Walton Robinson reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Borderline theft, I got charged £90 per day for overstaying my tencey because I had covid and was bed bound, I had the choice of either breaking the law and be fined and but other and risk or pay a total of £450, additionally almost all of our deposit got taken, £240 of which cause the roof was almost caving in with pain coming off from repairs they did not acknowledge needed being done when we reported it, and petty things like charging £12 for having to retire light bulb cords. Unhelpful staff DON'T GO THERENegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Joe · 26 August 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

(Not a current tenant) but my girlfriend and I were looking for a place to move in and considered Walton Robinson. First of all, the agent was late to the viewing and the agent did not even have the correct keys for the building. Secondly, it doesn't seem like the current tenant even knew that we were coming for a viewing, it made the situation so awkward to go inside someone’s home without them knowing! The second property that they went to, the tenant was not there thankfully, however, it does not seem like that tenant was notified of the viewing too since huge sum of money was left on the table out in the open. The agent seemed like she did not know much of the houses since she herself was confused as to where it was! All in all, does not seem like a professional company and we definitely would not recommend anyone to proceed with them and we are glad that we did not.NegativeQuality, Professionalism, Value

Shabin · 26 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

My experience with WR can be divided into two sections. Investment followed by property management. Investment- As far as the sales(investment) department is concerned, my experience has been nothing but fabulous. Sophie was always on top of the updates. The process was very smooth and at the end of the process, when the developer was delaying the process of getting the lino work completed, she went above and beyond and contacted them to get it done. The same can be said about Katie. She was always nice and polite and the entire process finished within the anticipated timeframe. Once the exchange was completed(March 2018), the lettings department took over and started managing the property. Laura and Samantha are very good at communicating the facts. So far, the experience has been really good. Last but not the least, Matt, their financial advisor who was involved in getting the BTL mortgage as well as the insurance seems to be a very pleasant individual. I hope to write another review when the tenant at the property completes their lease term and I really hope to write a similar review. Thanks

ABHI · 30 July 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

At every stage of getting a house they messed up, and now I am paying ridiculous amounts for a bills package that doesn’t exist. I have debt collectors knocking on my door because WR couldn’t be arsed to set up gas and electric even though I paid them to. They then have the audacity to tell the landlord it’s our fault for not asking for a bills package, even though they request money from us for it. They are the worst agency I have ever been with, and just heartless swines.

Alfie · 15 August 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

To get a viewing itself was a hassle despite viewing slots being available for the accommodation. They did not even bother to take the right email on phone and you have to follow up multiple times for your own booking. Eventually, I managed to get a viewing after multiple calls. Booked a viewing and nobody turned up for it despite following up with the office multiple times. Waited there for 40 minutes and the company did not even have the courtesy to even inform me. The company is unprofessional. Avoid at all costs

Rowhan · 15 August 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I have been a tenant for 2 years with WR, and despite some good experiences, I cannot give the company any more than a 1 star. When first moving in 2020, I had been given the keys to a flat which was still occupied. After calling, the estate agent assured me they had been unable to contact the tenant for months and that they would send someone to collect their belongings. After moving things out into the hall, the current tenant arrived, explaining they had been trying for weeks to agree with WR an early move out date and had no communication from them. To make this clear, WR gave me a key to an occupied property then granted me permission to remove the belongings currently in there. Having spoke to other tenants in the building, it became clear the breach of safety was not an uncommon theme, where they provided another tenant in a different flat with no CRB checked with a master key for the entire duration of their tenancy (verified by testing in 2 other flat doors in the building). WR have advised this has been rectified when the keys were returned, but given the confusion by the agent on the phone I strongly disbelieve they understood what was going on. If you don't want your neighbours having a key to your flat as a bare minimum, think again before choosing this letting agent They have also not given adequate notice on numerous occasions for contractors to be entering the flat, no email notice for me to find my flat has been entered, new equipment installed and rubbish left throughout. WR have threatened tenants with legal action over the bin area, where there are 2 green bins and a skip for 18 flats (the skip is hijacked by takeaways but despite emails to WR they threaten to pass costs onto tenants for the condition of the area. WR took 5 weeks to restore hot water to my neighbours apartment, legally the timeframe is 48 hours for such services. She was left with no interim, and had to travel 45 minutes home to stay with her parents or use my shower. I asked for my tenancy to end one month early, and true to their form of not caring for tenants, this was dismissed pretty quickly, an email I believe to have been 'made up' as it only came after I chased for a response. My window broke in December 2021, emailed as I had been injured by this due to a metal wire snapping inside the frame and cutting my hand. This has not been fixed to date. I would strongly recommend against letting with WR in the city centre, and if anyone would like more information on my experience please reach out (members of the public, I'm not too bothered about a WR representative trying to justify the points above in a response).

