Every review we hold for the Manchester office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleVery disappointed with the service provided by this company. On entering the property they were letting there were crumbs on the kitchen counter! Making it appear no cleaning had been done prior to letting the apartment. In the context of COVID 19 this is appalling and represents a health risk to the incoming occupier. The freezer draw within the fridge was broken so causes everything to freeze in the fridge making it unusable! They have finally provided a repair date, 12 days after move in, after an inspection 5 days after move in concluded that indeed the freezer door was broken as stated on the move in inventory on day 1! The mailbox was broken (no lock). No key fob given, which allows entry to building and complex. On follow up via email, because they do not answer the phone, it appears they knew about the mailbox lock and fob and did not say anything about this when the keys were picked up. One week later a new fob has still not been received. I am beyond flabbergasted at the sheer lack of competence and service provided by this company. I would have grave concerns about using this company again in future if this is the level of service they provide.NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Value
Lisa · 21 June 2021
Agent replied · 20 June 2024
Hi Lisa, whilst we of course value feedback from our tenants and customers, we are disappointed to hear what you have to say. Unfortunately though, we are unable to locate your name in our system so therefore cannot identify the issue. If you would like to discuss this and advise us on the matter, please call our Property Management Centre on 0161 669 4982 so we can investigate. Thank you.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI was renting a flat from them and throughout the 1 and a half years I've stayed at the place I've expirienced nothing but issues from the agency.
They were well aware that I was moving across country and said everything will be ready on the day I come down after doing the "express" process. Only to find out that I cannot pick up the key right away as they still did not have it, which left me with a vehicle full of personal items and an hour before first day at a new position. Took them hours, and only after lunch were I able to get the key.
After getting to the property I've noticed few things were either missing or were not CLEARLY mentioned i.e. washing machine being shared per floor. Granted they've did mention that in one of the later emails (pretty sure it was upon signing of the contract which leaves you with a little choice when you and they know that you're in a hurry), so it's my oversight - would have been nice to know these things from the get go.
Fast forward a few months, heavy winds damage some part of a roof which leads to a horrible leak in my flat. I poured buckets of water out of my kitchen while it was flooding in through sockets and any other entrances it could find. First thing I've done was contact Ascend about it where I was told that they cannot do anything about it as it's not their problem. Lovely. Any suggestions of changing the property due to the damage was shut down by them though stating that nothing bad has happened and it could be all repaired. Yeah if you're willing to have large industrial fans running to dry out the place for the next 4-6 weeks. Best of all they bearly did anything, if you exclude the increase electricity cost.
Another great display of professionalism was when one of their agents entered my property WITHOUT notifying me prior to it. Unlucky for them I was in. Must have felt really stupid having to walk out, close the door and knock on it after realizing their mistake. Someone needs to be retrained and informed of laws they should be abiding.
Finally leaving me with the most recent issue, my attempts to terminate the contract early. Granted I understand that fines etc apply due to what I'm requesting. The greater issue lied with the fact that during COVID they expect you to fork out all of the costs without any leanancy (2x rent + costs of putting the property up on the market). I've informed them about the situation where I had to move back due to being made redundant - and best I was offered was "maybe we can reduce your rent". Not helpful when you get placed in a new position across the country. It was a real shame, as I stupidly extended my contract 26 days before finding out that I'll be dropped and will have to move.
All in all, poor expirience. They were extremly "helpful" and "nice" when it came down to sorting out the documents and getting me to sign the contract. But that's only because it's in their personal benefit, soon as that's done they couldn't care less about you. That's why I'll NEVER use them again, and I'll forver tell others not to use them.NegativeProfessionalism
Patryk · 21 June 2021
Agent replied · 20 June 2024
Thank you for your feedback, we are continually striving for excellence so we welcome any chance to improve our customer service levels.
We do apologise there was a slight delay with you obtaining the actual keys for your apartment and can fully appreciate how frustrating this would have been with the added stress of such a big move. Every effort was being made by our team to ensure your property’s final checks and preparation were expedited in order to have the property ready in advance of you moving in, so to miss this by just a few hours is regrettable.
The washing machines are present on each floor of the development located in the communal areas for residents to use, this is something that would have been mentioned both; on the viewing itself and during the move in process.
No one can foresee a leak, especially one caused by extreme weather, so it is just an unfortunate fact that you were affected by this during your tenancy. It is a completely independent company who has the responsibility to arrange repairs for the building, not Ascend, this is something you would have been advised of at the time, but we do apologise if you have taken this as some sort of fob off. Rest assured everything from our part that could be done to assist tenants in terms of chasing the works was being done by your property manager, which is evident by the updates that were communicated to you at the time.
No visit to the property should be carried out without 24 hours’ prior notice, so I am at a loss as to why you hadn’t received any form of notification before the stated event, thank you for bringing this to our attention we will look into this internally.
