear of the concerning health troubles you and your wife are facing. Where residents are facing temporary financial difficulty, we support as best we can by looking at payment plan options, these are often for a maximum period of 3 months. This should have been offered to you, so we’re currently checking our records to investigate if this was offered. A member of the team will contact you shortly to go through some options with you. We are, however, unable to offer completely rent-free periods, we hope that you can appreciate that like any business it would be unfeasible to do so. In relation to your grass, we’re sorry to hear that it wasn’t cut before you moved in 3 years ago. We can see this was raised 10 days after you moved in. Following this, the lawn was cut and re-seeded. Once again, we’re sorry to hear that you’re going through a difficult time, and we will support in any way we’re able to.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotSimple Life terrible experience!
Terrible experience with Simple Life holmes! I was told I had been accepted for my property and dates confirmed to move. I handed in my notice at my current property to then find out the property was not mine. The stress this has caused myself and my family has been horrendous. Very un professional and handled extremely badly, no one at Simple Life bothered to pick up the telephone to inform me an email was sent late Friday afternoon! I raised a complaint and was told Laura would reach out Monday then I received an email confirming she was busy in meetings. So pleased my property did not go through given their lack of professionalism.
Audrey · 13 July 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Audrey,We’re sorry to hear that your experience with us hasn’t been straight forward and we’re sorry for any disappointment and inconvenience caused.We can see that on this occasion there was miscommunication to us from our referencing partner Let Alliance. Unfortunately, we are unable to go into the details of this particular situation in a public forum due to GDPR. We can see that our Lettings Manager had offered a call to discuss on the Monday. We received a response from you on the Sunday with a two hour time slot you would be available. Due to volume of emails that morning, your response was not picked up in time for your suggested time. The Lettings Manager therefore offered a call on Tuesday, but they never got a response. Following your review, we will give you another call to discuss in more detail.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotGreat staff
Hannah has been fantastic throughout our entire tenancy. From the start to getting us in quickly, to following up on contracts and keeping a close eye on any issues we’ve reported, checking to see if they’ve been resolved in a timely manner and ready to step in if not.
Nicola · 3 July 2023
Agent replied · 7 July 2023
Thank you so much for your review Nicola!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotAll thanks to Olivia
I would like to give my thanks to Olivia She has been great to deal with from start til now, always ready to help out in dealing with any issues I bring about the property and She does make sure my issues are fix and the overall experience has been satisfied. Olivia thanks a bunch x
Larry · 17 November 2022
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Hi Larry, thank you for your review and brilliant feedback for Olivia!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotGood experience for renting
I am very glad to introduce you, Simple Life is a wonderful renting company. Miss Shannah is helping me alot and very efficient even I am in overseas. She teaches me alot,step by step and quick response when I have questions. I would recommend more friends to join Simple Life renting family when they have required.
Ray · 17 November 2022
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Hi Ray, what a lovely review! We're delighted to hear that you've been happy with your experience so far and Shannah has looked after you! We hope you continue to enjoy renting with us!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotI’m still awaiting response for a…
I’m still awaiting response for a repair I raised a week ago, I moved into a property that was not checked properly. They keep ignoring emails, I definitely know I will have a hell of a tenancy if I have to send emails over and over again for a reminder. The is an Health and safety issue to do with an electrical appliance, my property manager has not responded and you only get a link to watch videos on YouTube like I’ve got time for BS. Someone need to be held accountable for this terrible service and misleading ad. I also stated I have a medical condition and still nothing has been done. This is alarming and inhuman, I’ve never had to chase for repairs since I’ve been renting in the U.K. over the past 18 years. Barely a week at simple life homes I am chasing for repairs. Who will pay for the admin time ?Who is responsible for the bad services ?Why are their staff paid if they are not doing their roles ?Why is the companies Ad misleading ? A legal action needs to be filed against them if they are not providing services tenants pay for. This has paid me loose an opportunity for not being able to wash my clothes for an interview. A lot of damages contributed by simple life homes but they still would ignore this. See you in court soon. We work extremely hard to pay rent and not to chase for what we’ve paid for. They act like they don’t make a living out of the tenants. Without the tenants simple life would be nothing. I definitely know they won’t renew my tenancy as a form of revenge eviction in a year time for now.
Mac&Fac · 27 July 2023
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotDemand holding deposit / Not allowed to view property
Tried to rent a property - Demanded holding deposit instantly but refused to let us view the property. Advised that they WILL keep £100 from all holding deposits if you fail a reference check or cannot provide a guarantor. Did not answer any of our initial questions but wanted money upfront.Shelter advices against paying any deposits until you view the property. Very dodgy company and I think they need to be looked into.
