Martin & Co London Riverside reviews in Wandsworth

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Questionable and Sketchy practices

You're only good for them while you keep paying. After it's just about the scamming scheme to rip you off. My case is a prime example of that.We've been with them for well over a year as tenants. Always paid on time, never had much of an issue apart from a few minor repairs that had to be done on the property after we moved in.We requested an early release of tenancy after finding out that my partner will be relocated due to a promotion. We signed for a renewal about a few days before finding this out. But we were still weeks before the actual renewal date, and were told: Since we signed it, there's nothing they can do.Early release was agreed by the landlord later.So we moved out and i took the property keys back to the office.Few things were taken off the deposit:- Washer/dryer - forgot to replace it (i got rid of the old when moving in, since we had ours and the one already in the property was a really old about 20years old unit)/according to them we "stole it", and they reported it to the police, so why the hell did we pay for it?/(note2: we did tell them about the washing machine, just forgot to replace it)(note3: they originally wanted me to pay for a brand new £365 washer/dryer, which is absolutely disgusting in light of the condition and age of the old one, propably worth about £50 at most)- about 2 days rent which was adjusted at the end of tenancy.( originally claimed that we haven't paid a months rent, even though we paid upfront for every month's)- Cleaning(fair enough, i only washed the carpets before moving out)- £150 for putting 3 electric radiators back onto walls(because they were in the way for our furniture, so took them off)Apart from the fair deductions, they did try to rip us off.About 2 weeks ago we had a viewing arranged to a property(with Martin&co), we really liked it, so decided to put in an application. I did mentioned the radiator stuff to the lettings negotiator, and in the end we paid in the £300 application fee.(Saturday Late afternoon)Monday the same Lettings Negotiator called me, and said that one of his colleagues was kind of bugging him to call me about it, and that they withdrew our application due to having issues with them before.Said that they will refund the application fee, and asked me to email my bank details so that he can pass it onto their accountant.After waiting a week, nothing happened, so i called them. I was then told that they won't refund my application fee, since it failed at the landlord reference.(note: i got a call in the morning after they opened, since the office is closed on Sunday, what referencing are we talking about? I think NONE)They kept making excuses why specific person can't take my calls. Even if they did, i was told they will call me later.(hardly ever happened)My thoughts?They failed to supply us with information after we moved out of the property. Because if i knew, that even after paying everything down to the last penny, they would never ever proceed our application due to claims, which i consider defamation, slander. I would've never used them in the first place.And i understand that you might think that this thing can be done to small people, especially if that is of foreign nationality, but you can't be more wrong.I will keep spreading the word amongst our friends, and on social media.Also worth noting, that even though we're talking about wasted time, and only £300. I worked hard for that money, i would never allow to let it go to waste like this, and will be making further steps in order to recover it, unless we can come to an agreement.

David · 2 November 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Rudest people I have ever dealt with

Rudest people I have ever dealt with. We rented an apartment through them for a year and I can honestly say it has been the most appalling customer service I have ever received. They only email when we are supposed to renew our contract and never reply to emails we send them with any questions or concerns. Every time I call the office, I am either being told that the appropriate person is not there and they will call me back, which they never do or that they will email me which they never do either. We had an issue with the fridge which we notified them about via email as requested and they never got back to us. They sent contractors with the new fridge after 1 week without letting us know, we realised we had a new fridge when we got home from work. Absolutely ridiculous! Difficult to deal with and only interested in your money. I will never use them again and advise anyone that is considering it to stay away, it's not worth the hassle.

Corina · 25 October 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Nasty

We contacted Martin & Co to rent a flat in London. After viewing the flat, we decided to make an offer and within a few hours the agent confirmed that the landlords had accepted the offer and we only needed to make a deposit to secure the flat. After we made the deposit, the agent contacted us explaining that the landlords wanted to change some of the terms of the offer, including the cost, the duration and the breaking clause. We didn't accept any of the changes and we asked the agent to adhere to the terms of the offer we made, which the landlords had accepted. He acknowledged the landlords were being difficult, but for 1 week he tried convincing us to accept the new terms, by describing the same terms again and again with different words. We felt as being tricked and we decided we didn't want to accept any changes, hoping the landlords would pull back and we would get our deposit back. To our surprise, 5 days into the discussion, we saw the flat back in the market. 2 days after that, the landlords pulled back and we got the deposit back. The whole experience was very nasty and we're happy we didn't stay with Martin & Co managing our tenancy. This was the most surreal and scary renting experience of our lives. Avoid.