When you contacted Ascend to discuss ending your tenancy earlier than the fixed term you had signed to, we communicated the options available to you with clarity and continued to work with you to secure a replacement tenant. We feel you were offered professional assistance in this matter with our prime focus to ensure no further liability was assigned to you than needed.
Should you wish to discuss any of the issues you have raised within your review, please don’t hesitate to contact Ascend and we would be happy to discuss further.
We wish you well and hope you have now settled into your new home.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleIn short: AVOID THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IS MY OPINION FROM MY EXPERIENCE.
*In your(Ascend) reply below, i notice you guys lied on more than one occasion. I will address this shortly. I also tried to call the number you said to call to discuss further, no one picked up. i called 5 times*
Details of why:
Recently moved out of a property managed by Ascend. Terrible venture, slow to action anything. Requested some works be done on the property before moving in which was agreed upon, goes without saying, nothing was done when I moved in. Had to fight(email) them to get it done.
Not very responsive to anything maintenance, had to chase my property managers via email and telephone to get anything done and when that doesnt work, Im left to go and confront them in their head office.
Notified and indirectly requested further works to be complete as wasnt possible to be maintained by myself due to their poor painting wearing off and causing mould in the toilet, no action was taken. Now at the end of my tenancy, they're trying to deduct the cost of it from my deposit. Absolutely not having it.
To top it all off, I moved out a couple months early as my partner and I are due to have a baby and wanted to get a larger place together. Was denied an early break to the contract. Fair enough, I'm not entitled to one.
Being legally binded to the property until my tenancy end date, I continued to pay for an empty property. Decided to go back this month(June) to see if I had any letters only to find that they've moved someone new in there without my knowledge whilst I just paid for the month. Relatively certain they wouldnt have notified me of this and taken my rent and the new tenants to double their/landlords take home this month.
Now been a week and the overpaid rent hasn't been returned to me. Still chasing everyday and have to fight to get my deposit back in whole despite leaving the property as a whole in better and cleaner condition than I found it.
If you review there reviews well, as an analyst. You can see they're receiving a lot of 1/No stars over a 1 year period. Clearly the quality of their service has dropped and that 3.8star average rating is not an accurate representation in this instance.
If no stars were possible on these reviews, I'm sure they'd have quite a few.
Again - AVOID THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCESNegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Ola · 21 June 2021
Agent replied · 20 June 2024
Hello Ola,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us some feedback. Whilst we value all comments left by our customers, we are disappointed to hear that your experience hasn’t been completely positive.
Works requested by you to be completed to the property were discussed with the landlord and then a contractor was instructed to complete. Whilst we sincerely apologise if you were unhappy with the time taken to complete works, we did ensure works were instructed and completed as soon as practically possible. To note, you moved in at the height of the pandemic during 2020 where reduced contractors were available.
In relation to you vacating the property early, you contacted Ascend in March to advise you were vacating and that your friend was to move in to replace you. We were unable to reach your friend and confirmed the same to you. We received an email from you on the 14th April to confirm you couldn’t reach him either and said it would be great if Ascend could secure a tenant to replace you instead.
Ascend then advertised the property and arranged for a new tenant to move in. Following them moving in we contacted you in relation to your checkout inspection, a refund of overpaid rent was also arranged.
As Ascend secured a replacement tenant, ending your rent liability early and refunding your overpaid rent, we have completed your instruction to secure a replacement tenant for you. I’m therefore unsure why you would be unhappy with the service received from Ascend in relation to this.
If you would like to discuss this with us further, we’d like to know what we could do to improve our service. Please get in touch with your Property Manager directly or call our Property Management Centre on 0161 669 4982.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleAs many have commented on here, this company is awesome when you sign on with them but are the extreme opposite at check out. They drag the process along, dont respond to emails, ignore requests for information, dont tell you when you'll get your money back and have a general lack of respect for you as a human being. I have been renting for 10yrs and have never had such a horrible experience. I would never use them again and will definately be discouraging my sister who had planned to view properties with them. Stay away from this companyNegativeResponsiveness, Professionalism
Lolo · 21 June 2021
Agent replied · 20 June 2024
Hi Lolo, whilst we of course value feedback from our tenants and customers, we are disappointed to hear what you have to say. Unfortunately though, we are unable to locate your name in our system so therefore cannot identify the issue. If you would like to discuss this and advise us on the matter, please call our Property Management Centre on 0161 669 4982 so we can investigate. Thank you.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleDO NOT RENT WITH ASCEND!!!!
