Every review we hold for the Kenyon Street office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleHighly professional service has been received by Jamie . Start to finish was professional,communication was great and helped me deal any issues and questions.
Highly recommended
Adam
Adam · 20 November 2023
Agent replied · 26 November 2023
Dear Adam,
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that Jaime provided you with a highly professional and communicative service, assisting you with any issues or questions that arose. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to continuing to meet your expectations.
Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat service quick and easy, quick replies and special thank you to Sofia who helped us through the rental application process.
Tamsin · 21 March 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Thank you for your feedback!
We're delighted to hear that you had a great experience with our service and that Sophia was able to assist you efficiently through the rental application process. Providing quick and easy service is our goal, and we're glad we could meet your expectations. If you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Barrows and Forrester
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWhile finding it difficult moving from Nottingham to Birmingham and finding places that satisfied my personal idea of a flat, I managed to find Barrows & Forester. They helped in finding a place that suited my taste and also helped with extra things I required. They communicate very very well, I have dealt with many agencies but none can top the response times from Barrows & Forrester (Especially their agent Chris who has been wonderful so far). It has only been a week since I've moved to my new place but I can certainly say that the only letting agents I would recommend to family, friends, and even to strangers would be Barrows & Forrester.
Kimberlin · 28 June 2023
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Kimberlin, thank you for your kind words! We're delighted that you found a flat that suits your taste with Rentlife. Our efficient communication and the dedication of agents like Chris are central to our service. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to assisting you further. Welcome to your new home!
Jaime
★★★★★ 5/5
FacebookMrs eliana russel is very Knowledgeable on the aspect of Forex & Cryptocurrency market and really does her best to make her Clients happy. Mrs eliana russel is undoubtedly the best Forex and Crypto Trader I've ever seen She was a great help and support throughout the process of trading. Thank you Mrs Eliana Russel for your time and dedication!!! Highly recommended. you can reach out to her Email: Elianarussel@gmail.com WhatsApp +17734138075
Sageer · 12 August 2022
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleThe most appalling service you can ever imagine. As private landlord, I asked for a let only service and they signed my tenants up to a fully managed service. They claim I changed my mind and requested fully managed, which is a total lie. When they offered a fully let I replied by WhatsApp;
"Ok if there is no charge........I don't mind managing it myself either........mmmmmmm"
As you can see, I was only considering their proposal and never accepted it. In their defence via PRS they said that I had said "Ok if there is no charge". They deliberately withheld the rest of the text. How deceitful is that?
They charged me to receive the tenants' rent and forward it to me, when in fact I should've been managing it myself. They also charged for a check-in inventory they did not do, and as a result I could not claim for the terrible state the tenants left it in.
They refused to refund me and failed to change the tenancy.
I eventually got a refund for the inventory, only because of reminders from PRS. No apology.
The new tenants were very angry with them too. Overall a bitterly disappointing service. Milking money seems to be their only motivation.
_______________________________________________________________
"The inventory for check in was charged but later refunded before any involvement from the PRS due to an error on our part to which I had apologised and authorised the refund." I can prove the timeline and show the refund was made after PRS intervened. I was unable to deduct expenses caused by the outgoing tenants leaving the flat in a terrible state because an inventory was never done. And for that Barrows is responsible. It as not an error because the agent said he would get an check in inventory done for me. The fact is they forgot to do it.
James Barrow has not apologised as he claims in his riposte. All I can find is this;
"In regards to the inventory, this is something you did not request as per your contract, I have instructed account to refund £72 to you as this was taken in error."
Barrows offered a totally free managed service. I did not solicit this, this was proposed to me on several occasions by their agent. They did not say there would be a fee for transferring rent. However, the fact remains I never agreed to a fully managed service. I've rented for 23 years and never used a fully managed service. Why would I request it, then change my mind a few days later?
I alerted Barrows the day the AST was emailed to me. The agent immediately apologised, saying he would get it changed, but that it might be complicated.