Elle · 1 November 2024
Agent replied · 27 December 2024
Hi Elle,You will see we have sent you a find reviewer request so we can identify you and investigate the conversations you have had with the team.We would just like to expand on your points to explain further - as many of our properties are brand new, in some cases we either haven't taken handover of them just yet from the housebuilder (meaning a viewing isn't possible at this very moment in time) or where they are re-let properties, existing residents do have the right to refuse entry for viewings until they have vacated. We always recommend and welcome viewings as soon as they're able to be carried out.You are not required to pay a holding deposit by any means, however, we are unable to process an application without a holding deposit. Equally, as we have high demand for our homes, most people are prepared to put down a holding deposit and secure it from the market off-plan (just like new build homes for sale). As we operate on a first come, first served basis, if you wanted to wait for a viewing, we couldn't guarantee that someone else wouldn't have secured the property from the market in the meantime.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotI had the worse experience with this…
I had the worse experience with this company ever. I booked a viewing for one of the properties in Blackburn and made an appointment 1 week in advance. I explained my situation over the phone that I am working full-time and will be coming for viewing from another city which is 1 hour far from Blackburn and I have no time due to job commitment. I rang them in the day early morning to confirm I am coming for this viewing in the afternoon. When I reached there I received a call from the person responsible for viewing to let me know that he was no longer able to get in the property as the previous tenant had changed the key.I came by train to realize that this company is not reliable at all. They did not even check the property before my viewing!!!!!!What is the shame on them to let a person come all the way and simply cancel the appointment because you were not careful enough to check days in advance? The funniest thing is that he told me he will check and let me know when they sort that out!!!I simply replied to him, how I would trust you again??? I came all the way to realise you are not even careful and responsible!!! you wasted my time and money and wanted me to trust you and come another day for viewing???I made the decision not to go for this company at all, I was pretty sure if I would rented from them they would give a very hard time. Thank God that happened to me before making an application or signing any tenancy with them.
Fatema · 25 July 2023
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotFRAUDULENT MONEY GRABBERS!
Wanted to find a new build property to rent near me and found these guys… big mistake! Firstly, they took a £270 holding deposit, which is fine, but the real issue started when they asked for references. It is done through a third-party company, and they expect you to provide all documents and references within 24 hours. Me and my wife both work, and fitted the criteria, as well as providing every document requested. Every reference and document was sent, but still our application was rejected. Now, this is still fine, but when we asked why it was rejected, we were met with ‘GDPR’… how can it be a GDPR breach when it’s our own information! Then, they have the cheek to only refund £150, as there were ‘holding expenses’. Again, how can you charge us when we done nothing wrong? I have raised a dispute with the bank, and will never go near companies like this again. I highly advise you all to do the same!
Danial · 9 July 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Dear Danial, As outlined in your review we’re sad to hear that you didn’t meet our criteria on this occasion. We’re sorry that the reasons behind this are unclear, however due to data protection, in some circumstances we are only given a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ from the referencing company. They are also often unable to share detailed information directly with the applicant as referencing encompasses a multitude of sources, some of which are confidential and of which, we are not privy to (for example, employment or landlord references, monthly outgoings, fraudulent documents, credit ratings etc).In instances such as this, we can only advise that failed applicants gain a report from Experian and review the referencing criteria to identify areas that may have had a negative impact on their application. You could contact Let Alliance, at Subject.AccessRequests@barbon.com, they will be able to provide you with the details of the relevant credit reference agency. From the credit referencing agency you are able to request a copy of your data should you wish to review the details of your application which were verified as part of the application.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotLovely customer service
Lovely customer service, Abbie helped answer any questions we asked and had a laugh while doing so.
Jack · 3 June 2026
Agent replied · 8 June 2026
This is lovely to hear! Thank you for your review, Jack.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotOut of all my other experiences I’ve…
Out of all my other experiences I’ve had the best one with simple life homes so far. I would especially want to thank Megan who helped me through the process. There were no delays. She made sure everything was quick and understandable. Thankyou for making my experience lovely!
Kashaider · 19 July 2023
Agent replied · 27 July 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Kashaider!
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotSimple Life - great property, great people.