This company has caused us unnecessary stress right from the beginning. They do not reply to emails, the do not return phone calls and their customer service is beyond a joke. They are honestly some of the most incompetent bunch of people I have ever had the displeasure of communicating with. They will pluck up figures and dates from thin air that do not make sense and will not explain their self as they themselves do not know what they are talking about. They breach their own contracts and then have the audacity to claim that they can get away with what they are doing is because it is stated in the contract. Do us all a favour and take your money elsewhere, it is not worth the stress and putting yourself through this nightmare. My complaint is going to be escalated to the Ombudsman due to their negligence, disrespect and abysmal service all round. If I could give 0 or minus stars I would. Don't listen to the positive reviews, they pay you for them. I will be more than happy to show anyone all the evidence I have against them as proof of incompetent and unprofessional behaviour.NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Sarah · 21 June 2021
Agent replied · 20 June 2024
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your feedback, we would accept that there were some complications during your tenancy. Unfortunately errors can occur where several people have to be moved in and out the same property during the period of a tenancy, especially when you factor in people attempting to move before funds had been paid or any contract signed. The property managers at Ascend, along with the referencing team have worked extremely hard to work through any problems that occurred, they have likewise tried to offer a resolution acceptable to all parties. We have however provided a copy of our complaints procedure should you wish to raise a formal complaint.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleStayed with Ascend for two years despite having issues the first time around and gave them the benefit of the doubt. They don't respond to emails or help with repairs like they agree to in the contract and the only time I had friendly service was when I physically went to their offices. Fought hard to get deposit back first time round and now having to go through court to get the second years deposit back. shocking service.NegativeQuality, Professionalism
Emma · 26 August 2021
Agent replied
Hello Emma
Thank you for this feedback, it’s extremely positive to hear about the friendly service you have received at our offices. We do work diligently to ensure all communication is both; consistent and responded to in reasonable timeframes, but we’re sorry if you experienced anything other than this during your time with us. We have a hugely successful maintenance portal in place for all tenants to ensure reported issues are dealt with in the most expeditious and efficient manner possible, so we’re unsure why you have felt you have had such limited help on repairs, likewise I have been unable to source any such concerns connected to the property you vacated, but if you provide more information we’d be happy to investigate this further for you. All deposits are fully protected in the Tenancy Deposit Scheme who provide their own dispute service should a vacating tenant dispute any dilapidations proposed by their property manager, so I’m unsure why you believe you’ve had to fight to receive this, it’s generally a smooth process with fair adjudication. We have no open court case accredited to either property you have rented through us, but we do wish you well for which ever company you have taken to task.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleIn short: AVOID THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IS MY OPINION FROM MY EXPERIENCE.
Details of why:
Recently moved out of a property managed by Ascend. Terrible venture, slow to action anything. Requested some works be done on the property before moving in which was agreed upon, goes without saying, nothing was done when I moved in. Had to fight(email) them to get it done.
Not very responsive to anything maintenance, had to chase my property managers via email and telephone to get anything done and when that doesnt work, Im left to go and confront them in their head office.
Notified and indirectly requested further works to be complete as wasnt possible to be maintained by myself due to their poor painting wearing off and causing mould in the toilet, no action was taken. Now at the end of my tenancy, they're trying to deduct the cost of it from my deposit. Absolutely not having it.
To top it all off, I moved out a couple months early as my partner and I are due to have a baby and wanted to get a larger place together. Was denied an early break to the contract. Fair enough, I'm not entitled to one.
Being legally binded to the property until my tenancy end date, I continued to pay for an empty property. Decided to go back this month(June) to see if I had any letters only to find that they've moved someone new in there without my knowledge whilst I just paid for the month. Relatively certain they wouldnt have notified me of this and taken my rent and the new tenants to double their/landlords take home this month.
Now been a week and the overpaid rent hasn't been returned to me. Still chasing everyday and have to fight to get my deposit back in whole despite leaving the property as a whole in better and cleaner condition than I found it.
If you review there reviews well, as an analyst. You can see they're receiving a lot of 1/No stars over a 1 year period. Clearly the quality of their service has dropped and that 3.8star average rating is not an accurate representation in this instance.
If no stars were possible on these reviews, I'm sure they'd have quite a few.
Again - AVOID THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
Ola · 11 June 2021
Agent replied
Hello Ola,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us some feedback. Whilst we value all comments left by our customers, we are disappointed to hear that your experience hasn’t been completely positive.
Works requested by you to be completed to the property were discussed with the landlord and then a contractor was instructed to complete. Whilst we sincerely apologise if you were unhappy with the time taken to complete works, we did ensure works were instructed and completed as soon as practically possible. To note, you moved in at the height of the pandemic during 2020 where reduced contractors were available.
In relation to you vacating the property early, you contacted Ascend in March to advise you were vacating and that your friend was to move in to replace you. We were unable to reach your friend and confirmed the same to you. We received an email from you on the 14th April to confirm you couldn’t reach him either and said it would be great if Ascend could secure a tenant to replace you instead.
Ascend then advertised the property and arranged for a new tenant to move in. Following them moving in we contacted you in relation to your checkout inspection, a refund of overpaid rent was also arranged.