Yes, I was asked to contact the tenants to change who they paid the rent to. I explained during this period I was under a huge amount of stress during the recladding remediation works, I was not thinking straight. At one point I had a invoice of £80,000. I defy anyone to function normally with that type of bill to pay.
If I'd have known there was a £25 fee each time I would have actioned it immediately. Being under extreme financial stress, it makes no sense to pay this fee. It went unnoticed because the tenants had renegotiated the rent because of the severe disruption. The deafening sound of drills and hammering was too much for two doctors working shifts to bear. I explained this to the director of Barrows who showed no sympathy or understanding whatsoever. My argument is that if it had been a Let Only AST, none of this would've happened.
I have not blamed Barrows for the recladding, that's nonsense. The agent who introduced the tenants did know that scaffolding was going up, he was unsure of the exact date because the start date had been put back a few times, but he knew it was imminent. He did not pass this knowledge on to the tenants. The scaffolding went up 1 month after the tenants moved in.
Update 04/04/2023
PRS overturned their decision after reviewing the case and awarded me damages against Barrows and Forrestor. It is shocking that the director accuses me of a fraudulent claim. I want this comment removed as it is slanderous and incorrect.
Glenn · 27 April 2023
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Dear Mr Seaton,
Well what can I say about you review apart from tell the truth. Firstly you lost your PRS complaint based on the lies you tried to explain and was proven wrong and in fact tried to make a fraudulent claim.
Let me explain so everyone can see why you are disappointed and left this review. Firstly you confirmed you wanted full management contract (as you live in France) only to change this to Let Only a few days later (we have all this confirmation in writing and messages from you). We changed the contract immediately. As part of a let only contract you are responsible for the tenants to pay you direct - this is very clear on the contracts and after multiple requests and many months later you still did not act upon this information and therefore was charged a reduced administration fee for the rent collection which we are legally allowed to do. If as a landlord you acted upon your contractual duties then this would not have been charged. In your own review above you say "In fact I should've been managing it myself" Should've cleary admitting on here you were in fact NOT.
The inventory for check in was charged but later refunded before any involvement from the PRS due to an error on our part to which I had apologised and authorised the refund.
Your case was closed by the PRS on the 15/9/22 and in fact you made a fraudulent claim to say you had not received the inventory refund when in fact you had already received the funds. You also made false claims that the cladding issues in your apartment block were our fault and you had to reduce the rent. As above you only requested a let only service and therefore management is your responsibility and the tenants were not happy and requested a discount on their rent. I agree with the tenants and you as a landlord (as you were managing the property) should have been communicating with your tenants.
In summary you were informed that the case had been closed and as a company we had done all that was expected.
I find incredible that now you have left a review with slanderous comments that have been proven wrong - all paperwork and correspondence from both parties was provided to an independent redress scheme to allow them to make the decision. Based on this review further communication will be forwarded to you on the action we will be taking next.
James Forrester
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThanks Sophia for finding a nice tenant for my apartment. Quick response and professional service. Would highly recommended.
Anna · 4 March 2024
Agent replied · 25 March 2024
Hi Anna,
You're very welcome! We're thrilled to hear that you're pleased with Sophia's service and that she was able to find a great tenant for your apartment!
Jaime
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI have found Barrows & Forrester's service levels second to none.
From the very first communication of enquiry, they have kept me informed and have always come back to me when there were queries and potential issues.
I had a VERY bad experience with (what I thought) was a reputable and well established Letting Agents which caused myself and family a great deal of stress having fell fowl of BAD tenants which were apparently "vetted" by the previous agents.
I was quite anxious about letting the property again!
I was recommended Barrows & Forrester and from the start they were keen to ensure I was content and confident in the service I received.
To date I receive regular updates and would not consider going elsewhere for a letting's service - or indeed with the sale of any property.
