Every review we hold for the Longbenton office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotDisappointing move out experience
Very disappointing experience moving out of a Simple Life property.
E · 28 May 2026
Agent replied · 31 May 2026
Thank you for your review and for providing sufficient information for us to investigate this matter further.
We’re sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your move-out experience and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
At the start of every tenancy, residents are provided with a check-in inventory and a 7-day period to review and report any discrepancies or concerns. This process is intended to ensure all parties are aligned from the outset of the tenancy.
At the end of a tenancy, any proposed deductions are based on the condition of the property in comparison to the check-in report, alongside contractor quotations where applicable. While we understand some repairs may appear minor or could potentially be completed independently, we are required to instruct qualified contractors, which can result in higher associated costs. Following a further review of the check-out findings and the evidence available, we were satisfied with the proposed deductions..
We also take tenancy duration and fair wear and tear into account during the assessment process. Our records show the tenancy duration was 2 years and 7 months.
Where an agreement cannot be reached regarding proposed deductions, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) provides an independent adjudication service, which both parties can utilise to reach a final resolution.
We are sorry to hear that you found the process stressful, as this is never our intention. We appreciate you choosing to live in a Simple Life home and thank you again for your feedback.
If you would like to discuss your experience further, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotThe whole process was slick & easy!
The whole process was slick & easy from first point of contact. The negotiator Jade told me everything I needed to know when I took the apartment. My property manager Olivia made everything so simple once inside & after I moved out. Thank you guys!
Bobby · 24 February 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for your review and the lovely feedback Bobby!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotHannah is a credit to Simplelife
Hannah is a credit to Simplelife, Since day 1 she has been very helpful and has gone out of her way to help me, Hannah will always return my emails and has been on the end of the phone if i need a query answering.Many thanks.
Roy · 18 January 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback Roy!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotHannah Bishop
Dealt with Hannah Bishop many times on the phone and email and has always been extremely helpful no matter what questions I have for her. Very easy to communicate with and any issues have been resolved quickly and in a professional manner.
Keiran · 26 May 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for your review Keiran!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotBest asset manager - Hannah Bishop
I have been resident with Simple Life for 3 years now and it’s been great experience. Hannah Bishop our asset manager has been amazing and always going extra mile to sort out any issues! Thank you Hannah for all your hard work!
Ewelina · 24 May 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for you wonderful review Ewelina! We will pass your thanks on to James and Jade!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotPlease, please avoid.
I would urge anyone looking to rent to avoid Simple Life. We moved into a 3 bed terrace in April 2022. Our experience of move in was tainted by the fact the property was dirty, covered in dog hair and our second floor third bedroom and landing wreaked of dog urine where the previous tenant had let her dog go to the toilet on the carpets. Throughout our tenancy we experienced significant delays in response to our request for maintainance (the carpets took 4 months to replace, the leak in the ensuite was never rectified in the 20 months we were in the property, we were left with exposed nails downstairs where the skirting boards had not been replaced). We finally made the decision to vacate the property in December of 2023. I (stupidly) had not read the multiple reviews of previous tenants who had Simple Life trying to rob their entire deposits. This has now happened to us. Our entire £1.2k deposit plus an additional £300 has been claimed. We left the house in a better condition than when we moved in. Myself and my partner take great pride in our homes and the fact that this company think it’s acceptable to try and wangle innocent peoples money sickens me. We have tried to resolve the dispute by agreeing to the (largely unnecessary) works to take place but providing our own quotes for the works (at a 10th of the price) and Simple life are having none of it. I honestly don’t know how they are still running as a company. It’s criminal what they do to their tenants, they are thieves and I would advise everyone to avoid at all costs for your own sake. We are in the process of a TDS dispute currently, let’s just hope that a mediator can see through what they are trying to do.
HS · 28 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hello,We have sent you a find reviewer request in order for us to locate your tenancy, unfortunately we have had no response, and without this information we are unable to identify you and look in to your case. If you could respond with further information or get in touch with Team Leader Ashley.Jones@simplelifehomes.co.uk, it would be much appreciated, in order for us to assist you further.In the meantime, we are pleased to see that you have raised this as a dispute with the TDS, who act as an independent adjudicator in order to reach a fair outcome on behalf of both you as the resident and Simple Life as the landlord.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotPoor service
Poor service. I am so disappointed in simple life. We originally moved from one simple life property to another and because they were so good the first time round we decided to stay with them especially since I was moving in the middle of a pregnancy and wanted something easy and stress free. Unfortunately that was not the case I moved into the property in May 2023, there was a gap in tenants so there was an outstanding bill from the energy supplier, the bill came to the house so rightfully I sent the bill to simple life for them to deal with as it was for a period where I didn’t even live in the property, simple life has decided that they aren’t going to pay the bill and since May 2023 I have had debt collectors calling my phone, writing me letters and threatening legal action, each time I send the letters to simple life urging them to sort it out. All of this while heavily pregnant!!! We are now in January and I have since given birth yet I am still being hounded by debt collectors for a bill that’s not mine. We are in January and still they have not paid. Heather has decided to completely ignore my emails and I am being left to deal with something that I shouldn’t have to deal with while I have a new born baby to think about.On top of moving in they only gave me one set of working keys, so my partner and I had to share a key, Heather said I would receive a refund if I was to cut the key myself as I should have received two sets, since sending the receipt over she has also decided to ignore me on that matter aswell. If I knew that this would have been my experience I would have saved myself the trouble and went with a different company.