Jon · 18 October 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Martin and co stole to me

Martin and co stole to me, literally. they lie during all the process of renting they changed the post code of the property me was renting, just in the contract. and later during the complain procedure they tried to modified my email's answer BY PAINT (copy and paste)... awful!! to make me sign other despotic resolution... Of course, I didn't, But I had to go to the Property Obsberton and almost I go to the courts... even so, I lost 3000 £ and 6 months complaining...

Alena · 17 October 2018

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Dominik has been a great pleasure to work with. Even through the pandemic he's been professional, courteous and ultimately the service has been outstanding.PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Kyle · 25 October 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Avoid

Terrible customer service avoid if possible. Don't be mislead by person who show you property they are generally good. Its when you take property nightmare starts. If you call them for home maintenance they person who pick phone will say the property manager is not in office. They never reply to emails. When we checked out inventory clerk write in notes 'property left in clean and tidy condition. They charged us £100 for cleaning. Poor staff with no training to speak to customers. Avoid if possible.

Usman · 6 October 2018

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Offering Truly Professional Service to Market a "Difficult" Property

I am an American commercial attorney with decades of experience in Europe. I have now been working with Martin & Co for about five months on the marketing and sale of a very "difficult" but premium residential property and have found their level of commitment and professional attention to be consistently excellent. They really know the market and have access to an extensive network of purchasers, cooperators and developers to whom to present their properties. Martin has offered my client invaluable advice and been very responsive to its requests. I would highly recommend their services.

Gregory · 18 September 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Martin and co are by far the worst…

Martin and co are by far the worst agency I have ever came across. Two of their workers who have reported this review are extremely rude with no customer skills. They prupose to take my full 700pound deposit. I paid 200 of it as a pet deposit. They want to take the full amount. 450 of it due to needing new carpets because of puppies. My dogs had pups it was not planned but it happened. They were kept in the kitchen in a pen at all times never on the carpets. The landlord knew about the pups and said this was ok as long as they were removed after the 8 weeks with their mother which is exactly what happened. And now they hit me with this. I have asked for evidence of the phone call where the person i was dealing with states the landlord said it was fine for the pups to be there. They want to charge 20 quid for a little lock on the shed that I lost the key for. The padlock they want to replace it with must be made of gold at that price. 20 for curtains that I left there that they need to remove. And apparently the council won't pick up the '' overflowing bin'' that funnily wasn't overflowing upon my departure and shows in photos of the check out that It wasn't overflowing.Absolutely disgusted with their service. Happy for me to be there and my 2 dogs for the last 2 year's with inspections every 3 months with no problems. Do not use Martin and co because they are a huge scam and will do anything to keep your money. They took the side of the landlord and did not allow any comments from myself. This is not how it should work. Use a company that is helpful and respectful of their customers and won't try and take you for every penny you have. Funnily I was warned by numerous people to not use Martin and co for this exact reason but I thought who could be that bad. How wrong I was. And judging by all these one star reviews I'm not the only unhappy customer that's been messed around by this awful company.

Rachel · 12 September 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

we called martin and co to arrange a…

we called martin and co to arrange a viewing on 3 properties we liked as 1st time buyers we wanted to view 3 to see which 1 would suiote our needs the agent said they would get back in touch later that day ,3 days later no call so we contacted them again we were told that all 3 properties had tennants and they were trying to arrange so we could see them all the same day.3 weeks later no contact so today we called them again to view the same properties that are still on the market ..we have now been told ooooh its awkward to do a viewing in case the tennants find outwhat your doing..COME ON MARTIN AND CO DONT YOU USE FOR SALE BOARDS....HOW DO PEOPLE GET TO SELL THIER HOUSE IF NOBODY CAN VIEW THEM we will not be using this agent now

Julie · 13 August 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Apsolutly apauling

Apsolutly apauling DO NOT USE We found a house we liked and began to go through the proccess I had to call atleast 3-4 times a day to get spoken to once We gave them £50 of the 250 to take it off the market and get credit checks started like they agreed We were told that it would be used for that specifically They then did NOT take the house off the market and did NOT do the checks We gilled out the form and since im new to all the procces i was trying to get in touch but no one picked up the phone When we decided no we dont want the property as there level of attentiom was abismal I called up to ask for the £50 back as nothing that was agreed had been done They organised a call back And didnt call back They did that multiple times throughout They also claimed to have tried to call me whitch they didnt as i would have had a missee call or a call discone ted notification And also claimed that they only had 1 missed call from me All of whitch are lies Do not use this company i trully belive they have no respect for people who are looking to buy They take far to long and drag there heels and borderline refuse to follow through on a agreement Id give them negative stars for everything and will not use them again Even if they offered a mansion for a tenna Disgracefullwashington