Stuart · 5 March 2023
Agent replied · 26 November 2023
Dear Stuart,
Thank you for sharing your positive experience with Rentlife. We're delighted to hear that our service levels have met your expectations and provided you with confidence in the letting process. Your feedback is invaluable, and we appreciate the trust you've placed in us. If you have any further needs or enquiries, feel free to reach out!
Best wishes, Jaime
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThe team at B&W have been absolutely fantastic in renting out my property - the communication levels have been second to none, and Sophia and Jaime are really on top of their game in all aspects of letting.
They've kept me updated on the process and are always on hand to deal with any issues in a efficient manner - I would 100% recommend working with them for all letting needs.
Inders · 8 October 2023
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Good morning, thank you so much for leaving the lettings team a 5* review - we are over the moon that you, as a landlord are pleased with our services! We hope you recommend Barrows and Forrester to your friends and family in the future!
Jaime
★★★★★ 5/5
GooglePositive experience with Barrows & Forrester. They are very professional.
In particular Sophia was really kind and always available to help promptly. Thank you very much!
Gabriele · 11 July 2023
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Dear Gabriele,
We appreciate your positive feedback regarding your experience with Rentlife. Our commitment to professionalism is a top priority, and we're delighted to hear that Sophia's prompt and kind assistance stood out to you. Thank you for choosing our services, have a great day.
Jaime
Senior Lettings Manager
Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat estate agents would highly recommend to all buyers, sellers, landlords and investors. Krishan was excellent and helped me and my partner achieve a fantastic price when sellling one of our properties. Best estate agents in Birmingham.PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Kit · 25 August 2021
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Hi Kit, what a great review to round off the week in the Rentlife office - so glad you're happy with everything with your property sale from Team Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleKrishan was by far the best agent we have ever dealt with. Made the whole process easy and refreshing compared to our experience with other agents in the area. I can only imagine the service he provides for sellers is nothing but extraordinary!PositiveResponsiveness, Professionalism
Elliot · 25 August 2020
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Thank you so much for the review Elliot - we're glad to hear you had such a great experience with us. Team Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
Google"I m first time buyer and i was worried but krishnan helped us alot and he sorted everything for us. We are very impressed from their service's and dedication. Very dedicated and fantastic service. Highly recommend
Thank youPositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Kuljinder · 25 August 2020
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Thank you so much for the kind review - Krish will be very happy with your feedback. Team Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleHaving dealt with a number of estate agents and lettings services in Birmingham, I can hands down say Barrows & Forrester provide not only the best, but also the most efficient service. From our initial enquiry to moving in, it was such a smooth process (special thanks to agent Chris for his assistance), with communication and clarity being provided every step of the way. Highly recommend!
Joshua · 28 June 2023
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Dear Joshua, thank you for your 5* review! We're thrilled that you found our services at Rentlife to be the best and most efficient in Birmingham. Chris and the team are dedicated to clear and smooth communication. Your recommendation means a lot to us! We hope you recommend our services to your friends and family.
Jaime
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI use Barrows & Forrester to manage my apartment in Birmingham. I'm very pleased with the professionalism of Sophia, Jaime and Stacey and my impression of the service provided has greatly improved over the last year since they came in. I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending Barrows & Forrester for managing properties.
Chris · 18 March 2024
Agent replied · 24 August 2024
Thank you for your positive feedback!
We're thrilled to hear that you're pleased with the professionalism of Sophia, Jaime, and Stacey, and that your impression of our service has greatly improved over the last year. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to continuing to provide excellent property management services.