As Ascend secured a replacement tenant, ending your rent liability early and refunding your overpaid rent, we have completed your instruction to secure a replacement tenant for you. I’m therefore unsure why you would be unhappy with the service received from Ascend in relation to this.
If you would like to discuss this with us further, we’d like to know what we could do to improve our service. Please get in touch with your Property Manager directly or call our Property Management Centre on 0161 669 4982.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleDo yourself a favour and do not do business with this agency.
I have reported a water leak 6 months ago and they have still not fixed it. I have been calling and emailing but they use the excuse of "working from home" to not to get back to you. The damage caused by the leak is so huge that my flat is now unsanitary and even the walls in the leaving room are mouldy! The leak is coming from underneath the bath. They have not fixed the leak neither put the bath tiles, rather exposed me to a very humid, mouldy and unhealthy environment in which I have been trapped for 6 months! Thankfully I am now getting the Council involved!
A disgrace of a company! I pay £795/month for a one bedroom flat and their service is non-existent! Not even the decency to reply to emails or return calls!
Check the attached pictures for proof and please do not use this agency.
PS: when I moved in the agency asked me to give them a review and said they would reduce the "check-in" fees by £15, so do not believe the good reviews they were bought!!
De · 12 May 2021
Agent replied
Ms De Bartolo
We are extremely sorry to learn of your unhappiness with the service you have received so far, we usually take great pride in the high standards we set for all our tenants. I assure you that we are equally frustrated with how long this repair has taken, I hope you can appreciate however that leaks are very complex issues, especially where the origin is found to be outside of your apartment meaning our team must co-ordinate with Block Management and their contractors. Your property manager is diligently chasing progress on your behalf and I will get him to provide you with a full update on this. We also apologise if you have experienced any slower than usual response times, but we humbly ask for your continued patience and understanding as we, not unlike any other business, are unavoidably impacted by the ongoing pandemic.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleAVOID AT ALL COST! ⚠️ Ascend is single handedly the biggest mistake I’ve made in the Uk by miles. Moved into a property they manage and had to live through winter November till date (almost the end of March) without heating in the apartment. Called and sent tons of emails and it all fell on deaf ears - with the constant excuse of waiting on the landlord to give permission for them to change the heaters. Now this was after they’ve sent over 3 engineers who confirmed the radiators were knackered and gave them quotes for replacement. Bear in mind I never owed a months rent.
Had the bathroom floor sunken from wet and rotten wooden floor under the bathroom carpet, reported this when I moved in and till today not even a single person has come to inspect this.
Further more the wooden window frames were rotten and the metal handles were broken - this left the windows in the room slightly ajar all the time. I reported this problem almost immediately I moved in, in the first week November 2020 and up until, the metal handles fell off in March 2021 nothing has still been done.
Called and called, sent emails and barely got replies - and when I got a reply, 8/10 was always either someone who has no clue what they’re doing and wants to transfer you to another person (who won’t be available to speak) or an unbelievably rude knob behind the line, can’t forget one Luke from finance - the guy an absolute joke.
Ebuka · 3 April 2021
Agent replied
Thank you for your review. I am sorry to hear our service levels have not met our usual high standards on this occasion.
Unfortunately the heating system within the property is aged and whilst repair options were looked into and various tests run, you were provided with alternative heating via portable electric panel heaters.
After repairs took place and the system still wasn’t working, quotes were obtained for a replacement modern heating system for the apartment. As you can imagine, this is both costly and can take some time. We were asked by the landlord to provide various quotes and options so he could make the best decision on how to proceed.
The landlord had another discussion with two of the contractors who quoted last night and has now made a decision on how to proceed. We are just waiting for the final costings to be confirmed. Once confirmed, the heaters and parts will be ordered and we will ensure these are installed as quickly as possible.
We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleNot suitable for solo female renters - my friend was recently burgled whilst living at The Gate in Meadowside. The ordeal was extremely traumatic which resulted in my friend having to negotiate with the intruder to leave to which she was assaulted. Ascend have been so horrendous in their approach in managing this matter and have gone as far as to charge my friend for the letterbox keys which were stolen in the burglary. Shocking. Avoid avoid avoid.
Ryan · 14 June 2024
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleAbsolutely fantastic company, really easy to work with and fantastic service.
Ryan dealt with me personally, I seen the apartment on the thursday, I viewed it on the friday, and moved in the following friday! Ryan was fantastic and catering to our needs, and was incredible and sealing the deal and ensuring we were able to move in when we requested.
Fantastic company, will certainly be recommending to my friends.
Thank you Ryan,
Jake · 9 July 2015
★★★★★ 1/5
GooglePLEASE READ. When I entered into the tenancy agreement with Ascend, their agent tried to illegally induce me into a 3rd party service by saying I was obligated under the terms of my tenancy agreement which I later was informed was a bogus claim and received a formal apology from their Commercial Manager about. At the end of my tenancy, Ascend is attempting to steal my bond by making a plethora of bogus claims about the condition of their property which is entirely false and can easily be proven so. DO NOT RENT WITH ASCEND they will try and trick you into 3rd party services then at the end of the tenancy attempt to steal your bond. I will provide evidence upon request of all the claims I have made here so you know I am not making this up.