T · 24 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hello,Thank you for your review and responding to our find reviewer request so we can identify your tenancy and property address.Firstly, we would like to thank you for being a loyal customer, we’re really pleased you chose to stay with Simple Life when moving and we really hope the account aligned in your review doesn’t affect your decision to stay with us long term.Since leaving your review we can see the team has been in touch to update you on this situation. As discussed over the phone, the outstanding bill is for a period liable to the previous resident, and not the landlord (Simple Life), therefore we are in the same position and share in your frustration. We have been in touch with the utility provider multiple times to get them to update their records and to prove you are not liable for the outstanding charges on the account but we have had no response from them. This has now been successfully raised as a formal complaint with the energy provider and an investigation is underway. The team will continue to escalate this with the utility provider to get this resolved as soon as possible and we’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. In the meantime, we would like to reassure you that as you were not living in the property during the period in question, no action can be taken.We’re sorry for any delay in a refund for the second key cut, we can confirm this is being processed immediately for you.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotSimple Life Home
We moved into our Simple Life Home on the 29th of September. It's been amazing, all the utilities needed such as a washing/dryer machine, dishwasher and a wardrobe already within the house made moving even easier. The simple life app is so easy to use and if we've ever had a query the agents are quick to get in touch and help out. I'd recommend to anyone to live in a simple life home, it's practical, homely and easy. The house we've moved into is the perfect first timers house, well maintained, clean and the company are reliable for anything that needs sorting.
Grace · 22 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for your wonderful review Grace! We're delighted to hear that you're happy with your new home and the services Simple Life provide!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotAvoid!
I have already written a review with our getting our deposit back which was fully expected after reading the reviews on here beforehand. That took long enough, and only got done through us phoning and emailing numerous times, in fact I have still never received a reply to my emails that I sent. This was only returned to us because we phoned numerous times. To anyone reading this before renting a simple life home, just don’t. We were there less than two years, our rent went up after the first 12 months. Everyone on our estate paid different rents and they will come back to this to say that it depends on the size of the garden etc but this is rubbish. The price clearly depends on how many people have moved in and out because they can bump the price up for the next tenants. We started at £825, then they put it up to £905 then less than a year after raising to £905 when we moved out, they placed it back on the market for £985. I wouldn’t mind but the area we lived in was not great and these prices did not fall in line with other properties in the area. We had simple life staff on our estate taking photos of peoples front gardens and emailing them to ask them to remove items such as chairs! This is supposed to be a home, nobody should be coming round taking photos asking you to remove things from your property that you pay to live in.Responding after simple life’s update.Yes they got back to us on the 9th working day, after office hours. I then emailed that staff member 5 times and never had a single response. I phoned and was told a message would be passed on for the deductions to be lodged with the tenancy despot scheme. This didn’t happen. My partner phoned a few days later and was told on the phone by another member of staff that they would do it ‘now’. This didn’t happen either. I then phoned the next day to ask why it had not been done and was told there was an emergency and she couldn’t get around to it and that she would do it ‘now’. Within ten minutes the deductions were lodged. It shouldn’t not be that difficult to get your money back when clearly this is a two minute job for simple life. Regarding the rent increases. Regardless of the rental market you increase your prices every year. Where does that end? Year on year increases of £80-£100 are not realistic at all. We have never lived anywhere with such big increases, it is actually sad for the people that move in thinking they are secure because the houses are ‘built to rent’ then end up not being able to afford to live there because of the ridiculous rent increases.