Chris · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I am really relieved to see the number of poor reviews written about Walton Robinson and I can only echo what I have read. Walton Robinson do their best to take advantage of students whilst charging extortionate fees for that service. Whilst I personally had difficulties dealing with a number of the staff, my house's property manager was Amy Moore, so the majority of the criticism listed below is levelled towards her specifically. Here is a quick summary of the problems my housemates and I had dealing with Walton Robinson: 1. My housemate filed a complaint after Amy was confrontational and hung up during a phone call regarding rent payments. She later phoned and apologised for being unprofessional. 2. After vacating the premises, Walton Robinson did not reply to emails for over five weeks and would not discuss how long it would take for deposits to be returned. Amy later told me that she had been 'too busy' to reply to the emails. Whenever my housemates or I called Walton Robinson's offices, Amy was conveniently 'unavailable' or unable to take our phone calls. The calls and emails were never returned. 3. A number of damaged items were reported several times. They were not fixed or replaced. 4. Since Walton Robinson avoided communications and would not keep us updated on the returns of deposits, we eventually were forced to contact the TDS. The process to get the deposits returned can only be described as painful and I strongly feel that this would not have happened if we were not students. 5. The landlords that Walton Robinson work with are equal unscrupulous. My housemates and I were fined for blue tac marks on the wall, despite the fact that the entire house was being renovated, including the walls being completely stripped down and paint removed. There is a reason that Walton Robinson have been voted the worst estate agent in Newcastle. Avoid using this estate agent at all costs - particularly if you are a student at university.

Andrew · 31 December 2016

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

I have been a landlord in Newcastle for over 10 years. Throughout that time I have used a number of agents to both let and manage my property. I have been particularly impressed with Walton Robinson over recent years; they have consistently quickly found tenants and the managed service has improved beyond all recognition. Jo-Anne Lacewood is the current property supervisor of my property and she is first rate; proactive, efficient, friendly and capable. Living at the other end of the country, I am confident she looks after my property almost as good as I would were I in the area. Recommended.

Peter · 27 March 2014

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Great range of properties, but SWEAR that you will regret dealing with them. Firstly, they should rename the firm as a Marketing firm. Marketing is their core, investing a big sum of budget of advertising and luxury cars to chauffeur 'victims' around for their unethical business habits.

Andrew · 16 September 2016

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Told us a few months after signing for utility bills we couldn’t use that due to the type of meter. When finding the right package for our gas and electricity it told us we had a top up meter, something that was never disclosed when signing for the property. They still don’t know where it is even though I’m moving into the property tomorrow.. rang yesterday and they said they’d email me, they didn’t, rang today they said they’d call back at 2pm & it’s now 5pm. Our tenancy started 3 days ago and still yet to send our inventory as promised. Genuinely awful customer service.

Ben · 30 December 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Avoid at all costs, totally inefficient. I wish we had read the reviews before using this agency. They are slow to respond to problems and even slower to rectify them. At the end of the tenancy they delayed the final deposit 'negotiations' as long as possible and then were difficult and instransigent. Charged an extortionate sum for a final clean on what was a well cleaned house and then blamed the landlord for a refusal to reduce the amount. Any tenant should email throughout their tenancy and take photos of problems.NegativeResponsiveness, Professionalism, Value

Jane · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

If I could give them a zero, i would! Non professionals which do not attend to your needs and their customer service is horrible. To add to all that i was out of town when they had one of their viewings-as i am leaving them obviously!!- and the agent did not lock the door!! The property was unsafe for 4 days. The agents obviously did everything in their power to tell me that this was not them and the property was locked and that i was in the wrong. When i told them that this means i had a break in the they did not seem to care so much about it. They said that the viewing was cancelled but there were 3 that week and one obviously took place, the agent admitted so on the call. Criminal at least!!!! Would not recommend it to my worst enemy!NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Pellumb · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Awful lettings agency, I feel like one star is generous. Almost impossible to contact and even more difficult to get them to take any action when you do. No one accepts responsibility for anything and are so eager to pass any problem on to a different, equally ineffective, colleague. We were without a working boiler, in December\/January, for three weeks despite reporting the problem often. No working oven for over a month and we again reported it often. Our tenancy ended at the end of June and over two months later we have still not been returned the breakages deposit. I have called the office three times today and another ex-tenant has called six times. I have heard bad things about a lot of Newcastle student letting agencies but avoid Walton Robinson at all costs. They absolutely exploit students as they feel they canNegativeResponsiveness