UPDATE: Ascends reply seeks to make it look like there was a misunderstanding re 3rd party services. This is further deceptive conduct as there was no misunderstanding, their staff lied about my obligation under my tenancy agreement to sign up for a 3rd party service as she was to receive a commission for doing so. AVOID
Mikemoseley · 30 December 2020
Agent replied · 30 December 2023
We apologise if there was any misunderstanding upon you signing your tenancy agreement. The agreement does confirm the electricity supplier and that we will share your details with them however, you can opt out of us doing this by letting us know. When we share your details to set up your utilities, you are free to change supplier at any time and aren’t signed in to any contract or fixed term.
Upon vacating the property there were areas not left in the same clean condition you received the property in. A deduction was therefore made to your deposit to cover the cost of the cleaner attending. You have agreed to this deduction and the balance of your deposit return has been processed.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleAscend properties have just oversaw our renting of our new property and they made it super easy and where very helpful. Everything was quick and clear. The gentlemen Adam that took us round our viewing was very professional and was able to answer all our questions. Overall 5 star experience and will use them again if i ever need to find a new property!
Adam · 30 December 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleMost terrible renting experience in lifetime
1. On the 3rd day we moved in, we saw alive mouse in bathroom and DEAD mouse in the kitchen.
We found mice on Saturday night then found emergency pest control company on early Sunday morning for repairing the holes otherwise my girlfriend couldn’t even stop shaking and go outside of the living room. They didn’t inform us beforehand of the ongoing serious pest problem and didn’t fix the holes at all before we moved in even though previous pest control tools have indicated they knew about this. Also, there were a lot mice droppings in the kitchen, under sofa and behind the wardrobe.
The property manager insisted it’s not emergency and we should’ve waited till Monday for reporting even when she knew my girlfriend had a strong phobia for rodents.Not to mention pest as rodents carry a lot bacteria which makes safety and health in danger.
2. After we moved in we found the blinds were missing pieces, we reported it and now have been waiting a week for repair. Everyday we are woken up by lights through the window in bedroom. The problem should be solved when they conducted the inventory review however it’s been overlooked. And now it’s us who suffer from their unprofessional work.
3. We had bad communication with the staff from Ascend. During discussing the rodents problem, the staff has been very contradicting in emails and avoided answering our calls. When we are waiting for the further repairs as promised, she asked us to send the pictures of holes which we sent days ago to her in the first email reporting the problem.
In addition, there are many problems before we moved in. For example, 1 day before my girlfriend’s previous lease contract was going to expire and when we already signed contract for Ascend’s flat with a specific date, they informed us we couldn’t move in the current place on time because of some problems they should have solved before they decided to sign the contract with the agreed move in date. Also other matters like different quotation for deposit from 2 different staff, informing us to view a different apartment when we already arrived at the property for viewing.
We want to say to Ascend, please find more capable people in your company. You are managing homes for tenants, please be professional otherwise it’s our lives being disturbed and disappointed.
We have been renting places to live from 4 letting agents and never given any bad reviews. This letting agent, at least from what we know, is unacceptably terrible. Please avoid renting from Ascend if you want an easier life as a tenant.
Nathan · 30 December 2020
Agent replied
We are disappointed to learn you have been dissatisfied by the service provided by Ascend, I can assure you we take all negative feedback very seriously.
It’s regrettable that you have discovered a mouse inside the apartment, we fully appreciate how this can be a somewhat unpleasant experience. Rest assured the building manager for the development does arrange regular treatments against pests both; within the communal areas and immediately outside the building, it’s just unfortunate that with your property being a converted mill, there is a marginal increased risk of pests
As explained by your property manager at the time, whilst we understand your want to instruct your own private pest control treatment, this was done without prior authorisation, as a result this negates any guarantee of the landlord covering the costs. Ascend operate a 24 hour emergency phone line and had you opted to contact the out of hours team, they would have been able to advise on the best course of action.
You presented the invoice post completion of the treatment requesting for full reimbursement from the landlord for the visit, however understandably you landlord agreed only to make payment for a standard treatment, a decision which they based off local council rates. We are sorry in this instance that your landlord chose to exercise their right to refuse to pay the full amount of the emergency private treatment, but as this wasn’t authorised through the correct channels, our hands are tied.
