Michael Laurie Magar Reviews 61

I urge anyone considering MLM Property Management to think twice. My experience has been nothing short of a nightmare due to their blatant disregard for legal obligations and leaseholder rights. They have consistently bypassed required consultations, unilaterally changing contractors and inflating costs without justification, all while aggressively demanding payment under threat.

MLM's communication is atrociously poor, often leaving leaseholders in the dark until the last minute, and then bombarding us with demands and incomplete information. They conduct unethical practices, lack of transparency, and total disregard for leaseholder input. The business should lose its license to operate.

Do not trust MLM Property Management. Their approach to property management is exploitative and reflects a disturbing lack of professionalism and respect for those they serve.

To all leasholders and landlords out there, please avoid this property management company at all costs.

They have destroyed our block of flats in north west London. Death by a thousand cuts and increasing service charges. Not to mention the management team are completely incapable at managing an old property like ours and are rude. MLM are an unethical outfit. Hopefully future regulation will be introduced to stop coyboy companies like this existing.

This management company has failed to deliver on any of the work that they have set out to do in the building. The building is in an absolutely horrendous state ever since MLM was appointed as Managing Agent. Quality of cleaning and maintenance is appalling. The contractors that they hire often look unprofessional, no PPE, and potentially have not even had a dbs check. MLM do not respond to emails or requests concerning the building however write threatening and unacceptable emails to the residents. The MLM staff have been regularly rude to building residents and appear to not care at all about anything other than their commission and are prepared to act unlawfully to achieve their goals. Need to seek legal protection against actions of this company, and financial compensation due to severe distress and inconvenience caused.

Refused to share the management agreement with the member leaseholders, quoting it's a "privileged document" - ethically indefensible. Has taken almost 4 months to explain service charges, (still incomplete), failed to provide or even suggest alternative tenders and failed to organise annual general meetings with the residents to discuss charges for the year ahead for the past 5 years at least. Breaches of ethical provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act. They selectively reply to emails when it suits them and encouraged directors to ignore residents complaints when the residents challenge them. Almost a third of the residents (at least the ones that are vocal) are extremely unhappy. I say all of this under oath that it is truth and nothing but the truth.

If I could give no stars then that would be my choice. Incompetent, unhelpful and incapable of doing their jobs. How they ever got a positive review is beyond me.

This company is awful. They were appointed to manage our small block of 13 apartments in London. They lie to residents, they ignore residents, they fail to respond to serious issues and they charge a fortune for the privilege. We have had an overflowing food waste bin for over three weeks, with flies swarming around it. Despite this being a health risk, they have done nothing to solve the problem. Residents are in despair as they don't respond to emails or calls.

Absolutely awful, not even sure how they get a licence to be in this business, and I am pretty confident that by policy they only hire people that are unemployable by any other company that actually care about customers. We had issues with the ceiling of the hallway falling down after a leak. 6 months later, they have not been able to confirm the approval of the insurance claim and establish a date for the reparation works to start. For the same incident, it took the insurance a few days to approve the claim for damages in my flat. Constantly chased, not only they fail to provide tangible evidence of how the matter is progressing, but they also patronize me as a distraction in their lazy days spent doing nothing. Any person that has worked in a client facing job understands that in these cases the first thing to do is calling the customer and possibly pay them a visit. Instead, since the incident none from the agency has been in the building and the area is not even attended by the cleaning staff. It goes without saying that they have been punctual in asking for the service charge and in flagging an unexpected raise in costs they incurred to, given that their complete ineptitude in managing a budget resulted in costs exceeding by a staggering 30% the initial estimate

I agree with the comment below absolute cowboys. Be aware of this company. I have asked for the audited accounts as my fees were extremely high. It is shocking what us flat owners are paying for - a lot of unnecessary costs. The staff turnover is also one to add. MLMs fees are so high, you would think paying over odds, the service would be impeccable yet they only respond when they want their fees!

