Keywest Estate Agents LEICESTER reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

God what a nightmare. From the moment we signed the lease we’ve had so many problems with unprofessionalism and lack of communication. When we first moved in (several days late because they were “behind on cleaning”) the place was trashed. There were bin bags full of garbage and junk shoved in every closet and in the backyard there was a big shopping cart with more bin bags and junk left to rot in the rain over the summer (we opted for half rent over the summer and could only move in September or around then). I went to their office and asked a man about it because I sent a couple emails about it that went ignored and he got very rude and said something about how he couldn’t be sure we didn’t bring it over. (1. What?? And 2. It was in the inventory photos). Finally after complaining over email a few times they sent someone over. The handyman said he couldn’t move the shopping cart or some of the bigger bits so I still ended up having to stuff my trashcan full for like 3 weeks, had to walk the cart several street down to the nearest Tesco, and still had to deal with with a heap of dusty crap sitting on the property until we cycled it out (we’re all students and none of drive so I couldn’t bring it to a dump myself). Anyways we had a few more annoying moments with keywest after that. There’s most shocking was when we got the 200 £ claim on our deposit. Better believe the house was spotless when we left, everything clean and the piles of junk inside and out of the house had been removed when we moved in. We even touched up some of the rough spots on the walls (when we moved in there were big stains and patches of discoloration) So you can imagine my surprise when they try to jib us for removing some chairs and other bits we “left” in the shed. Literally everything they claimed was left by us was in the original inventory photos, plus some firewood I moved from a pile of junk inside to the shed outside. (They also mentioned 1 Tesco bag, lmao) Granted, maybe I’m not getting the full picture as they refuse any communication on anything. They use a third party deposit protection site, the site will literally tell you that you need to get in contact with the landlord to communicate and negotiate the deposit, when we try to do that Keywest is dismissive and refers back the third party. Anyways clearly they don’t give a shit about the condition of the property, seeing how it was left to us, so the whole situation is a little suspicious. They’re either completely clueless or they’re pushing around students because they know we’re not likely to lawyer up. If ur a renter, particularly young renters, I promise you there is better out there. We went with priya, just across the street from Keywest and while it’s only been a couple weeks, they’re way better about communication and the property was clean when we arrived, which after our year with Keywest seems like a luxury.

Zoe · 13 July 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Super helpful, they were my managing agents for years and always responded quickly and helped me with any work on my property. They recently helped me to sell my house and they were always available for any questions i had. Would 100% recommend! Special shout out to Asim who was always super helpful

Alice · 16 February 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I have worked with Keywest for around 10 years and have found their services to be of an excellent level throughout and Shannon has been amazing during my most recent let during covid19. Highly recommended!

Shrik · 16 July 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I have put off leaving this review for a while as I wanted to give the staff at keywest the benefit of the doubt, but after spending this week freezing cold my patience has ran out. In short: avoid keywest at all costs. Their website may say that they "deliver fast, effective results and a service you can trust" but I have experienced the opposite. There have been problems from the first day of moving in, when I found a lot of the furniture in the house was broken (which keywest had not recorded in the paperwork), along with the bannister on a very steep set of stairs coming away from the wall which was a safety hazard. I had to email and call multiple times to get the broken furniture moved and replaced, and the bannister wasn't fixed until NOVEMBER, after being reported in JULY. The house hadn't even been cleaned properly after the previous tenants moved out - when I moved my bed there were empty crisp packets and bottles, socks and an open bag of sugar among other things. I had to pay to get the place cleaned independently. When I told Amy at Keywest that the house hadn't been cleaned and sent her the pictures of the state it had been in there was no apology offered, she replied that it had been cleaned the day before we moved in according to her records and there was nothing further said. From then there have been multiple issues, with workmen turning up and letting themselves in with no prior warning, people showing up for viewings with no warning, having to chase Keywest relentlessly to get anything done, and staff saying they will call back to update me and not following up. There was also an incident where the member of staff left the property before the person viewing the house arrived. When they arrived and I told them she was gone, they rang the office to be told that myself and my housemate had decided we didn't want anymore viewings that day, which was an outright lie. I ended up showing them the house myself as they had travelled a long way for the viewing and had already been let down by keywest the day before. The latest problem, which has prompted me to write this review, is that our boiler has been broken all week. There seems to have been no urgency to get it fixed, and no alternative heating provided. I have had to call keywest multiple times every day to try and get this resolved, and have been passed between staff and met with excuses at every turn. There seems to be no accountability, and no compassion for the fact that we are unable to heat our home, shower or wash our clothes (as it's impossible to dry them) in December when it is freezing and we're in the middle of a pandemic. I'm shocked at the complete lack of care shown for their tenants and would hate to think of anyone vulnerable experiencing what we've had to deal with. Note after leaving: the reply below was not satisfactory and completely incorrect in some places, including our move in date which was the 3rd of July rather than the 1st. On leaving the property Keywest tried to keep our deposit by claiming we had not given them adequate notice of us leaving, despite them asking us to leave a month early due to the landlord’s wish to renovate the house. We thankfully did get the deposit back in the end as there was a recording of a call in which we informed them, without this they would have kept our entire deposit. To reiterate, avoid this company at all costs.