Ryan · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I absolutely agree with the comments below. This company is a SCAM. I have been trying to get my deposit back for over two months now and not only have I not received it, they started to completely ignore my attempts to contact them and just ghosted me without any updates. Extremely unprofessional and very poor service. Definitely do not recommend. Update: My house has been cleaned and vacated but still each one of us has been charged 75£ under the label “DEEP CLEANING” which is a pathetic way to steal money. It costs 75-100£ tops to deep clean a house but this company scammed us 75*5= 375£ for it which is ridiculous. Now, they’ve ghosted all of us and haven’t returned any of the money yet. Such an unresponsive and unethical bunch of people.NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Akshath · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I would put 0 stars I could. My whole tenancy with Walton Robinson was a nightmare from the beginning to the end. On the day of my move in they asked me if I still wanted cleaners to come in and clean the place (which I obviously did) and because they hadn't sort it out on time I had to wait outside for two hours. Already off with a bad start. The building in the city centre I was living in had no front lock for two months. During the tenancy the building was infested at some point with COCKROACHES because of the state of the bin department as Walton Robinson provided a small bin for 20+ tenants and it was always overflowing. In the beginning of lockdown they were still trying to arrange viewings and insisted on arranging one last one even after I've told them I was living with someone shielding and didn't feel comfortable with it. Weeks before the end of my tenancy I contacted them about the broken light in my bathroom. The day I moved out it was still unfixed resulting in me being unable to do a proper clean as I had to do it in pitch darkness. Now I have moved out they are trying to charge me for the state of the bathroom in question and also for wear and tear. I could go on about more issues I've had with them for ages but the bottom line is: if you're a young person or a student stay well away from Walton Robinson as they will try to scam you on the account that you have no 'life experience'. If you're already with them all I can advise you is to take pictures of each issue in your property and keep a log of your conversations by email or phone. Not only they are rude, unprofessional and useless as letting agents but they will also try to rob you from your deposit at the end of your tenancy.NegativeProfessionalism

Elisa · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

After living in Jesmond for 2 years I have had to deal with this company. Throughout my tenancy they have lacked efficiency as well as professionalism. Time and time again they have failed to respond and act on requests that we have made, which is obviously extremely frustrating. I lived in the same house for two years and after my rent was increased in the second year the quality of services actually managed to get worse, whereby there was no action taken place upon any requests. We've just finished fighting for our deposit back, and the process has been extremely tedious, with horrendous response times and resulted in getting back a significantly reduced amount. I would stay as far away as possible from Walton Robinson, and suggest no one have any dealings with them if it can be avoided.NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Max · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

The company have managed to delete reviews by making new pages countless times! I used them in second year and they scammed us out of our deposit even going as far to change dates on invoices etc. I swore I would never use them again but unfortunately the flat I had already taken over for 3rd year was bought by them after I signed so it was taken out of my hands. The same happened again they've tried to charge everything they can , even for light bulbs which I replaced at the end of tenancy and have proof of purchase for. Currently taking them through TDS for the second time! Honestly they are not worth the hassle and have the worst representation in the north east. Never reply to emails and calls and you definitely won't get your deposit back. I moved out in July and the fight for any of my deposit is still on going in October.NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Melissa · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

0 stars if I could! Our property manager (gav) is absolutely useless, by the reviews the whole estate agency is but if looking at a property and he will be your manager then avoid!! We have lived here 7 months and for about 4 months our dishwasher has been out of use! When we first moved in the flat was filthy despite supposedly having a clean (we have photos of dust on the carpet about 2 inches thick so it hadn't even been hoovered!), the dishwasher was broke when we moved in so they hadn't even checked appliances, it took about 2 month for them to sort this and this was due to me phoning up everyday and a staff member named Anna sorting this out for me after gav neglected the situation. Then after a couple of month the dishwasher broke and has now been broken for 2 months. After nearly a month I managed to speak to Anna again who did get someone to come and check it but we were told it was under warranty so they would send someone out. A month later no replies from gav and still a broken dishwasher! Further to this, we were told we would have a new mattress when we moved in, this took a couple of months before gav sorted this. Gav also sent some decorators round to paint our living room wall a month after moving in (which should have been done before and was listed on the inventory as being done so they clearly hadn't even stepped foot in the place to have a look before we moved in nevermind cleaned the place!) and most importantly he did not inform me of these painters coming. So I had two men turn up in general clothing demanding to be let in to paint my wall, they told me I had to go in the bedroom and shut the door which was suspicious so I had to ring wr who had no idea of the situation but then decided it was their men. I'm pretty sure the law is that your tenants must be informed 24 hours before! So unprofessional! We are now going to try and get the details of our landlord because Walton Robinson are not solving any issues and we are very unhappy and I imagine the landlord has no idea this is going on and will also be very unhappy. Avoid WR, if we had checked the reviews before we would've stayed away, the only staff member who actually helps is Anna (5* to Anna, should get a pay rise since she has to fix everyone else's problems!) Update: we have moved out, never got the dishwasher fixed, 8 months they promised it would be replaced and it never was. They are also now trying to keep some of our deposit and one of the reasons was cleaning for which they sent us a picture of a washing machine that wasn't even ours! Be careful and check when they send you the inspection after leaving because they clearly try and scam people for money!NegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Charlotte · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Surprisingly just as throughout my tenancy I never received a phone call from Walton Robinson about my review. When discussing the return of my deposit they have been slow and when I asked for proof that the walls had been damaged they showed images that had no evidence of which room it was and there was also no damage just small marks which had been there before the tenancy. Just after lockdown started we received messages saying we owed them for the waterbill. 3 days later we received emails saying that we owe them £100 in late fees for this bill (the original bill was only £60). When we emailed they said it was an automated system but we later found out some people had not even been charged this bill... Honestly do not make the mistake we did by moving here, there are much nicer places in the area for about the same priceNegativeResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Rachel · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

