kingandchasemore.co.uk Reviews 16

We had a disappointing experience with the way our application was handled by Amelia.

From the beginning, we were encouraged to proceed and submit an offer, with the impression that things were moving forward positively. Based on this, we acted quickly and in good faith.

However, after submitting our offer, the process changed unexpectedly, and we were informed that further viewings would continue before any decision would be made. While we understand that landlords may wish to consider multiple applicants, the lack of clear guidance and inconsistent communication from Amelia made the process feel unclear and, at times, misleading.

As prospective tenants on a tight relocation timeline, clear and consistent communication is extremely important. Unfortunately, we felt that the process was not managed in a way that reflected this.

We hope that in future, applicants are given clearer expectations and guidance from the outset to avoid unnecessary uncertainty and inconvenience.

An agent came out to carry out a property valuation. After the visit, no valuation was ever sent, and there was no follow-up of any kind. I waited, chased, and eventually emailed a formal complaint about the lack of communication and service.

That complaint was also ignored.

If this is how King & Chasemore treat prospective vendors at the very first stage, it raises serious concerns about how they would handle an actual sale. Basic courtesy, communication, and accountability appear to be missing entirely.

I would strongly advise anyone considering using this branch to think twice. Estate agents are entrusted with people’s most valuable assets — being unable to even send a valuation or respond to a complaint is simply unacceptable.

I don't know if this is common in the UK but I find it quite appalling: I had a viewing a few days ago for a flat in Brighton. The agent could not answer a single question (for example, when I asked about the EPC rating or asked if the intercom was in working order.) The property itself was okay, but it was clearly in need of some renovation (like painting a patch on the bedroom wall.) However, nothing seemed to work. The exhaust hood above the cooker didn't work, neither did the light, which the agent didn't seem bothered about. They apparently "don't manage the properties" and it's the landlord's responsibility but... don't they WANT the prospective tenants to WANT to rent the place?! Wouldn't it be more effective to check a property when it goes onto the market first and take note of all the things that need to be done, and tell the landlord to take care of it before the viewings? So weird. This clearly doesn't make me wanna live there!! They'd have a much better chance at renting if they were more thorough with inspections (if they even do any.) Why would I wanna move into a flat where stuff hasn't been properly looked at, and get the landlord to fix stuff AFTER I've moved in? Doesn't make sense to me.

From start to finish Iv been so impressed with king & Chasemore. Especially Conor from the saltdean branch.
1- Conor understood the extra care my daughter requires and went above and beyond at the viewing, making her very comfortable.
2- From the moment my daughter was excepted for the property Conor stayed in constant contact with us with regular updates.
3- the day we picked up the keys went brilliantly, my daughter received a cute little gift box for moving into her property and everything was explained properly.
Couldn’t be happier with how easy it all went.
Thank you to Conor for being so professional and understanding. 5 star service

King & Chasemore Saltdean (Countrywide
Residential Lettings Ltd) – disgraceful, dishonest,
and a serious risk to landlords.
This company should not be trusted with anyone’s property or money. My experience has been
appalling from start to finish, and their handling of rent and complaints has been nothing short of
scandalous.
• Rent unlawfully withheld – My tenants paid rent in full, yet over £1,500 was withheld without
explanation. Only a small fraction was ever passed to me.
• Contradictory complaint responses – Their Stage 1 complaint response confirmed that funds
were being held. Yet at Stage 2, senior executives stated that no funds were held “beyond 4th
August.” This was false. On 15 September, their own Saltdean branch confirmed in writing that
funds were still being held in Countrywide’s client account.
• Misleading and inaccurate Final Response – Their final Stage 2 complaint response flatly
denied holding rent, despite written evidence from their own Saltdean branch proving
otherwise. This demonstrates either incompetence at the highest level, or deliberate
misrepresentation.
• Terrible service throughout – Emails ignored, phone calls not returned, and when I visited the
Saltdean office in person I was told they were “too busy” to even read my email. Instead of
resolving issues, they created confusion, delay, and financial loss.
• Complaint process is a sham – Deadlines ignored, evidence brushed aside, and responses
riddled with basic legal errors. At every stage Countrywide downplayed or denied the
seriousness of their failures.
Due to legal restrictions and sensitive information, I am not able to upload the documents I hold —
but I wish I could, so everyone could see for themselves just how dishonest this company has been.
Countrywide Residential Lettings Ltd, trading as King & Chasemore Saltdean, has shown itself to
be unreliable, unprofessional, and dishonest. They mishandled rent, contradicted themselves at
every level of complaint handling, and misled both me and my tenants. I have now escalated this to
The Property Ombudsman and will be pursuing legal action to recover what is owed. For your own
protection — avoid King & Chasemore Saltdean (Countrywide Residential Lettings Ltd) at all costs.
They are a disgrace to the industry.