Amy · 24 October 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

My housemates and I have had problems with our property but MAINLY key west from the get go. Broken furniture, damp in most rooms, the cooker door falling off, broken beds ( with food and rubbish under them on arrival) - Amy ( staff at keywest) then arguing with us about this after being shown pictures- All within the first week of moving in. When we first approached Key west about this, we entered the office to speak with the staff and the environment was hostile and unprofessional to say the least. Staff members sat on their phones scrolling and texting whilst taking calls and talking to customers just all in all not paying attention or listening to customers and an awful service. Putting all this aside though - most issues still not resolved or just ignored, we have now gone almost A WEEK without a working boiler, the house is freezing cold(3 floors) and a damp cellar, no electric heaters provided and no hot water at all. Whilst some of us have family or friends we can visit to wash and keep warm most of us dont. With the pandemic on going we are having to work from home, in the cold house all day and it is unbearable to sleep at night. 2 of our beds are now completely damp because it’s so cold. After speaking with Shannon and Amy about this, we were told we would receive follow up calls and reassured this would be fixed( that hasn’t happened) we are now all having to chase the issues up WHILST AT WORK OURSELVES. We finally asked yesterday can we please have some electrical heaters - we can’t afford to all buy one and are desperate at this point. Amy advised “ all of you should sleep in one room, put some extra socks and jumpers on you’ll be fine”. We chased Shannon again today before 5 to ask if she had managed to get some heaters (now a day and a half later) to be told “Shannon is just about to go home” followed by “no heaters can be provided and it wasn’t her fault as Amy had only just passed this over before her annual leave ” I’ve put off writing this review for a long time because I was hoping this would be resolved in house. But I absolutely hate the thought of anyone else going through this, I have crippling anxiety and no one I can stay with in Leicester so this is having the worst effect on my mental health not to mention our physical health- the damp is making one of the girls feel so unwell her chest is now aching and all of us are becoming poorly from the cold. Large groups turning up on our door step ( in a pandemic) for a house viewing was unsettling, the staff being so argumentative isnt great, our housemate having to show a stranger around the house ( ON HER OWN WITHOUT WARNING) because Preena couldn’t wait 5 more minutes for the person viewing the house to arrive was unsafe BUT THIS IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE. Please be careful and do your research before using keywest - especially students - I know a lot of them go through this letting agency and are some of your are super vulnerable and new to renting - AVOID KEYWEST. They will not look after you or make you feel valued, they do not make things easier to handle or explain anything to you and they DO NOT CARE about your safety.

Belle · 24 October 2021

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Incredible, joyful , pleasurable experience. We had an agent called Rishi couldn’t fault him was so helpful, supportive and quick to respond to us throughout the whole process. Highly recommend to use this company don’t have a bad word to say, honestly so grateful to have had such exciting journey with you. Thank you for everything as a company and our agent especially Rishi !!

Katie · 12 February 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

All the team at Keywest are fantastic. Amy Petts is always there to help and have been a constant great support. They are knowledgable, helpful and always go out of their way to give the best advice. I have been a customer of theirs for 7 years now and from my first dealings with them, they have shown they’re the professionals. I can’t recommend them enough! Thank you guys. A1

Gary · 24 October 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Very pleased with the service from the key west staff! We are in the process of moving into a flat and we have received nothing but fast responses and informative replies to all the questions we have had. As our first time moving into a flat to rent the process has been much easier than we thought. In Particular Preena Kotecha has been amazing at helping us through each step of the moving in process and has been very professional, also recently Rebecca North has been great at informing us on payments that had been transferred Overall very happy with the service!PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Josh · 24 October 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I rented through Keywest as a student a couple of years ago and still remember how terrible their service is. The biggest issue by far is Keywest/landlord filling out forms wrong so the council thought I was not a student and then being chased up by debt collection agency’s and bailiffs for failure to pay council tax. I called up the office to get more information on the situation and spoke to a man who said he didn’t know what to do and said he would call back- which he never did. Students keep a copy of your council tax exemption certificates incase you need to send them to the council to prove you’re a student as this company is completely incompetent. They will happily let you walk into a filthy house- a personal highlight was the toilet cord which was actually a lanyard from the university completely stained. But then will charge you your entire deposit for leaving it ‘dirty’. Another tip for students is to take photos before you leave and ask for proof from Keywest if they try to take the deposit; because when we did this they send us hundreds of images which actually turned out to be photos we took and sent to them when we moved in. We complained about the wooden countertops rotting due to not being treated properly and I can see from recent reviews that it is still a problem and now there’s mushrooms growing on it. Good luck to anyone using Keywest and I hope you know how to protect yourself legally. The staff are all incompetent crooks who just want to get as much money as possible from you.