Positively your property manager facilitated for a contractor to visit to complete the pest prevention treatment, along with the additional cleaning and other works you had requested. We can also confirm that a contractor has already attended to measure for a replacement blind and submitted a quote which has since been provided to the landlord for approval, once we receive this the blinds will be ordered and fitted. We hope this goes someway to making up for your experience and don’t hesitate to contact your property manager if you require anything further.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI wanted to view a couple of flats (to rent) with Ascend, I was booked in for two video viewings by Claudia who was really friendly and had a great phone manner. She called me back to move them to the next day as they were busy which was fine however, the next day I didn't hear anything further and never received any videos. I've tried to call the Manchester lettings office multiple times over the space of 4 working days and every time it rings out. A worrying sign for if you'd end up being a tenant with them and also disappointing for the landlords who have missed out on viewings. I also tried live chat, which you don't get a response from either.NegativeResponsiveness
Christie · 11 November 2020
Agent replied
Hi Christie, I am sorry to hear that your virtual viewing requests have not been followed up and you have not been updated along the way. I can see that both properties have ongoing access issues which the Property Management team are attempting to resolve. If you are still in the market, please contact me directly via email to Lettings@ascendproperties.com (FAO Rob) and I will personally ensure you receive the service of which we are renowned for.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleAVOID AVOID AVOID. Tried to illegally induce me into a 3rd party contract for switching services at the beginning of my tenancy by lying about the fact I was obligated to do so and had no choice under the terms of my tenancy agreement. Cannot reach anyone at the office no one ever answers, and now they are attempting to steal my bond at the end of the tenancy for false claims about the condition of items in the unit. AVOID AVOID AVOID
Kaori · 29 October 2020
Agent replied
Hi Kaori, apologise if there was any misunderstanding upon you signing your tenancy agreement and have also responded to your fellow tenant. The agreement does confirm the electricity supplier and that we will share your details with them however, you can opt out of us doing this by letting us know. When we share your details to set up your utilities, you are free to change supplier at any time and aren’t signed in to any contract or fixed term.
Upon vacating the property there were areas not left in the same clean condition you received the property in. A deduction was therefore made to your deposit to cover the cost of the cleaner attending. You have agreed to this deduction and the balance of your deposit return has been processed.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI was renting a flat from them and throughout the 1 and a half years I've stayed at the place I've expirienced nothing but issues from the agency.
They were well aware that I was moving across country and said everything will be ready on the day I come down after doing the "express" process. Only to find out that I cannot pick up the key right away as they still did not have it, which left me with a vehicle full of personal items and an hour before first day at a new position. Took them hours, and only after lunch were I able to get the key.
After getting to the property I've noticed few things were either missing or were not CLEARLY mentioned i.e. washing machine being shared per floor. Granted they've did mention that in one of the later emails (pretty sure it was upon signing of the contract which leaves you with a little choice when you and they know that you're in a hurry), so it's my oversight - would have been nice to know these things from the get go.
Fast forward a few months, heavy winds damage some part of a roof which leads to a horrible leak in my flat. I poured buckets of water out of my kitchen while it was flooding in through sockets and any other entrances it could find. First thing I've done was contact Ascend about it where I was told that they cannot do anything about it as it's not their problem. Lovely. Any suggestions of changing the property due to the damage was shut down by them though stating that nothing bad has happened and it could be all repaired. Yeah if you're willing to have large industrial fans running to dry out the place for the next 4-6 weeks. Best of all they bearly did anything, if you exclude the increase electricity cost.
Another great display of professionalism was when one of their agents entered my property WITHOUT notifying me prior to it. Unlucky for them I was in. Must have felt really stupid having to walk out, close the door and knock on it after realizing their mistake. Someone needs to be retrained and informed of laws they should be abiding.
Finally leaving me with the most recent issue, my attempts to terminate the contract early. Granted I understand that fines etc apply due to what I'm requesting. The greater issue lied with the fact that during COVID they expect you to fork out all of the costs without any leanancy (2x rent + costs of putting the property up on the market). I've informed them about the situation where I had to move back due to being made redundant - and best I was offered was "maybe we can reduce your rent". Not helpful when you get placed in a new position across the country. It was a real shame, as I stupidly extended my contract 26 days before finding out that I'll be dropped and will have to move.
All in all, poor expirience. They were extremly "helpful" and "nice" when it came down to sorting out the documents and getting me to sign the contract. But that's only because it's in their personal benefit, soon as that's done they couldn't care less about you. That's why I'll NEVER use them again, and I'll forver tell others not to use them.
Patryk · 9 October 2020
Agent replied
Thank you for your feedback, we are continually striving for excellence so we welcome any chance to improve our customer service levels.
We do apologise there was a slight delay with you obtaining the actual keys for your apartment and can fully appreciate how frustrating this would have been with the added stress of such a big move. Every effort was being made by our team to ensure your property’s final checks and preparation were expedited in order to have the property ready in advance of you moving in, so to miss this by just a few hours is regrettable.
The washing machines are present on each floor of the development located in the communal areas for residents to use, this is something that would have been mentioned both; on the viewing itself and during the move in process.