Dan · 13 August 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Look for a better company - they are terrible…

I can only recommend to both landlords and tenants that they do all they can to avoid this incompetent company. I am a tenant who has reported a faulty shower since I moved in, ten months ago. Nothing was done for 8 months and then they promised to fix it. They have not done so in the subsequent two months. I now have family and guests at Christmas and we will all have to share the only working bath/shower, which is in my en suite. They have already tried to get 2 contractors to complete the work. No success. They cannot tell me when they will try a third. They cannot guarantee any date or progress. They are a Management Company that appears not to have the ability to deliver a service to landlord or tenant. Yet they take a significant fee on the promise that they do. To add insult to injury, they do not even communicate with me to tell me what is happening. Because they do not care for the end user - and this comes from a national business that professes to offer personal services. I am just beginning an exercise to be compensated for their inability to get anything done and for the botheration and distress that it has caused me.

Ralph · 20 December 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

They will deduct your deposit for definite!

I signed a 12 month contract with Martin and Co. I paid £350 deposit. One week before the contract ended, a pre-check-out insection was carried out by their staff called L****n. L****n said everything is okay. The property is cleaned. And I did clean the property etc. On the check out date, L****n came for check-out inspection and keys collection. L****n took tons of pictures of every corner of the property. L****n said a deep cleaning is needed. They charged me £180 for minor dust on the skirting, some stain on the stove whch is irremovable, and mould on the windows silicon. What a hypocrate! Don't be like Martin and Co. Don't rent from Martin and Co.

Randy · 31 July 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Well where do I even begin?

Well where do I even begin?! After living in London for a decade and being exposed to many years of renting, I can honestly say that my experience with Martin & Co wins the award for the worst tenant experience hands down. From day one the service that we recieved was dreadful. During the paperwork stage, we spent alot of time chasing for updates as we were relocating from London and wanted to ensure everything was in order. The fees were seriously high (approx. £550 agency fees) and I never paid this much even in London. We had several issues after moving in and it took over two months to come in to the property to inspect and fix the issue. It shouldnt take this long when it only takes a matter of seconds for them to take your hard earned money for rent and fees. When we ended our tenancy we where then charged additional fees for extra cleaning. This was frustrating and not a surprise as I was waiting for the company to put extra charges ontop of the final bill. We left the property in a cleaner state than what we moved into and even fixed some things in the property whilst living there. My advice is don't use this agency. You will spend so much time being frustrated, angry and chasing for responses and updates. Its a waste of time.

HP · 13 July 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

This company is extremely horrible.They…

This company is extremely horrible.They never return calls or emails after taking their payment.They lie to you they will take down the property and then list it again, hence taking application fees from multiple tenants which is non refundable.They never return calls, they never offer any sort of help or information whatsoever as long as they took the money.Please never use them, i wonder how they are still in business. I AM IN TOTAL REGRET FOR MY HEARD EARNED MONEY

Eightonetwo · 9 July 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

WORST Agency ever!!

WORST Agency ever!!! Do not rent from them! They are a bunch of scammers! They stole money from our deposit and we had to go through disputing it and we only got very little back. And what was their excuse? That the landlord paid a lot of maintenance for us!!! As if its not their job to do that!! Even the contract says so! We got charged for light bulbs that weren't working so they will put new ones in. Guess what! They didn't even change them! We know that because we asked the new tenant that moved in after us! It was a very stressful period. They couldn't give a damn to be honest. They seemed used to it. Also, we had a lot of problems with the flat because most of the stuff in there were old and it was like begging them to come and sort it. One time a guy came in to fix our shower and he left all the tiles he took out from it in our living room, and left the place extremely dirty and messy. On top of that we had to clean it all! When we first got inside the flat, we had to clean it all because it was dirty and there were blood stains on the wall!! We left the place cleaner than it was but they charged us for cleaning in the end!

Notauser · 13 June 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

The absolute worst "agency" we moved…

The absolute worst "agency" we moved into a flat and it had black mould and was freezing cold due to there being no insulation and they did nothing about it despite us trying to call them so many times on the issues they sometimes don't even answer their calls. i wish i had never moved in none of the doors worked properly either so it was hard to keep heat in. the oven didnt work. theres was just a huge list of issues and they do not care at all. i do not recomend this agency even if you're desperate. really sad excuse for a company they need to sort themselves out. pathetic.