Sheyna · 22 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Sheyna, As stated in our previous reply. We always aim to get back to people within 10 working days, however we do need to get the check-out conducted, the report reviewed and approved before we are able to contact you, to avoid any miscommunication. We’re pleased to see that the team got back to you within the 10 days as expected. All our rents vary by property type, plot position, garden and outlook. It is industry standard for rents to be reviewed every 12 months and this was outlined in your tenancy agreement. As people move in at different times across the year and due to rents increasing continually in the local marketplace, the rent for each household will be reviewed at different times and therefore there will be some differences across a development.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotHelpful and efficient
From enquiry to reservation Tom Billington was super helpful and understanding, from my stack of emails and probably annoying questions I did received ample information about the property. The fast replies really helped me feel comfortable in the whole process as I was stressing out. Would definitely recommend simple life homes and Tom to be your agent :)
Alicia · 15 April 2021
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you Alicia! We will make sure Tom is aware of your lovely feedback. We very much hope you enjoy your new home!
★★★★★ 3/5
TrustpilotWhile simple life homes was ok
While simple life homes was ok, let alliance the other company they use are most definitely not. I put down a £250 deposit to hold a house that was supposedly up for rent but after going back and forth with let alliance I had to wonder if they were legitimate. Four times they asked for my passport and other information despite me providing it on email every single time. I have to wonder where that information went. After all this I asked for my money back because the process was terrible. I didn’t receive my full fee back and I have to wonder if they do this on purpose to gain extra fees when only refunding partial fees.
Chris · 19 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi ChrisThank you for flagging your concerns to us on Trust Pilot. Firstly, we’re sad to see that you have had a confusing and negative experience with Let Alliance. Whilst Let Alliance is a trusted and leading referencing company in the UK, this company is not part of Simple Life and as a result we are disappointed that you felt compelled to leave a negative review against Simple Life. Following your review we have followed up with Let Alliance and they claim that they have reviewed your case and have no record of ever receiving your ID from the email in your application.As you decided to withdraw your application on your own free will, only part of the holding deposit was refunded, which is in line with our terms and conditions (signed by you when reserving a property). With over 6,000 properties across the UK, all our residents have been referenced by the Let Alliance Group, so we can alleviate any concerns of misconduct. If you would still like to proceed with your application then please get back in touch and we would be happy to help.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotClearly don’t put the customer first!
Since the moment we moved in our property a year and half ago there has been issue after issue , the first bunch only rectified after we left a bad review. At this point I’m unsure what we are actually paying rent for…..The latest issues have been on going as far back as November with our property not being secure due to an issue Simple Life temporarily fixed and never resolved leaving the back of our house completely accessible to anybody walking past, on top of this there is mould coming through the ceilings in several rooms and a wet patch formed on our ceilings! We have a young child in the house and you’d expect these to be the basics thinks simplelife would help fix given how much money we pay a month! Alongside this you can tell the house clearly hasn’t been maintained well by simple life as plaster is peeling off the walls, gaps are forming round the windows. We have sent emails asking for options to change to a different simple life property that have been ignored and it list point we are at a loss as to how we get anything fixed it or gain support from the company we are paying over £1000 a month too! What does it actually take to receive a good customer service? We moved in the house and it hadn’t even been cleaned, we’ve had to report a significant amount of issues but nobody has checked in to see if we’re happy, or even to offer solutions!Update -How can you assure us our property is secure when firstly you think it’s a fence panel when it’s actually the whole back gate and is easy for anyone to walk freely in to the back of our property!It feels like you are completely missing the point, there are so many issues with the property some ongoing for months with little to none communication!The email we have been sent about moving property actually wasn’t helping us at all. All we want are the issues resolved and clear communication.Why can’t someone pick up the phone instead of just replying on here?
Laura · 19 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Laura and Luke,Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.We have looked in to your records and we can see that in order to accommodate your preferred move in date, there was quite a tight turn around between the last resident moving out and your move in. To add to this, we completely hold our hands up as we can see that there was a couple of days delay our side in getting the works required approved before your move in, meaning that works were then completed by a contractor, leaving our inventory checks and your move in taking place on the same day. At this point our property inspector reported that the clean instructed before your move in was not up to our standard. This did regrettably mean you moving in to a home that wasn’t quite up to scratch. We can see that another contractor was then sent out the same week to do another clean. All other non-urgent works reported since moving in should be fixed within 30 days. I can see that James, our Team Leader has been monitoring this closely and is in continual contact with you to keep you updated. Please be assured that James is doing everything in his power to get any outstanding works completed for you as soon as possible.As James has also discussed over the phone, we apologise for any blunt emails you received. Since on-boarding a number of new staff around that time, feedback and further training has been given to ensure communication is warmer.We know that the above explanation doesn’t rectify or excuse the experience you have had so far but we hope it offers some explanation. We’re very sorry for the issues you have faced and we hope you see a great improvement moving forward.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotIs this legal?