Charlotte · 16 December 2025

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

Keywest is exceptionally professional and very efficient in handling there sales , I had dealings with the sales team , I must confess how thrilled I am as they were soo patient and really understanding, seeing things from client perspective. I will not hesitate to do another business with them again ,I am very satisfied, thank you Preena for all your help and making the deal go through smoothly .PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Juliet · 24 October 2021

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

We recently purchased our first home (thanks to God!) and the sellers were represented by Keywest. It was a stressful time as you can imagine, we had a time limit to get this purchase settled before our rental contract came to an end so we had pressure all ways round. I can’t explain how helpful and empathetic Keywest and Tony in particular were. I think I rang 2/3 times a day hassling poor Tony to ensure whatever needed done to go through ASAP and not once did he get frustrated or impatient with us. Ultimately Tony had a great hand in ensuring it all went through by the required time. I cannot express how impressed I am at how he dealt with us even though we weren’t his client, he didn’t owe us anything but he received every call and was so polite and extremely helpful and because of Tony and his team if we do require an estate agent for future purposes, we will be using Keywest without a doubt! Thank you once again Tony!

Salma · 11 January 2020

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Over the past few months, my partner and I have spoken to multiple estate agents, attempting to move out together to no avail. Since speaking to Paige from keywest, I can only describe what we were welcomed with as the perfect customer journey. from her polite mannerisms on the phone, coupled with the level of professionalism in her field. we were blown away. she has made our lives simply effortless within this and removed all the stress out of moving for us. Paige is a credit to the firm, and has well and truly welcomed us in to the keywest family.

Ben · 25 October 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

My experience with Keywest over 3 years has been brilliant. It is an efficient and professional company that meets all the standards and uses IT well to speed things up. My elderly father decided to rent and without the usual payslips, driving licence and so on, it was proving very difficult. Kamila went the extra mile on so many occasions to help my dad secure a property and provide information whenever needed. Recently my dad broke his hip and had to move to a ground floor flat. Amazingly, Kamila came out to the hospital so that he could sign the new tenancy. I am so grateful for what she has done. All the systems in place for viewing, securing and paying for properties work well if you are organised and take a professional attitude to the process. I notice that the actual customers who rent and buy from Keywest seem to give the company 5 star ratings, whilst a few who have a short negative experience give it a one star review. I always read these reviews and find them helpful; I hope that this information will help others!

Ruth · 25 October 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Some months ago my property company agreed to purchase a house through the agency of Key West. I was pleased to experience a first rate service using these dedicated agents and whilst never posting reviews on such sites I have been sufficiently impressed to register as a new member with this review site to acknowledge my satisfaction. The transaction went through well, any technical issues being dealt with efficiently or passed on to the lawyers for resolution, so that I was kept up to date and politely informed of progress and final completion by the sales manager handling my case, Richard Chesterton, whose team were reassuringly on the ball. I have no hesitation in recommending this company and particularly Richard to those seeking a professional route to property sales, and doubtless also lettings and general rental, matters. Keep up the good work.

Simon · 25 October 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Purchased a large former care home on the Hinckley Road in Leicester for the charity I manage. Worked with Richard Chesterton of Key west to secure the deal at a reasonable price. Richard was very professional throughout, always responsive and communicative, and did all he could to facilitate access to the property prior to completion to allow refurbishment plans to be developed. A very good agent who is personable and easy to work with. I would definitely do business with them again should the right opportunity arise.

Eddie · 25 October 2019

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

We (2 people and 1 cat) have been with Keywest (Hinckley Rd branch) for a year and a half now and couldn't be happier. We had moved from our previous 8-year tenancy with some trepidation in regard to all the administration, fees and checks that are required these days. But Keywest -- and in particular Melanie and Samantha -- really did take the sting out of it for us and made the application and next steps as painless as possible. They also allowed us to move some surplus furniture back to the LL and generally ensured excellent communication between us tenants and the LL, which is exactly what you'd expect from an agent. The response time for repairs/replacements was also good, although we would have given five stars for a boiler replacement (rather than a fix) -- but I guess one can't have it all! We would choose Keywest any time again and absolutely recommend them to anyone looking in the Leicester West End.