Joshua · 11 December 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Completely bizarre experience

Completely bizarre experience. They don't reply to texts or emails, told me the property was for sale after the checks were completed (too late to find anywhere else) changed the move in date, had people visiting constantly for viewings (I mean a LOT) while I was out, extreme damp in property (they know about) which I cleaned off the walls and units (actually, weekly!) threw out most of my stuff due to it stinking of mould - but they want bond money for the blinds and artex walls which have damp damage (which cannot be cleaned), said 3 lights weren't working when they are (they hadn't pulled the cord properly), promised to call me multiple times but didn't., I could go on. Just incredible. when I brought up issues the response was really shocking (I'm glad I saved that email.) So I just made sure it was spotless when I moved out.I've never had a problem with lettings / landlords and always had my full bond back. I didn't complaint about issues I should have because I don't like to cause a fuss. But seriously, even if you love the property, avoid them. I actually can't quite believe they are managing to survive as surely due to word of mouth and people avoiding them they must be struggling. I have to go through the ombudsman now as the response I had last time (and only time) I raised an issue was frankly insulting. I signed up just to help others avoid going through what I did. As I know (looking at the other complaints) my deposit money will not likely be returned without external involvement. Stress you don't need.Of course they know it's my word against theirs but I bet the Ombudsman will have a trend of complaints about Martin & Co. Shameless, dishonest, disingenuous. Makes me really bloody angry. they didn't respond to my last 5 emails so I'll vent here on the public forum.

Chris · 26 March 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Substandard from start to premature finish

My boyfriend and I tried to lease a flat through Martin and Co. and we have now withdrawn our application as a result of their conduct; judging from the reviews on this site we got out in time!My boyfriend was the one to view the flat. Having experienced troubles with previous rental properties I gave him a list of things to look out for, including to ensure that the boiler worked well. The Martin and Co. employee ran the tap over her hand and reported after a minute that it was warm. My boyfriend ran his hand through the water and found it to be cold, which wasn't surprising when it transpired that the boiler was in fact switched off! This lie, intentional or otherwise, didn't fill him with confidence.We decided to go ahead with the application and were promptly charged a £400 non-refundable admin fee (£200 per person). We were asked to complete a terms of business form (no issues there) and also an application for a reference check with a third party. As the instructions were to fill in our current employment details I did so, despite the fact that I would be starting a new job between that time and the start of the tenancy. When we contacted Martin and Co to rectify this issue we were told that we would have to pay an additional £150. This, alarmingly, turned out to be untrue when I contacted the referencing company directly who immediately updated my details over the phone free of charge.We then discussed the signing of the lease. Martin and Co. required us to sign it in person at their office, which is a bit of a trek from our current flat and it is not feasible for us to reach there during the work week. We arranged to visit in two weeks time as that was the first Saturday during which we were free. We agreed that in the interim we could be emailed the lease, print it, sign it and send a scan to Martin and Co. This was on a Thursday and we were told that the employee to do so would be in touch on the Tuesday with the lease. Tuesday came and went as did the rest of the week and we were finally sent the lease the following Tuesday.Having grown increasingly concerned at this point, I sent it to my stepfather, a partner in a national solicitor's firm specialising in real estate, who described it as "over the top" for a simple residential rental. He provided me with a list of issues to raise with Martin and Co. and I sent this list on the Wednesday night. On the Thursday morning I received an email at work from my boyfriend warning that I would likely receive a "rude(ish)" phone call from Martin and Co. who were inquiring as to when we could return the signed lease, as the landlord was chasing for it. This, we can note, was approximately 48 hours (and working days) since we had received it. We can assume that Martin and Co. did not tell the landlord that the delay was due to them sending the lease a week late.My boyfriend told Martin and Co that we had sent a list of concerns. Martin and Co. then contacted me requesting we resend it as the person I had sent it to was off that day. In the same email they chased for this to be completed so that the lease could be signed. Before I saw this email they managed to find my original one with the list and responded to the queries.The first query regarded liability for shared areas. I was told that the contract said "where applicable". This does not confirm or deny any liability.The second regarded a long list of potential deductions from our deposit, none of which had any indication of their amount. I suggested that estimates should be included and was told that the fees that would be payable to Martin and Co. were "clearly stated" in the Terms of Business. I agree with this point, however, this is no reason why they should not be included in the lease. I will also note that these fees are higher than those from other letting agencies in the area.The final query regarded the lease informing us that we had been supplied with a "head lease" which we were to adhere to. We have been sent no such document and I was told in Martin and Co's response that "This can be requested from the landlord." While I do not doubt this, that is not what the lease we were expected to sign stated.Finally, we grew seriously alarmed throughout the entire process at Martin and Co.'s inability to use basic punctuation, spelling and syntax; for example "Ive just managed to pick up (name with no apostrophe) emails regarding your queries. Please see my response in red to your queries if you have any further questions please let me know, can you advise when you can send the signed tenancy over as advised the landlord is chasing for conformation on this to book the check out with the existing tenant." This indicates a worrying lack of due attention and proofreading. I have since emailed to withdraw our application, though as this was sent after business hours this evening I do not have a response. Fortunately we have not paid any other fees than the £400 admin fee. In a nutshell; I would strongly advise that everybody should avoid Martin and Co. at all costs.