!!STUDENTS DO NOT USE!! We have lived in a Walton Robinson property for three years, the only reason we stayed was that sadly the flat layout and space was the best we could find to suit our needs. They have let themselves into our property without authorization and communication on more than one occasion. When we rang and made complaints about this they claimed that they had emailed us and there must have been an issue with the emails, if this was the cause then why not fix it to stop the problem reoccurring? When we made complaints regarding the maintenance they were never taken seriously even after people had been out to view the issue. this being that the sealant around the bath had come loose and the bath was not attached to the wall properly causing leaks to the property. we consistently raised this issue for the duration of our three years stay and to our knowledge they have letted the property out again without fixing the issue. Please bear in mind if you try top contact them your property supervisor will never be in the office and "they will call you back", however, we have never received a call back when promised. Please do not use this company when looking to rent somewhere and house owners please do not use this company when looking to let our your homes.NegativeProfessionalism

Adam · 26 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I have to agree with many of the disappointing reviews stating that they would leave 0 stars if they could. For a lack of a better term Walton Robinson is an absolute joke. We went over 3 weeks without a consistent working boiler and had to have many cold showers, when told about the issue Walton Robinson dragged their feet and didn't fix the issue. We were then promised a week's rent as compensation, which never happened instead offering us less that half a week's worth of rent, which we still haven't received even though we've left the property for over two months. We also spent over month without a working oven and Walton Robinson did nothing. We waited over two months for even an invoice of our deposits, which is filled with over the top nonsensical charges. This company is a borderline scam.

Ismail · 29 July 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Imagine my disgust when I found out they were doing viewings at my property without my knowledge. Walked into my flat one day and stood there is WR staff showing people around. Absolutely despicable. No text no call no notice of the viewing. Their excuse? Well it was different depending on the day. One day it was an “issue with the system”, then it was “internet problems” and another day it was “our new staff aren’t familiar with how things work.” Obviously a bunch of lies. It was a daily battle with them trying to get them to understand the law of giving tenants adequate notice before a viewing. You’d think they would know this law. They’re more interested in profits than the law. Stay away from this company.

A · 22 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Me and my friends moved in a 5-bedrooms property, we agreed that the 4 of us can rent the porperty without being liable for the 5th room.I am paying the rent and bills since July but as I am an EU student I am not in the UK because of the virus and because of the new version of the virus it is impossible that I will move back to the UK in this year.It was not enough to them that I am paying for literally not being there WHICH I cannot do anything about as I did not create the virus but they also said that we owe money to them for the 5th room and that they do not find one payment !!! We sent them an email about it and we received no reply!! They do not even consider that I am a student and they take advantage of this situation and me and my family!!! Other student accommodations let especially the EU and International students to cancel their contract!!!! It is a virus situation and they do not care about anything else just to take money from me FOR LITERALLY NOTHING. Such a shame, very disappointed.

Kata · 20 December 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I moved out August this year, and i still did not get my deposit refunded. The agents do not respond to my emails phones or any other form of commmunication. They are still holding close to £1000 for no good reason. The apartment had faults and i documented / photographed everything so i know they can’t get me. I think that’s why they are ignoring me. AVOID THIS AGENT, they are thieves. I will continue this complaint process and escalate it every way i can.

Fahed · 3 December 2020