Parks Residential

Parks Letting were initially frosty until the money came out. Then they were ingratiating until it was time to move out of my flat. Then they gave me hell for four months.
From what I’ve heard from friends this is pretty much the treatment anyone can expect from these people. They seem to judge by appearance as soon as you walk in the door, and expect miles of paperwork (more than any other letting agent I’ve encountered) to assure them that you have money, and will continue to have money. Oh well, you think, as you hand over every piece of identification you own, they’re just protecting their interests. But when you move out of your flat that you painstakingly cleaned (according to the rules set out by their fastidious little checklist, which they helpfully deliver in triplicate) only to be told that you have broken things you didn’t break and left things you didn’t leave, things begin to get nasty.
Aside from unpleasant court battles, there is a serious point to be made here. Although my flat looked lovely, as do most of their properties judging by the photos, it was wired unsafely and the electrics in general were so bad as to be illegal. If you choose to let with these guys (assuming you can get over their intrusiveness and frequent downright rudeness) have your place checked over first, or you could get a nasty surprise.

It’s difficult to feel any kind of love for a letting agent, perhaps if personified into a friendly landlord but not a letting agent. Any opportunity to weasel a little bit more money out of you and they’re on it! I have always just had unfortunate luck with letting agencies like Parks always letting me down. I was left freezing in my house over Christmas when my boiler exploded and for three months this issue went unresolved whilst I shuffled around my house like a neglected pensioner without any heating. Then they have the down right cheek to sneak expenses for this out of our deposits. It’s very underhanded, we don’t hear from them all year then when it’s time to pay up you can’t get rid of them.

Although I have never actually let a house through Parks, many years of renting in Brighton has led me to have had many a house viewing with them. Strangely, the same guy has shown me around every single house. You may have come across him yourself. He is short with a beard and I have always found him to be friendly, if a little pushy. He was always punctual to our meetings and seemed well informed about the properties, but he ALWAYS with out fail put pressure on us to take the house immediately, due to another (most likely fictional) group, who were 99% sure they wanted it too. A classic trick of the trade and although it was totally transparent, it became a bit irritating. I like people to be straight-​up with me, but sadly it seems that letting agents rarely are! It’s as if they’re totting up the admin fees in their head before you’ve even stepped through the door.
Despite this I have a certain fondness for the Parks man. During a house viewing in the London Rd area a few years back, my friend and I discovered two beautiful bird cages that had been discarded in the shed. Although we didn’t take the house he let us keep the bird cages and I will be forever grateful!