Richard · 8 March 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

I purchased my flat

I purchased my flat, got keys and a temporary fob which I was told they want back, so I will be left without one. I was told I would have 2 replacement fobs provided to me, yet to receive these. I haven't been provided with my Post box key, code to the meter cupboard so I couldn't provide meter readings, no key for the balcony, basically I haven't got half the access to my property that I have purchased.I phoned a week after I completed the purchase (after sending 2 reminders asking for these last items to allow me to move in fully) and got a defensive message about how I will most likely have to pay for all these items to be replaced..... WHAT! I think I have had to spend enough money getting house clearances organised for the furniture that I requested to be moved out by the seller, now I have to pay for things that I should have received... 'Did it say in your paperwork that a post box key would be provided?' Not being funny, but a key to the post box is pretty standard. I categorically am not paying for these items that I should have been provided in the first place. Now I am living I'm an insecure flat that I cant get meter readings to so don't want to use electricity as I have not been able to get my baseline meter readings. Any info from the building manager about paying my service charge and ground rent will be sat in my post box which I don't have access to so don't know who I can directly contact about organising my direct debits for it. On top of having to clear out all the sellers furniture at my own cost! I am very angry.Such a joke.***UPDATE**** *(05/03/18) No news from M&Co. Still no postbox key, nor fobs. Had to pay £140 to replace car park fobs. £80 for the house clearance. Booked in for locksmith (which will be god knows how much) for the other jobs. Trying to sort the issue without escalating to the head office because I dont want to complain for complainings sake. I just want to live in a secure property.Still insecure, still not fully moved in. Still angry. Dont think its work chasing it up again. I dont want some snotty defensive reply. Just going to sort it myself. Martin and Co couldn't run a bath, let alone a business.

JC · 5 March 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Walton branch ran by a crook

They never seem to want to improve on their customer services. Awful company. They seem to like to hire crooks like the guy in charge of the Walton branch who takes bribes for allowing tenants to sub let and for some bizarre reason fire staff, then replace them with morons! One staff member was a two faced cow and was so up herself. To add further insult, they hire an electrician who makes YOU pay for something to be replaced!? AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!

Marketing · 4 December 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Stay away from these people

Stay away from these people. They are extremely unprofessional. Had a viewing this Saturday past at 14h30. At 14h30, rang the office and was told the agent was on her way. After 30 minutes waiting for her outside in the rain no one turned up. Current tenant opened saw me standing in the rain, took pity and invited me in to show the property herself. Left a voice message on their phone but no one returned my call. Managed to get hold of them later on the day and the guy who answered the phone was unapologetic. I said I liked the house and got told he would call back on Monday to advise me on the next steps. Guess what? No one called. Very unprofessional.

Not · 20 November 2017

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Total scam

Total scam. Avoid at all cost. Rude staff. Ran away happily with my 150 pounds application fees by saying "sorry, landlady rejects you". When I demanded them (and also their scamming referencing partner) to disclose information about me passed onto landlord they said they could not due to "data protection". Wait a minute, I am asking to see MY OWN information held by them. They insisted that my reference passed their internal check and landlady just "didn't like me".

Kay · 31 August 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

How this cowboys can still run a …

How this cowboys can still run a company like this were is about housing people....i rent a property from them on 29...they offer me to clean it for me...i was very happy...they ruined the carpet with chemicals...and they closed the windows...when I gone to the property to move in as I open the door I throw up...the smellcwas disgusting....as I call them to see what happen...they told me everything is ok..just smell a bit like a pet house....i can't live in this condition....so after argument they replace the carpet but not before me spent 100 pound on candles air cleaners...even a air blower...to take the smell out the house...all this took 2 weeks...so I offer them I will start pay rent from the day I move in....and are like not...when you took the keys...but they didn't even give me a I kay for the front door...very disappointed and I will not going to pay them any rent at all...we going to resolve it In court....horribele staff like deepa...and some other living people were they are liers....i wish them kids to get what I got from them...and to take there three..years old kid like they ask me ...in this disgusting place....

Giorgos · 20 September 2017

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Che is extremely responsive and very organized. He’s a credit to the company and I would definitely use his services again!PositiveQuality

Ben · 25 October 2021