This is a second review because we have been victims of Simple Life's dishonesty for a second time. Beware -- they may be no better than thieves! We applied for a rental, being transparent all along about the fact that we were moving from the United States to the UK. We had trouble from the start (see review entitled "Dishonest business") but were foolish enough to give them the opportunity to make things right. Only after paying the deposit were we told that they would not move forward with the rental agreement because we did not have our "right to rent" code yet. I explained that it would be available soon, and that this had all been communicated ahead of time to their management who didn't think it would be an issue. But the approvals people were firm: No Rental. Because their manager should have known to stop things before it got to this point, they rightly agreed to refund our deposit. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. It's been 3 months and I'm still waiting. Now they claim they issued the refund back in November, but I could find no record of it. Just to be sure, I contacted my bank and asked them to look into it and they confirmed absolutely that no payment came through.I've asked Simple Life to provide positive evidence in the form of a confirmation from the bank or someone showing that they submitted the payment request so we could trace the funds, and this is what I got back: "We don't get any confirmation from banks when sending payment all we get is that screenshot we sent [their internal dashboard presumably] and the fact that it hasn't bounced back means its been accepted at the details they have given. Theres [sic] sadly nothing more we can do from our end on this." I don't know who they sent my money too, but it sure wasn't me! And now they're unwilling to even look into it? I am now a UK resident and will be reviewing my legal right to the return of my deposit in full with the appropriate authorities.
Jennafer · 17 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Jennafer,Thank you for replying to our find reviewer request so we can locate your tenancy.We believe the team have been in regular contact with you and also gave an update late last week, We’re sad to see that you are unhappy with the services of Simple Life, particularly as the points you mention are outside of Simple Life’s control. Unfortunately it is a legal requirement for anyone renting in to UK to have a valid right to rent. From looking at correspondence, it was assumed by all parties that your right to rent would come through in time.Regarding the holding deposit refund we can confirm and prove that this was completed immediately. As you are aware, this has been escalated with the bank and they are investigating why the transaction did not reach your account, as we can see confirmation of payment on our records.The team will continue to keep you updated and we will do as much as we are able to our end to get this resolved.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotWe handed the keys back on the 31st…
We handed the keys back on the 31st December. We still haven’t heard anything about our deposit. I guess they leave it right until the ‘10th working day’ to get in touch.Updating this a few hours after leaving this review they decided to send us the deductions they would like to take from our deposit which like everyone else on here is a lot. In fact they want to take 50% of our deposit. They have also been sat on this information since the 2nd of January as per the dated pictures on the check out.Updating after simple life replied. Yes you had until the 15th but the check out was conducted on the 2nd I phoned and emailed after this and was told it had not yet been done. I have responded to the email asking you to pay the rest of my deposit but have still not had a response. Whilst this might seem a short amount of time to you, that is my money that I am owed and it shouldn’t be this difficult to get someone to get this sorted. The email was sent late Friday night so I didn’t have chance to get a response from the person that sent it then and still don’t have that response now.Update 17th JanDespite simple life’s response here to say that I now know when my deposit will be returned I do not know this information. After responding to the email on Friday asking them to lodge their deductions to the tenancy deposit scheme and follow up emails Monday and Tuesday as well as phoning they still haven’t done so. I just want my money back and to be done with the company.
Sheyna · 17 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Sheyna,Thank you for your review. We’re disappointed that you feel you needed to leave a 1 star review when we are within the given deadline of 15th Jan to get back to you with further information.We always aim to get back to people within 10 working days, however we do need to get the check-out conducted, the report reviewed and approved before we are able to contact you, to avoid any miscommunication. We have looked into your case and I’m pleased to see that a member of the team got back to you last week with confirmation on when you should receive your deposit.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotGreat service
Jade was the person I talked to, but I can only tell you good things. She was so friendly and helped me all the way through to get the house I was looking for, for so long! Process was very quick and I am very happy!
Ana · 21 December 2022
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for your review Ana!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotMatthew has been very helpful and so…
Matthew has been very helpful and so quick to respond, and a joy to email back and forth with.
Chloe · 17 September 2024
Agent replied · 22 October 2024
Thank you for your lovely feedback!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotMaureen jones
Just wanted to thank all the team for looking after me when l rented a lovely home from you they where all so friendly & professional all the way especially Ciara nothing was to much trouble she was so understanding & helpful lovely lady
Maureen · 26 February 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for your wonderful feedback Maureen!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotSTAFF VERY PROFESSIONAL!
I was dealing with Christine at simple life and couldn’t off asked for a better service. She was very fast, professional, efficient, understanding and friendly. She made communication, information sharing and the whole process of proceeding easy! Which is exactly how it should be.