This agency happily rents furnished student accommodation and misrepresents properties on it's website. Specifically, advertising a property with a furnished double room to my son and charging accordingly. On discovering the room in fact had a single bed their response to him was it could in theory fit a double bed if he wanted to buy one. Perhaps he could put it in, somehow store the landlord's bed for the duration of the tenancy, take the double bed with him when he left etc. This is both deliberate misrepresentation and exploitation of students. Steer clear and don't trust anything they say.

We have rented a 4 bedroom re renovated cottage from them.
The way the property was presented and what we got went in a misleading direction.
EPC: B / C
Last update 2019
This was one of the coldest houses we ever lived! No floor insulation the carpet was on floorboards! Two winters freeze to death! The storage heaters did not performed and the underfloor heating was so expensive £500 pm so unaffordable! Gaps in the patio door lost heat we only could sit in the house with blankets. Reported the patio-door gap from day one nothing was happening until end of second winter. There was a wood burner totally useless just polluting the air and the room was cold as soon the fire stopped.
The wood burner totally useless however they insisted to clean it which cost £45. Our chimney man said it has not been cleaned for some years!
The landlady said we cleaned it so totally untrustworthy!
K&C did not told us that the landlady lives next door with her barking dog!
It’s nice to given the choice if I want to live next to a nosey landlady!
No pets allowed for us by the way!
In the summer the fumes of petrol comes from the A27 it stinks so can’t sit in the garden. There are neighbours burning grass in their garden midweek the smoke was unbearable. In Falmer that’s ok smoke away!
We had rats in the attic not just one a nest so pest control came it took two rounds to kill them.
The wood lice upstairs was madness they came from everywhere pipes, gaps shower drains or roof in the bed, curtains, walls never seen anything like it! Harmless insects but unpleasant!
Check-in report:
Agent gave us the key and check in report was left basically do it yourself.
The garden front and back was redone by a landscape gardener.
I always keep the garden tidy never had any issues or problems with the deposit.
This landlady wanted it back as received.
She kept £300 from the deposit no clear answer for what messing us about.
The front garden is a gravel parking nothing to look at!
The two years of living there was a nightmare, financially draining and ripped off! Only one house inspection and that was poor too.
Will never use this agency again! Why? Check out process with Countrywide topped it. No wonder they have 90% one star reviews read it!
No negation skills no professionalism I am shocked how countrywide can survive as a business👎🏻

I stopped using King & Chasemore about 10 years ago, my property came up for rent again recently. I gave clear reasons why I stopped using them and they assured me they'd improved greatly, definitely NOT the case, nothing has changed in that time. My experience was impressive while they were chasing me to sign up and completely lacklustre afterwards, I’m completely annoyed with myself for trying them again, I was right in the first place. Complete lack of communication, one market report on the first week, nothing since. I had to chase them for feedback after viewings, said booked viewings that didn’t happen, 3 weeks without so much as a phone call.
I informed them I’d rented the property & all I got was some cursory emails with very few words. I suggested a phone call on 2 occasions so I could give proper feedback but that wasn’t taken up.

Having chased me so hard in the beginning & I was the person that chased and assured me they’d improved greatly I’d be very interested hearing about our most recent performance & the reasons why I’d never use them again.

If I owned King & Chasemore & knew about this I’d be extremely disappointed. If I was employed as a trouble shooter there would be more than enough work to turn them around into a decent letting agent.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Victoria C. (and someone else who I can't remember) for a property valuation, and I must say, the teams service exceeded all expectations. From the moment we began the process, Victoria demonstrated exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and an impressive depth of knowledge about the property market.

The valuation they provided was not only thorough but also well-explained, covering all aspects, including current market trends, comparable properties, and potential improvements that could impact the value. She took the time to walk me through each factor affecting the valuation, ensuring I fully understood the process and felt confident about their insights.