Barrows & Forrester
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleNo lie, I actually thought these people were the most professional people you could go though, with the way they initially handled the whole moving in process but throughout the 6 month tenancy I noticed how incompetent they actually were. Imagine having to message multiple times to get a dishwasher fixed for it to not be done by the time you vacate the property or them failing to show up when they had agreed to come and sort the issue out? It's not okay. Not just that but after moving out Hamad had the audacity to act as though communications on his end were perfectly fine despite having not responding to my initial emails for 3 weeks. I had to call in multiple times to even get a response for it to happen again the following week. I understand people are busy but its not exactly difficult to respond to an email or even be sincere with your apology. It was clear by his tone that he didn't care whether I was upset by his poor and unprofessional behaviour and instead tried to shoo me away. Despite having received a written apology I am writing this review so others don't receive the same treatment I did.NegativeResponsiveness, Professionalism
Zoe · 25 August 2021
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Dear Zoe,
I’ve taken the time to look through your review & was very shocked as this is the first one-star review, we have received and wanted to investigate this in detail.
First you state that there were issues throughout the 6-month tenancy, looking through the system I can see there was no major issues but you did have some slight niggles with keys/lock, the dishwasher and your deposit which all occurred in the final months of your tenancy, not throughout the tenancy which you state.
At the start of your tenancy, we provide an online Property File account to log any issues you may have in the property so that they are centrally stored, & the office can deal with them and act accordingly. At the handover of keys, you were informed that this system needs to be used and I can see you activated your account.
Looking in the system you have not logged any issues on your account meaning we are unable to properly monitor anything & also provide the relevant feedback as to where a job order is with regular updates, this explains why things may have taken longer than usual as you weren’t following the process which we have in place for all tenants.
This said the keys and lock were in working order though they were sticking slightly meaning you were still able to use it correctly. We ordered a new lock & set of keys & this was resolved within 8 working days. The dishwasher was still in full working order and you were able to use it without any issues, there was simple a minor issue of a loose bracket holding it place. You notified the office of this at the end of November, 4 months into your 6-month tenancy.
I have contacted the contractor directly who has stated they contacted you on a number of occasions to resolve the matter, but you then also cancelled on several occasions meaning they were unable to attend the works order. For clarity they initially contacted you on 16/12/20, the job was booked in on 21/12/20 which you later cancelled, the contractor tried to carry out the work on 5/1/21 which again you cancelled & because of the numerous cancelations he advised you to contact him when you were ready, you failed to rearrange a time with the contractor to fix the dishwasher until the end of tenancy on 2/2/21.
If you continually cancel appointments or don’t rearrange a time with the contractor when instructed, we are obviously unable to repair any issues.
With regards to your deposit, we have found out why this was not issued when we requested it and was simply down to you not setting up your TDS account. You were issued a login for a TDS account which you failed to open and set up. Barrows & Forrester made the request of funds to be returned from TDS on 02/2/21 (the end of your tenancy) meaning we had taken all the action required and within our control.
The TDS, who act as the third-party deposit company for tenants, confirmed that monies have not been returned to you as you didn’t set up your account when it was first issued meaning they were unable to return your deposit. The additional tenant on your tenancy had their deposits returned earlier in the month as they set up their account with TDS.
The TDS have confirmed you requested a password change and provided your bank details on the 1/3/21.
I have listened to the call you had today with Hamad where you raised some of your points and at no point has, he tried and ‘shoo you away’ on the call he has provided all the information you requested.
Despite Hamad speaking with you and agreeing a written apology to be sent to draw the matter to a close you’ve then gone ahead and left a review rather than lodge a proper complaint that does not have accurate information & doesn’t truly reflect what has actually taken place.
I appreciate all feedback but when the facts are completely different to actual events, I feel it’s only fair to respond so others can see the high level of customer care we provide to our tenants.
James Forrester - MD
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleBarrows & Forrester was the best place to search for house in Birmingham. We had recently moved Birmingham and Sophia from Barrows & Forrester made us very easy to get a beautiful and wonderful apartment for rent. I would strongly recommend this place to find a house for your needs with the help of superb people working here.
