“An UNACCEPTABLE FOUR YEARS,at 8 Clement Avenue
Four years,that is how long I endured conditions that no paying tenant should ever be expected to tolerate — a period marked not by the occasional maintenance delay, but by systematic neglect, unanswered communications, and a landlord who treated basic habitability as a luxury rather than an obligation.
The heating failed repeatedly throughout multiple winter months — not once, not twice, but on several occasions across different years. Emails went unanswered for months. Phone calls were never returned. This was not an isolated breakdown; it was a pattern of deliberate indifference during the coldest weather the city had seen in years. Left with no alternative, I was forced to purchase my own portable heaters simply to survive the nights in my own home — an expense that should never have fallen to me.
The problems extended throughout the flat. The curtains in the bedroom collapsed from the ceiling, leaving me without any privacy for an unacceptable length of time. A broken window that could not close properly remained unrepaired for years, letting in the winter cold and rendering the room both uncomfortable and insecure. None of these were minor inconveniences. Each was raised. Each was ignored.
It took escalating the situation through formal channels — making clear that legal steps would follow — before even the most fundamental repairs were addressed. No tenant should have to threaten action to receive what is owed to them by law: a warm, safe, and habitable home.
To make matters worse, I requested compensation on multiple occasions for the out-of-pocket costs and distress caused by years of neglect. Every request was met with silence. No callbacks, no acknowledgement, no attempt whatsoever to make things right. It is clear that neither the landlord nor the agency has any genuine interest in the wellbeing of the people living in their properties. They simply do not care.
This property was managed through Benham & Reeves on Finchley Road — a letting agency that presents itself as a professional, full-service operation. Based on four years of lived experience, that reputation was not reflected in how this tenancy was handled. The agent's role is to act as a bridge between landlord and tenant, to chase repairs, to ensure communications are followed up, and to hold all parties accountable. None of that happened here. Emails were left unanswered for months. Basic maintenance requests fell into a void. Whether the failure lay with the agent, the landlord, or both, the result was the same: a tenant left to suffer through winters without heat, without privacy, and without any meaningful support.
I am sharing this account because future tenants deserve to know what they may be walking into. If you are considering a property managed through Benham & Reeves or handled by Joyce Zheng, document everything from day one, retain copies of every communication, and know your rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act. You may need them.”
“Sadly the Agency, Agents and Landlord don’t take any responsibility after having failed informing me (tenant) about the Flat’s Fixed Hot Water/Heating Provider E.O.N. and a Faulty Boiler (repaired after having to chase days, that became weeks) I’m now being told by Syed Hussain (Property Manager) I’m liable for a Bill that I had no idea about - I asked in regards to Bills and I was told Electric, Water, Council and any I would personally want as Internet, TV license -
I moved in and set up Accounts with an Electric company, Thames Water and Council.
After a month I received a letter from E.O.N Heat addressed to “The Flat Occupier” I thought was a mistake. I called them and I was told they have a Fix Contract with the Development for over 70 years, they supply Hot Water and Heating, and I was told I consumed Heating and Hot Water and I owed them £90. I can’t choose a supplier for this service, and it’s incredibly expensive.
On my contact there’s no mention at all of this Fix Supply of Heating and Hot Water.
I had to chase to have someone coming to check the boiler, since I never used heating - we are in summer - plus I knew there was something wrong the Boiler, it would generate all the time a very high temperature in the whole property and make noises.
After weeks of chasing Syed Hussain someone came in and indeed found a piece was faulty and that was the problem for the consumption of Heating, also explained me how to properly use the Boiler, I asked for this since I moved in and I was told by Syed Hussain to “watch videos on YouTube”
I told the property manager I’m not responsible for that Bill since the Boiler was malfunctioning and also I was never told about this Fix Supplier.
He refused in several emails, and then his final response:
“The Landlord is being fare, so I have to pay half of the bill”
It’s absolutely insane, now I’m having to contact The Council, Shelter, a Solicitor, and leave as many reviews as possible so nobody else gets treated as I’m being treated by Benham and Reeves.”