What stood out most was the teams and Victoria's willingness to answer all my questions, no matter how small, and their ability to tailor their advice to my specific needs and goals. Their friendly and approachable manner made the entire experience stress-free and enjoyable.

I would highly recommend the team to anyone looking for a property valuation or guidance in the real estate market. Thank you.

Asked them to visit, value and discuss a sale. They failed to provide what was requested and generally came across as slippery. After telling them I wasn't interested and requesting removal from their database they have continued calling me for years.

Review: Beware of King & Chasemore Letting Agency

⚠ King & Chasemore (Brighton & Hove, and clearly with the consent of their national company directors and PSCs) demanded I write a positive review immediately after moving in, which I did under their undue pressure.

However, once my positive, albeit uninformed, review was published, their treatment of me deteriorated dramatically. Despite paying my rent three months in advance (£3,300 for a property with no reliable heating and mould issues), I faced constant harassment. This harassment was so severe that it triggered seizure-like convulsions, necessitating medical intervention from the NHS.

The NHS, recognizing the severity of the situation, sent a formal warning to King & Chasemore detailing my multiple diagnoses and disabilities, and the medical harm their actions were causing. Despite being fully informed of my medical conditions, disabilities and indigence, King & Chasemore continued their harassment unabated.

Over two years, I have never been late with rent, caused any disturbances, and I am still waiting for the new contract that I paid a huge amount of money in ‘fees’ for. Yet, King & Chasemore’s relentless harassment and threats have not only exacerbated my health issues but also severely impacted my family, particularly my 11-year-old daughter.

King & Chasemore’s deceptive practices included tricking me into paying unwarranted fees through misleading telephone agreements, only to deny the existence of these agreements in subsequent email communications. These actions not only violate basic ethical standards but also suggest potential legal breaches, given the deliberate deceit involved.

Despite government warnings to cease such exploitative behavior, King & Chasemore blatantly disregarded these instructions. They even attempted to sell future rent payments as ‘debt’, further damaging my credit rating. Their assurance that this would not affect my credit was yet another lie.

Their actions have had devastating financial, medical, and psychological impacts, causing much damage for me and my family. As a single father with disabilities, I could have better used my time and few resources for my daughter’s well-being instead of fighting against this company’s criminal behavior.

I warn other disabled, alone, and financially vulnerable individuals against trusting King & Chasemore. Their exploitative and deceptive practices are not only unethical but may also have serious legal consequences. If you have faced similar issues, please contact me regarding potential legal action against this company.

King & Chasemore, your disregard for the law and the well-being of your tenants will not go unchecked. Legal repercussions are inevitable, and I urge others to come forward to hold this company accountable. ⚠

Absolutely unprofessional services (from a homeowner point of view). Lack of responding to messages (some of which were urgent in my opinion), vague communication with answering questions, and money being taken before things are even completed. This company was great 25 yrs ago but things have definitely changed. Such a shame that they are able to get away with such criminal behavior.

Chichester branch. Terrible customer service, clearly more about the money rather than advising as to what would actually result in a quick sale. Was told a potential viewer was "a bit bonkers" and was more or less forced out of our home 15 mins before another viewing as they had turned up early. Wasted 3 months. And now, despite REPEATED requests, they still can't pick their board up (even though we have sold via another agent). AVOID. AVOID. AVOID.

Cowboy outfit. Found a property we liked, and was bidding against another buyer. They asked for best and final offers, which was fine. We were told we won the bidding process, but because it was so close, they re-opened the bidding, we then increased our offer again and one the second round. All fine, but annoyed with the re-opening of the bidding, within a day we gave all the info/id for background checks, instructed a solicitor and surveyor and applied for a mortgage. Then a week later the called to say that they were now offering the house to the other party (They were agents acting for their corporate team, so effectively agents and vendor)

Something very doggy went on in this process. They have zero integrity and simply cannot be trusted

Think before you send your passport, driving licence and details of your financial accounts to this lot. I found them very unpleasant and untrustworthy. The manager became aggressive with me when I refused to increase an offer, started shouting at me and then flung the phone down. Very unprofessional.

Manager never in when I telephoned. Many lies told, no customer service, even when I raised some on going issues as a complaint. It did not bother anyone that potentially I had lost almost thirty thousand pounds, when too aborted sales came and went, and nobody showed the slightest bit of concern.