No one can foresee a leak, especially one caused by extreme weather, so it is just an unfortunate fact that you were affected by this during your tenancy. It is a completely independent company who has the responsibility to arrange repairs for the building, not Ascend, this is something you would have been advised of at the time, but we do apologise if you have taken this as some sort of fob off. Rest assured everything from our part that could be done to assist tenants in terms of chasing the works was being done by your property manager, which is evident by the updates that were communicated to you at the time.
No visit to the property should be carried out without 24 hours’ prior notice, so I am at a loss as to why you hadn’t received any form of notification before the stated event, thank you for bringing this to our attention we will look into this internally.
When you contacted Ascend to discuss ending your tenancy earlier than the fixed term you had signed to, we communicated the options available to you with clarity and continued to work with you to secure a replacement tenant. We feel you were offered professional assistance in this matter with our prime focus to ensure no further liability was assigned to you than needed.
Should you wish to discuss any of the issues you have raised within your review, please don’t hesitate to contact Ascend and we would be happy to discuss further.
We wish you well and hope you have now settled into your new home.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleThis lot put a dear friend and colleague under unparalleled amounts of stress. Their ability or lack of in dealing with issues was startling. My suggestion would be to rebrand. Ascend should be descend, I rest my case.
Viva · 22 September 2024
Agent replied · 22 October 2024
Hello Viva,
Thank you for your review and I'm sorry that your friend's experience has not been positive. Unfortunately we have been unable to locate you or your friend on our systems so have been unable to contact you to discuss your review. We welcome your friend to contact our Ascend Team so we can discuss further.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleHad a great experience with Adam Fairhurst. Super transparent and friendly throughout the whole process. Really quick to respond - within 5 minutes of emailing him, pushed to get things moving for us, and made sure we had answers to everything as soon as possible. Really appreciated the support, made the whole process much smoother!
Kay · 12 April 2025
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleThey are legally ripping off the tenants. We had many issued during our stay in the property but no actions were taken for them. Briefly, the property parking is not secured at all. I had a break inn into my car that cost me 2 days off work and repair of car total loss (£400). Despite, highlighted security issue to management, all I was told to call police if you have any issues. The property I was living in have mould issues which causes some defects in the property such as bath sealant decolour, my own furniture’s (loss £100) was affected due to mould. I have highlighted this to Ascend many times but no action was taken. Despite of highlighting and telling them that my wife is Asthmatic and I have new born baby they completely put that on us and was told to keep windows open for the ventilation in peak winters (dec-feb). Though we do open the windows everyday for the fresh air circulation but it was not possible to leave it open at all time in cold weather. To save our self and property we have installed the dehumidifier and run it 24/7 which cost us a lot in terms of electricity bills. Despite have all this loses while staying in the property, at this COVID-19 period when we asked to keep the contract rolling so that we do not have to move out from the property at this critical time as our contract was about to finish we been told that new tenant have signed the tenancy, therefore, if you want to stay in the property you have to sign 12 month tenancy further with us. Though they are well aware that we have concerns about the property and we will be moving out, but they were completely not helpful and I have to move out with my 4 months old son at this critical time. Despite everything, I am charged £132 as cleaning fee of which many items listed in report was not our fault (mould issues which was highlighted to Ascend in advance) or was there since we moved in. Above all we been charged £120 moving out fee as well, can't understand for what reason, whereas, I was in loop that that fee will be put down in the finishing of property (light cleaning) when tenant moves out but it is not like this that move out fee is taken as a punishment that one is moving out from the property. I have never heard of any company that charge moving out fee in my 10 years stay in UK and occupying many properties in this time. The only fee estate agent charged was moving in commission or damage to property cost but Ascend above all ripping off in all sense (moving in fees, tenancy extension fees and at end check out fee). I would surely not recommend this company to anyone based on my experience with them. If one is paying that much money for no reason than it is not wrong to ask in return services such as security, dealing with defects in time and show some professionalism and humanity as the entire world is offering help in this critical time but they left us with only option to leave the property as they were unwilling to sign rolling contract at the end of tenancy though they been told that it is hard to get the new property in this critical time. If someone want to sign the agreement with them, sign at your own risk of losing money and comfort.NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value
Sumra · 21 June 2020
Agent replied · 20 June 2024
Thank you for your review and I am sorry to learn that you have been dissatisfied with your experience renting through Ascend.
Although we empathise with how traumatic a car break in can be, this incident happened whilst your car was parked at the development. Ascend do not manage the car park or have any influence over the security of it, as this is managed by an independent company. We endeavoured to assist you by providing the details for the management company you would need to speak to and by offering advice to report the incident to the police and your insurance company to protect your interests.
Upon you reporting excess moisture in the property, a contractor was instructed and attended to investigate the issue. The contractor’s report advised the excess moisture was as a result of condensation building up down to cooking and drying clothes in the property without using adequate ventilation. The contractor provided you with helpful advice on how to reduce the condensation inclusive of opening windows and using extractor fans, further adding that if you were still experiencing the same problems, to use a dehumidifier. There was no structural or other issue with the property causing the moisture, and the condensation has not returned since you vacated the property.
