Youngsrps Reviews 3

A brilliant efficient transaction carried out by a first class team. I am an estate agent myself and would be delighted to offer the level of service I received. Well done Youngs RPS Northallerton

Probably one of the worst experiences I've had with an estate agent. Prior to signing a contract, things were great and I had confidence in the estate agent. As soon as I had signed the contract and around 1 month in to the sale, things went downhill. My property wasn't placed on specific rural sites and when I pointed this out, I was told it would be rectified only for it not to be. When I found a sale (of much lower value than expecting), the estate agent completely disappeared. There was no aftercare/support or updates about the sale from the estate agent. I actually feel robbed of the % they received from my sale with the lack of effort/work that was actually done on their behalf. When I raised my concerns, I was given fake apologies but not given any compensation for the lack of service. As a word of warning, ensure you are aware of what they charge. I read the terms and conditions in full however, still missed that I was expected to pay for general expenses, mileage and then VAT on top of the commission. If I ever come to sell a property again, I will stay clear of Youngs RPS.

YoungsRPS (YRPS) are possibly the worst estate agent I have ever used, and I really mean that. Like any estate agent, they are happy to take your money - and I can forgive that, they are a business after all. However, what I can’t forgive is them letting out a property with the following Category 1 and Category 2 hazards:

- Excessive Cold, due to a poor heating system meaning that the radiators can’t work to full capacity.
- Carbon Monoxide and Fuel Combustion, the vent situated in the chimney breast wall in the first floor bedroom (WHERE ONE OF THE CHILDREN SLEPT!!) allowed fumes into the room from the open fire in the living room when lit.
- Water Supply, the water was supplied by a borehole. When risk assessed by the Council this was found to contain E. Coli, Coliform Bacteria, and Lead. The water was often orange and left a gritty residue in the bath and kettle for example. From the water samples, high levels of iron were detected in the water supply. None of this was acted on.
- Damp and Mould Growth, there was evidence of rising and penetrating dampness throughout the property - exacerbated by lack of a proper heating system to the property.
- Domestic Hygiene, there was evidence of mice and rat infestations within the property with visible access points which rodents had used to gain entry.
- Falling between Levels, there were no window restrictions to the first floor windows which are low to floor level.
- Electrical Hazards, there were an insufficient amount of sockets throughout the property which heightened the use of extension cables, and therefore increases the risk of fire due to overloading. The thermostat associated with the private water system showed signs of short circuiting between the neutral and live parts of the the circuit.

Furthermore, when taking the complaint to youngsRPS, Harry Morshead was incredibly dismissive of our claims and it seemed that YRPS were significantly more concerned with protecting the landlords interests rather than ours. Apparently, “This property has been successfully let on numerous occasions with no issue” which of course, meaning that everything I had claimed was a complete fabrication.

To make matters worse, we received notification from YRPS that not only was the deposit to be withheld, but there was a claim of a further £2000 to pay for damages.

Thankfully we had already approached the Local Authority to carry out an inspection, and a prohibition was placed on the property (“not to use the premises for residential or any other occupation by any person”), following this we sent an instruction to our solicitor to start legal proceedings against the landlord.

A meagre offer was made by the landlord, and whilst I don’t think it was enough, we had to go on the advice of our solicitor and decided to settle out of court. As part of this, I went back to YRPS and told them to stick the £2000 claim where the sun doesn’t shine, which was ultimately accepted.

Whilst YRPS were quick to point out that “we do (did not) not manage the property, and in a sense we only let it”, I would argue that the advertisement for the property was through YRPS, the application was through YRPS, and all dealings prior to moving into the property were indeed with YRPS and YRPS take fees from the landlord and the tenants, therefore whether YRPS wish to admit it or not, they have an interest in the deal brokered, and therefore have an obligation to ensure that properties rented out under their banner - irrespective of being managed or not - should meet minimum standards and be safe for the tenants.

Since then, we have managed to buy our own property and don’t have the worries of the pitfalls of renting (and avoided this company, for obvious reasons - who knows what we would’ve ended up buying!). But to anyone who is in rentals. Please, for your own sanity and safety carry out as many checks as possible and get the relevant assurances in place before committing to a rental that is through YRPS.