KB · 24 February 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you so much for sharing with us!
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotGreedy, typical landlords
I was a tenant with Simple Life for over two years, passed every inspection they performed and kept the property clean to a high standard. We had persistent issues with plumbing and no one fixed it throughout our tenancy, the back garden very clearly had no drainage and despite us reporting that they were no help. And then at the end of our tenancy, they tried to charge us £1042 - our deposit was only £940! After going through mediation via TDS we luckily got part of the deposit back, but this company will try and take the full thing if you don’t fight back!
Liv · 10 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Liv,Thank you for providing us with identifiable information so that we can identify your tenancy.Unfortunately, we are unable to go into the details of your check out report in a public forum but we can confirm that we have reviewed the pictures taken at check out and the deductions proposed are both reasonable and required to bring the property back up to scratch. Please note that we have also allowed for fair wear and tear with some costs split for Simple Life to pay as the landlord share. We’re pleased to see that you followed the right procedure regarding any disputes for the TDS to act independently on your behalf to review the check out and make the final decision on deductions, therefore we trust that outcome is fair and reasonable for both parties.We can see you raised two plumbing issues during your tenancy, of which, one was fixed and closed within the expected timeframe. We can see the other item took longer than we would have liked to fix as it took a while to work out where the root cause of the problem was, however, this was completed as soon as were able to locate the problem. We cannot see any outstanding issues that have been raised on the maintenance reporting tool. We can also see that you raised a complaint about your garden during winter months, but when reviewed there was no concern of flooding. Please note, tenants are expected to look after and maintain their gardens during their tenancies, this includes re-seeding and aerating where required to ensure that the lawn is to the best of health following colder months.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotMan entering property without notice
Me and my partner had moved into this rented apartment and have some man turning up to our apartment without any notice given to us and if it wasn’t for our camera set up we would have never known.DisgustedThis response I had to my original response is false. The guy had let himself into our flat without our permission we only got to speak with him after he had entered our property and have no sms or email to notify us.
Ellie · 9 January 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Ellie,Thank you for raising your concerns with us.We have looked into our records and we can see that notice for the appointment was given to you via FixFlo, which also subsequently sends an email and SMS notification. The gas engineer also has provided evidence that a further reminder SMS was sent to you from them.If you do not wish for a visit to go ahead then you must contact us to make us aware of this. The gas engineer has reported that they managed to speak to you through the ring doorbell when attending the property and you provided access for them.If you would like to gain evidence of communication sent, please contact the team and we would be happy to supply this to you.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotBrilliant service…
Christine was amazing from start to finish, the house is fabulous and I'm sure my daughter and her 2 children will be very happy there, Thank you so much.
Caroline · 10 March 2024
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Caroline!
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotExcellent Top Level Service provided by…
Excellent Top Level Service provided by Jade Woodham throughout the whole process of dealings with Simple Life. I would recommend the Company to all Friends and Family. Helpful, informative and Cheerful service by Jade made the process of securing our next tenancy fun and enjoyable. Well Done Simple Life Homes.
Kevin · 9 June 2022
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thank you Kevin!
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotNice
Response has been swift so far.Communication line is open as well.I especially appreciate Jade Woodham who has been very helpful from the very first call I made to simplelifehomes. She's a good one👍
Folashade · 30 November 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Thanks Folashade!
★★★★★ 1/5
Trustpilot1 star too many.
If I could give it 0 stars, I would.We were due to move into our new ‘simple life’ home on Monday 27th November, on the Friday TWO DAYS BEFORE MOVE IN, they called to say we couldn’t move and would need to postpone to 4th December.When we called them back, they said ‘actually it’s 4th January’ - we explained we would be homeless in this time and have a 1 year old child. The woman on the phone, Jade Woodham, was one of the most disgusting, rude and insensitive people I’ve ever spoken with. Simply responding with ‘you’re not homeless until November 30th’I could go on and on about the contracts that were signed, the money handed over, the dates constantly changing along with their reasonings..Never again.Homeless at Christmas. What a disgrace.
Molly · 20 December 2023
Agent replied · 17 June 2024
Hi Molly,We’re really sorry you are in this situation. Unfortunately, the existing residents retracted their notice at the last minute. It is industry standard that residents are allowed to do this up to 24 hours before they are due to vacate the property. The landlord is not legally able to enforce an agreement or notice given by a resident to vacate so unfortunately we have our hands tied in this situation. We can see that an alternative home was offered to you by our team but this was declined and therefore a full refund was arranged on the same day. Again, we are very sorry that this has happened but we hope you can understand that we unfortunately have no control over this situation. We'd love to still help you to find your perfect home.
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.