We always welcome tenant feedback as we are constantly striving to improve our service levels, but I hope after reading this you can understand our position and why we are not at fault for your poor experience.
Regards
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThank you very much for the amazing service from Adam Stephenson and his team. It was my first time letting my lovely family home and they acted with due care and attention at all times, they were extremely responsive throughout the letting process and now the day to day management of the property. I know I am in safe hands and cannot compliment them enough
Richard · 10 November 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleCalled to enquire and ask a few questions, to which the gentleman on the phone had no time for, answered my questions in an incredibly rude fashion, to such an extent I cancelled my viewing on the phone and will not be dealing with this agency by any means. Treating a genuine customer so poorly without and details or consideration was beyond me. I don't care what kind of a day he had, he should have taken a deep breath before he picked up the phone. Instead they have lost more business
I will recommend none of my contacts should ever use them. Too many decent agents to have someone feel they can do this when my past experiences with other companies have been sublime.
Wesley · 13 March 2020
Agent replied
Mr Degras
We were extremely shocked to hear of your experience in a branch so notorious for winning awards on its customer service, so we instructed the Quality Team to listen to the call for re-training. What struck us most is your accusation that questions were answered in ‘an incredibly rude fashion’, which is in direct contradiction to what you said to our Letting Agent, before dropping out of the call you said, ‘I understand you weren’t particularly rude’, this would suggest you have changed your opinion for this review. As this call is less than 5 minutes, we have provided a brief synopsis;
Once established which apartment you wanted to view you were asked for a preferred move in date, where you informed us ‘I know I’m looking ahead, but I’m looking really, I wanna be moved in by the beginning of December’ at which point you are told this was too early to be looking, but offered a viewing notwithstanding this with the proviso you understood it was ‘first come first serve’ meaning the apartment may not still be available come December, you explained your thought process was that you could put a security deposit down in 3 weeks then take another 3 weeks to arrange the flat move, where our Letting Agent tried to explain why this scenario wouldn’t work for the Landlord, advising they are ready for move-in now, so if you were to view the property tomorrow then lay down a holding deposit to move in December, no one can take the apartment for 3 months, adding there will be no rent collection and a void period for the Landlord. Suddenly your move in date changed, you say ‘I understand that at the same time, I don’t mind moving in sooner at the end of the day, in a sense I’m a free agent so I can move in when I want to move in that’s not an issue, if it’s available I can still move in, in four weeks I don’t care, very latest, latest by December’ you even suggested you could now move in tomorrow, when offered a viewing a second time based on this change of circumstances you chose not to proceed.
I’m not sure what more our Agent could have done to assist you in booking a suitable viewing, he was patient, knowledgeable and helpful.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleThings I had to deal with when dealing with Ascend include:
1. Them telling us the landlord has agreed to have something done, only to wait until we had moved in to say the landlord actually wouldn't do it.
2. A member of staff not acknowledging me at all when I went in to collect keys to the property with my (male) partner, by which I mean he actually handed *my* passport back to *my partner* and, when I asked him a question, addressed his response to my partner.
3. Repeatedly ignoring requests to change the lead tenant and telling us it didn't matter who the lead tenant was (which, to be honest, I have no problem believing that is true- but then why all the fuss about changing it, and why not *ask* before choosing who to assign as lead tenant?)
4. Only sending emails to my partner (the same partner who is apparently in charge of my passport) and not me, even after us telling them it was imperative that I received emails because my partner was not in the country and unable to access his emails at the time.
They also once offered us £50 off to leave them a good review, so make of that what you will.
Thankfully all of this was in writing (aside from the issue at the letting office) so I hope nobody is going to claim none of this ever happened. Dealing with these people took years off my life and if anyone from Ascend is reading this, I have zero desire to hear from you, no I don't want to discuss this any further and if you mysteriously "can't find me on your records", I don't care.
EDIT: As a response to the below, I don't know what tenancy you have located because A. I'm not currently letting through you or anyone related to you, this was all in the past, which would've been clear if you'd read it properly and B. In that case I'll consider consulting with someone about why every contract I signed referred to Ascend and only Ascend if I wasn't actually letting through you, not to mention how curious it is that my literal property manager was an Ascend employee. You're embarrassing yourselves and your apology means nothing.
Liv · 9 March 2020
Agent replied
Dear Liv,
Thank you for your review. I can confirm we have located your tenancy and you actually let the property through a Sub Agent, not Ascend, therefore we unfortunately cannot comment on their staff or any discussions that you had with them, although we will certainly inform them of your review and ask that an explanation is provided. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any feelings of dissatisfaction with the service received.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat help from Adam, was kind and professional and made the whole process easy. Thanks again Adam!
Tallulah · 6 April 2026
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.