Lohit · 29 September 2023
Agent replied · 29 October 2023
Good morning,
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave us a five-star review and for being so complimentary of our services. We appreciate you highlighting your experiences with Sophia. We hope you will consider using our services again in the near future
Jaime
Rentlife
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleAfter difficulties with the previous letting manager, Jaime and Caitlin have completely revived my view of the company! They both have been very professional, attentive and responded to any enquiries quickly and efficiently. They were super helpful in our moving out process and I can’t thank them enough for their professionalism.
Fleur · 24 February 2024
Agent replied · 25 March 2024
Hi Fleur. Thank you for sharing your positive experience! We're thrilled to hear that the lettings team were able to address your concerns. We're glad they could assist you smoothly during the moving-out process. If you ever have further enquiries or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out. We appreciate your feedback and value your satisfaction.
Jaime
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleNot only does this company provide excellent, quality, a personal, caring and professional service to all their customers, they also have a great social responsibility focus and are exceptionally generous towards the work of free@last, a children's charity based in Birmingham. And it's not just through financial donations, but through time, resource, promotion and even getting their hands dirty to help our children and young people. We love Barrows & Forrester and are sure you will too.
John · 3 June 2021
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Thank you for your lovely review - we love helping out Free@Last who do such great work for the community. Team Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat customer service !! Thank you Christa and Jaime!!!
Makiko · 15 March 2025
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThis is probably the best agency I’ve ever rented with! My partner and I are really grateful to Cameron and his incredible work that helped us through the whole process of finding the perfect place for us!
Daniela · 24 September 2024
Agent replied · 24 October 2024
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you and your partner had such a positive experience with Cameron and our team. Helping you find the perfect home is what we strive for, and we're delighted that Cameron made the process smooth and successful. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. We're grateful for your trust and look forward to continuing to provide top-notch service. Enjoy your new home!
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleOverall my experience was fantastic with Barrows Forrester, as a first time buyer they made sure I felt comfortable and that I understood everything in the buying process step by step. Krishan from Barrows and Forrester was great, he answered any questions I had and continued to keep in contact regularly whilst the buying process was ongoing ensuring I was aware of everything that was going on. I cannot recommend Barrows and Forrester highly enough.PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Cameron · 25 August 2020
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Thank you so much for the great review Cameron and we hope you're enjoying your first home!
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleB&F have recently helped me to rent out my property in Birmingham and I have been really pleased with the service they've provided. Caitlin, Sophia and Jaime have all been incredibly helpful and responsive, with good communication throughout the whole process. Big thanks to the B&F team!
Tom · 24 February 2024
Agent replied · 25 March 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words and positive feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you've had a great experience working with us at Barrows & Forrester! If you ever need assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks again for choosing Rentlife.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThis agency went above and beyond to get my rental property let. It got let within a week due to the late night viewings they offer. it wasn’t just 9-5 which is what working professionals need to be able
to view as they are at work all day and that’s the type of tenants we all want.
The referencing process went seamlessly and I was updated as soon as they got a viewing booked and once the viewing had taken place to let me know their outcomes and the impression they got.
They were able to advise me on rent protections and landlords insurances effectively and recommend a full protection at almost half the cost of my last agent.
There’s always someone in the office during working hours so can always reach someone which is important.
I got copies of all my paperwork the same day as the move in and what really set them apart is that I wasn’t in the area the day of move in so they did it all for me even though it was let only and the tenant had some teething problems with the heating and prepayment meters and they sorted the lot for me so I could enjoy the last day of my holiday without worry. I wouldn’t considered using anyone else
Roving-mop4 · 28 May 2019
Agent replied · 27 May 2023
Hi Lisa, what lovely feedback - it really makes our day when we get reviews like this!
★★★★★ 5/5
FacebookKrishan has been very good keeping in contact and updating me with any changes. He is caring and makes me feel like I receive 1:1 attention. Thank you! Mei
Louise · 17 January 2020
Agent replied · 26 May 2023
Hi Mei, thank you for your lovely review and the opportunity to manage your property. Team B&F.
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.
