Martin & Co Oxford Reviews 

We looked for a house in Oxford from abroad. I worked with Abi Rosser. She was super nice and professional. She was available at all times through email and WhatsApp. She sent us videos and measurements upon our requests and helped us solve our specific problems.

I rented a property in Oxford through Martin and Co and can recommend them as a letting and managing agent. Property manager Aimee was especially helpful throughout.

As a property lawyer, it has been a pleasure dealing with Patricia who has always been very proactive and always on hand to help assist with sales progression. She is great to work alongside and provides the best service to all our clients. Thanks again!

Our tenancy with Martin & Co Oxford has been consistently disappointing and stressful. Key issues included:

Rent Scam Attempts: They demanded rent increases without formal notice or contractual basis, misinterpreting clear contract clauses and threatening to charge higher rent months before it was even due.
Inaccurate Inventories: The check-in inventory was incomplete and incorrect. The property was dirty on move-in, and no agent attended to document its condition, leaving us vulnerable to unfair deposit deductions.
Maintenance Failures: Repair requests were ignored for weeks or months. Even basic issues required repeated chasing, and their contractors often did poor-quality work.
Unprofessional Communication: Responses were slow, dismissive, and showed a lack of understanding of tenancy law. When challenged on incorrect rent demands, they shifted explanations repeatedly rather than admitting fault.
Stress and Disruption: Their actions caused significant anxiety, wasted time, and financial uncertainty throughout the tenancy.
Overall, I strongly advise avoiding Martin & Co Oxford. Their lack of professionalism and misleading practices created a tenancy filled with avoidable stress and problems. Choose an agency that respects tenants and understands basic property management and contract law.

Under the management of Branch Manager Conor Taylor and Head of Property Management Emma Collis, Martin & Co Oxford showed a pattern of gross negligence and dishonesty that resulted in over £15,000 of damages to my property.

To make matters worse, The Property Ombudsman (TPO) effectively enabled this misconduct by failing to hold the agency accountable.

The Core Issues: Agent Misconduct

1. Tenant Damage Ignored: Martin & Co Oxford were provided with photographs and contractors' reports clearly documenting vandalism and structural issues. They chose to ignore this evidence, insisting I cover the cost of repairs without conducting any meaningful investigation.

2. Illegal Occupant Overlooked: Martin & Co Oxford failed its core duty by not detecting and acting against an illegal occupant, a clear breach of the tenancy they were paid to enforce (evidence available upon request).

3. Misuse of Funds: Funds I explicitly sent to cover the check-out inspection were fraudulently diverted to pay for a completely unnecessary service on a new boiler, carried out without my knowledge or consent.

4. Misrepresentation at the DPS: In their handling of the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) claim, Martin & Co Oxford deliberately misrepresented my case for significant damages as a mere request for small "contributions," leading to a derisory compensation award.

The Cover-Up: How TPO Failed as a Regulator

After submitting a formal complaint to TPO with extensive evidence, the process revealed a broken system. Information obtained through a Subject Access Request (SAR) shows:

a. Contempt for Evidence: In their correspondence with TPO, Martin & Co Oxford dismissed my thoroughly documented complaint as merely "lengthy." This deliberate choice of words, applied to a submission supported by photographic and testimonial evidence, reveals their fundamental bad faith and attempt to discredit substantive issues.

b. Endorsement of Disrespect: When I formally complained about Martin & Co Oxford's dismissive and contemptuous tone towards me, The Property Ombudsman concluded that the agency's tone was "acceptable." This official sanctioning of their disrespect towards a client shows that TPO is not an impartial judge, but an accomplice to the agency's culture of impunity. All e-mails and letters showing contempt including false accusations of seeking betterment are available upon request.

c. The Empty Promise & Sham Investigation: The agency assured TPO they were "happy to provide anything that was asked of them." TPO confirmed it requested their complete company file. My SAR proves this file was never provided. Yet, TPO still cleared them. This begs the question: how can a proper investigation occur without the central evidence?

d. The "Catch-22" on Information: Before I purchased the flat, I requested documentation from Martin & Co Oxford regarding the property's condition. The agency, through Branch Manager Conor Taylor, avoided providing this information. After the purchase, TPO then suggested I should have verified these details before purchasing the flat. This created an impossible situation where I was blocked from obtaining crucial information when it mattered most to assess the compensation I would have legally been entitled to with regards to tenant's damage.

e. A Pattern of Denial: TPO systematically dismissed evidence as "out of scope" or "not proven." The adjudicator's repeated use of the word "unable" is a perfect summary of the organisation's inefficacy.

The Outcome: A Denial of Justice

By withholding crucial property records (permitted by TPO's own adjudication), failing to secure a signed inventory (a basic failure permitted under TPO's own adjudication), and misrepresenting my DPS claim (also permitted by TPO's own adjudication), Martin & Co Oxford systematically denied me any viable legal recourse. This goes beyond simple negligence; it constitutes a complete denial of justice.

They also formally refused to comply with my Subject Access Request. They claimed (implausibly) that I was never mentioned on internal emails or logs; a claim that, if true, would mean they never managed my property at all. They also formally refused to provide the renovation invoices they supervised before the problematic tenant moved in. They stated they would only disclose these if ordered by the Court. The former owner also declined to assist, despite confirming that Martin & Co holds the records.

I cannot overstate the importance of reviewing evidence prior to trusting them with your property.

Further evidence is available on their Yelp page.

Final verdict: Martin & Co Oxford's conduct is unacceptable, and the official redress system has proven to be a sham. Stay FAR AWAY.

I encountered different companies while looking for a house to rent in Oxford. I can tell that Martin & Co Oxford was one of the best. What I most appreciated is how the staff (in my case, Max Koch) was supportive throughout the whole renting process. In addition, the company's web platform is pretty simple, and the steps are quite clear.
I recommend it.

Martin&Co had my property on the market for 1 year in 2023. Only 2 offers came through well below asking price. I then decided to refurbish the place to a good standard to rent it out. The works carried out by smart properties development (www smartpdev co uk) and supposedly overseen by Martin and Co were the worst ever seen, moreover not completed and even found broken things that were working perfectly when I attended to decide what works were required. Unfortunately Martin and Co took a few pictures, sent them across, decided the works were good enough and paid the contractor Smart Properties Development the full amount requested. Obviously with my funds.
Both Smart Properties and Martin and Co declined any responsibility and simply ghosted me.
Beside the money loss I already wasted so much time chasing both of them via email/phone calls/whatsapp that I have given up.
Now I am having a different contractor fix and complete what I already paid for.
Happy to provide pictures and invoices upon request.

Super company to deal with. Conor, who conducted the viewing was really excellent. Professional, friendly, knowledgeable and not pushy. A credit to the company. Thank you so much for your support.