Jay · 25 October 2017

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

No stars if I could!! Purchased a house from these guys, looking back I can see that both estate agents knew of the issues within the property and actively tried to deter me from finding out. Weird things such as suggesting I did not survey the property and when mentioning damp was actively convince it smelt like animals within the property instead. Very disappointing, untrustworthy and dishonest. Save yourself the time and money don't deal with them.

N · 16 November 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Worst ever letting agents in Leicester, they are scammers.. pls be aware before falling into the trap...The manager of Hinckley Road office is very unprofessional and disobedient, the worst person I have ever come acrossed. They particularly treat tenants for granted, make sure you take evidences before renting and also do keep track and proof of communications happened while tenancy or else they will claim deposit falsely through DPS after contract finishes. All 5 star reviews are from landlords or buyers only..

Yash · 16 October 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Used this Agent while I was at university. My own dear Mother came up to my house after I moved out and cleaned my room herself, as she wanted to make sure we would get our deposit back and wanted to see for herself it was clean (we took photo's). The room was spotless other than a jar of pennies and a pair of shoes I did not see at the back of a wardrobe. Apparently, my room was a mess and they threatened to withhold my deposit. They lamented after a few phone calls after we told them about taking photos with date evidence, 'because my room was going to be redecorated anyway'. Very rude staff, especially Paul the manager. I would advise all students looking to rent through these guys to go somewhere else. They also threatened me with legal action last time I put up a poor review but seeing as I haven't said anything other than the truth. I'm putting it up again. Come at me bro

Charles · 25 October 2016

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

We just sold our house with them and cannot recommend them enough. Excellent!! The whole process was well explained, friendly and simple. Clare is straight to the point and keeps you fully informed every step of the way. Whenever I had a question I didn't hesitate to contact them knowing they were there to help. A complete contrast from the agents we were buying from.... Clare helped us on this side of things with advice on what to do and provided an ear to chew off with my annoyance and frustration with them. Hands down the best estate agents I have dealt with in Leicester as a buyer and a seller !!! Laura's negotiating skills got us asking price and found a lovely couple to move in. Thank you!!! We won't hesitate to use you again xx

Verity · 26 October 2015

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Recently I have bought a house through Keywest. As per usual there were a few delays and although frustrating the service that I received from all the guys at KeyWest but in particularly Claire was absolutely excellent and made the frustrations more bearable!!! I would whole heartedly recommend to use KeyWest Estate Agents and if I ever move form my home I will certainly talk to them first about putting it on the market Thanks guys, you've been amazing!!!! Ian

Ian · 26 October 2013

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Key West, a lovely estate agency that will only charge you the small one time fee of £50 for 'administration costs'. Make sure to enjoy that Christmas party on me, fellas. Currently my deposit is now 19 days overdue. A short phone conversation reveals that it could take another week or two. Of course, it isn't their fault. They only have a limited number of tradesman who can check the properties. I'm sure at some point in the year it never occurred to them that all student lets end at the same time, and perhaps there may be a backlog? Then again, what would I know about the tiresome business of ripping-off students. Another review on Google has suggested that they had to wait in excess of three months before they received their deposit back. So maybe I should count my blessings that the merciful Key West staff have suggested I may only have a further two week wait on my hands. During the year the workers they sent out to the property were extremely amicable and did a fine job. No problems with them. However, to call response time 'fast moving' would be an insult to anything that had shifted position at any point this century. There were other complaints I had during my time under Key West's caring wing. However, the very idea of raising these issues reminds me of a certain turn of phrase that involves urination and the wind. Never mind. Furthermore has anyone else noted the suspiciously high amount of generic 5-star reviews here? And then, when a negative review is posted, Key West (a landed company) decides to get into a public war of words with a young customer. I know how we can clear this all up, If Key West could ask their mum to call my mum we can sort this all out. Childish.

Patrick · 26 October 2013

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

In September 2012, we put our inherited family house on the market with Keywest with no upwards chain. We had valuations from two other estate agents and chose Keywest for several reasons: the valuation from Clare was on par with our thoughts and she gave us a realistic, honest and professional opinions. During the sale process, the staff were efficient and we were always kept up to date with information and how things were progressing. We had confidence that Keywest were acting for us to achieve the best possible outcome. We had an offer on the property on 29/1/13 which we accepted on 4/2/13. Although we didn't complete the sale until 30/5/13 as there were some unforeseen delays, Keywest kept the process moving, keeping us informed at all times. We would certainly recommend their services.

Rachel · 26 October 2013

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Pretty happy with them so far. They got a tenant for me very quickly at a good price. They charge way less than competitors. Some communication issues at times but nothing major. I'm pretty happy with things at the mo. I should say this is my experience of being a landlord with them. They were also good when I rented from them. Would recommend. Richard is particularly someone who listens and gets things done.

R · 25 October 2019