My experience of new build homes has always been that they feel flimsy, loads of issues and generally rubbish - not this house that’s for sure.Simple Life have gone through some changes since we moved in almost 5 years ago (built in 2019) and generally speaking they are great.Communication does let them down at times as they appear to have moved away from a ‘named’ property manager and we now use a generic email. Apart from that, repairs are usually sorted out very quickly, the house had barely any snagging issues and the area is generally good. If I had one thing I could change - the renewal and rent review process. After 5 years we have just become a number on a balance sheet so it is very impersonal and is a little inconsistent with other properties of the same type in the development. I guess that’s always going to be the least ‘liked’ part of any properly rental so it’s not really a detractor.
Jonathan · 2 July 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Jonathan, thank you so much for your honest and helpful feedback! We take on board your comments regarding the lack of dedicated contact - this was changed a few years ago to benefit our response times with direct contacts being used for different areas such as maintenance or finance etc, meaning that you're speaking more directly to the experts in their fields, as opposed to someone acting as a go-between. Rent reviews for properties are conducted annually based on tenancy start dates, so there will be some variation across the developments at any one point in time. Other aspects such as outlook and garden size are also considered.Overall we're really pleased to hear you're happy with your home and you've been with Simple Life for 5 years!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotWon't fix a broken boiler-useless company and staff
Our boiler is currently making very loud vibration sounds and almost shaking the wall. They referred us to an out of hours contractor who advised to limit hot water use as it could be dangerous. Several days later they are still hiding behind their online messaging system FixFlo and will not resolve the issue. It appears they have hired Aziz Monnan and Ayesha "I can't give you my surname" full time to basically bounce away maintenance issues until they no longer exist. This isn't the first time it has taken weeks for a contractor to attend. Do not use this company for rental housing as they will try every trick in the book to delay essential maintenance issues without confirming the safety of this issue. Typical greedy company priorotising profits over safety. (All this whilst increasing monthly rentals to £1000 per month).
Areeb · 30 June 2024
Agent replied · 24 March 2024
Hello,Thank you for providing us with your email address, allowing us to identify your tenancy and look in to the problems you are experiencing. We’re sorry to hear that you’re having problems with your boiler. We have looked at your records and can see that your issue was raised one evening, out of hours, and by 9.07am the following morning this was acknowledged. We required further diagnostic information from you in order to get a better clue to what the issue might be, this included things like checking if it needed repressurising so some guides were sent to you. We didn’t hear anything back for 3 days. At this point your call went through to our out of hours team who deal with emergencies only. As you had hot water and heating this issue was not classed as an emergency. As soon as the team were back in the office this morning, an engineer has been instructed and we’re pleased to see that they have attended within the hour. We’re therefore satisfied that our team were quick to communicate and followed all procedures correctly and professionally.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotBrilliant service
Excellent customer service, the phones were manned by Amber who made the process effortless. Couldn’t recommend more.
Louis · 29 May 2026
Agent replied · 8 June 2026
Thanks for your kind review, Louis!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotVery much disappointed with this…
Very much disappointed with this company, moved out of the property almost a month ago now and still waiting to get our deposit and they say it’s takes 10 days to receive our deposit. Crazy how they will be getting you to pay for deposit and rent etc within the a few days but when you want your money back they take long. The fact they keep raising the rent for all the properties but some how there is a back log on people getting their deposits back. They clearly have money
Dianne · 25 June 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Hi Dianne,We’re sorry to hear that you feel you have not had your deposit returned quick enough. Legislation states that from the point to which a resident contacts the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to request their deposit, we have 10 days to then confirm any proposed deductions.We can see that your check out inspection took place imminently after you vacated the property and we can see you have received communication around your deposit release and any deductions required. As far as our records show, we are waiting for your response to these communications. If you require any further information or would like to discuss this, then please contact the team and we would be happy to chat through. If you would like to dispute anything then you would need to contact the TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) who act as an independent adjudicator to review any disputes.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotRenting with Simple Life Home
Renting an apartment with Simple Life Homes was a very smooth and easy experience. It was absolutely hassle free from the moment we reached out to inquire about the apartment till the day we moved in.Huge thanks to Rebecca, Ashley, Daniella, and Shannah for all your help and support.
Salman · 2 June 2023
Agent replied · 9 June 2023
Thank you for your review Salman!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotI would like to give my upmost thanks…
I would like to give my upmost thanks to Jade. She has been great to deal with from start, dealing with our new property and nothing was to much trouble.. She has made us feel that she cared about our situation and the overall experience has been incredible. Jade thank you very much. Craig Carney
Mr · 14 November 2022
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Hello, thank you so much for your lovely review of the service you have received from Jade! We will be sure to share this review with her. Thank you for your feedback!
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.