Alicia and Caitlin Hunter were very professional and a model of courtesy. All my issues were dealt very promptly and efficiently. In addition, they kept me updated on progress at all times. They certainly are a great asset to the company. I am grateful beyond words for all their help and support.

I have no reservations in strongly recommending MLM, London-based property managers.

Our large central London mansion block found MLM through recommendations from other nearby blocks in the mid-late 2000s, at a time when the majority of our leaseholders were pushing to achieve leasehold enfranchisement.

Since their engagement, MLM have successfully overhauled and renovated the interior and exterior of the building as well as helping to transform the formerly disengaged staffing in what our enfranchisement* surveyor and valuer called “the most complex property” he’d ever had to deal with (basement stores, ground floor shops, mobile aerial contracts on the roof, and a fair number of 'difficult' leaseholders on many of the floors between – every block has some).

Of the early years I think it’s fair to say that the need to raise significant sums to cover the various renovation projects (including asbestos removal) led to disagreements with some of the residents who were also quick to point out – not without justification in some cases – any perceived shortfalls in the service provision or communications at that time.

However, MLM stuck with the project and was clearly committed to continuous improvement, partly by working closely with the resident freehold-company directors as well as in the development of MLM’s own staff, who in recent years have become highly professional and responsive to valid customer-concerns.

* As to my own qualifications: I was involved in the management of a small residential block in the early ‘90s, then chaired a residents’ association on a small estate for about 3 years, and became a resident leaseholder in the mansion block in 2002. I was part of the small committee that drove through the freehold enfranchisement, finalised a few years later, then myself becoming one of the directors of the freehold company, for the next 10 years. Consequently, I worked closely with MLM for many years and have intimate knowledge of their motivation and abilities – hence my unreserved recommendation.

Totally unresponsive and unprofessional. I’ve been trying to get a response for weeks, eventually paying to a management pack that hasn’t arrived. Emails ignored, always on voicemail and no replies when messages left.

MLM is by far the worst managing agent we have encountered as per the feedback of other customers who are among hundreds equally disappointed customers who did not bother to complain because they realise that MLM does not even give a damn on such real feedback because they got away with bad practices for so long that they treat leaseholders with contempt.

They are no different from scammers who know most victims either too embarrassed to talk about felling victim or too busy to deal with their overcharge and under-deliver.

They also know most complaints among leaseholders on WhatsApp or facebook groups are rarely acted out hence they simply ignore or laugh off.

MLM knows how to maximise their management fee by imposing MF on multiple aspects of the same development assuming most leaseholders wont spot or question such duplicated or multi-faceted charges.

They bully leaseholders by imposing unjustified fees for service charge being paid for by direct debit or standing order that they simply threw in "special Levy" which they do not explain to leaseholders as they know such ad hoc demand would not be covered by the fixed amount of monthly payment. Instead informing leaseholders they simply levy more late payment fees that are often greater than the "special levy"

Such practice is no difference to robbing people at gun or knife point because they have no justification but simply using bullying behaviour because they know most leaseholders simply pay up thinking no point to fight them on.

Scammers and fraudsters operate with the same assumption. So the only way to fight scammers like MLM is to speak out and call them out because silence can only encourage them to scam more victims

I don’t even have the words due to being completely traumatised and broken by MLM’s management . Seeking legal help .
Avoid at all costs .

Absolute cowboys, do not trust this company at all! Promise to do work that never materialises and even if it does the work is done to such a poor standard it creates even bigger problems. We are now left with no hot water or heating for over a month now due to terrible works carried out to the communal water tanks. Avoid at all costs!!

Not well managed or responsive. Our building trustees had to submit claims for billings for work that was never carried out. Definitely a "thumbs down".

Appalling management and a couldn’t care less attitude bordering on very dangerous and they don’t even deserve one star

I can’t think of anything positive to say. In one word, dreadful.

An appalling company, steer well clear of them for your Property Management needs.

Lived in property, managed by MLM, they failed to maintain the building to standard, having water in the walls, a leaky roof and a non working elevator for 9 months now. Calls and emails are getting blocked. They dont care about the conditions.