Spencer Thomas Estate Agents

Unfortunately I had a horrible experience with this estate agents. Things were broken when we moved in, the flat was dirty, the boiler didn’t work in January and it was an issue to get them to help /​find a repairman. It took ten days to replace a broken fridge /​freezer (again in January) which cost us an arm and a leg in spoiled food, plus trying to buy meals that didn’t involve any refrigeration. All the time, were were fobbed off and lied to. We never received any compensation for this — it cost us well over £150.
It took months to get the deposit back, and I get the feeling they never would have gotten in touch with us or returned it if we hadn’t pressed the issue.
An alarm system that was used to market the flat to us was actually broken and wasn’t replaced for three months (to the day) from move-​in.
They claimed ignorance of issues that were plainly obvious when we moved in (and of course did their best not to solve them) and several things we were promised would be fixed or improved still hadn’t been done twelve months later.
It’s such a shame, because the flat was otherwise lovely — a really gorgeous property that should have been treated better.
At the best, I think the agents are overworked. At the worst, perhaps they just don’t care. Either way, I am really glad my twelve months with them is over and we finally have our money back, months after we moved out. I would not recommend renting through this agency if you can avoid it.

They’re friendly, but the service they offer is terrible.
After we moved in, we found that the promised decoration work hadn’t taken place (and there was still mess from the work the builders had done). The fridge was still broken, so all our food slowly went off.
Then the boiler broke down and we were advised to fix it ourselves.
There was a persistent mouse problem, which they only managed to solve in the last couple of months. And to cap it off, they held onto our deposit for nearly three months after moving out.

I give my props to Ian C at Spencer Thomas Estate Agents…
Not only was my apartment search not horrifying (I’m still knocking on wood), but Ian made it almost downright AOK. He’s very friendly and professional. I never felt like anyone was trying to pull a fast one on me. He showed up on time, called me back, tracked me down when he needed things, and even met me on a Sunday to deliver me the keys on «opening day.» Now, that’s above and beyond and I thank him greatly for it.
He dealt with my OCD efficiency, answered a lot of questions from a first time London renter… and overall was just so nice to work with. I highly recommend him.
How did I find them? Well I had emailed about another listing, but unfortunately it was already let. But he emailed me back the next Monday saying another unit in the same building was up for grabs and I made plans to see it right that night. He met me there, I got a first look and after promising my husband I’d learn to cook** if he let me rent it sight unseen (by him) we were a done deal.
Even when Ian got sick a few weeks into things, the rest of the staff was pretty helpful.
Within a day of receiving keys I had pdfs emailed to me of both the lease and the tenancy agreement.
My flat seems pretty sweet for now! I had read all the Unilocal reviews (and elsewhere) to avoid Foxton’s, and I’m glad I got the luck of the draw with ST and Ian. It could’ve been a real nightmare but perhaps the universe knew I needed a break (and a home). Dog-​friendly, too! Take that mean non-​pooch approving landlords.
Located in Clerkenwell and serving areas in the nearby vicinity (we’re in Hoxton/​Shoreditch). The site is pretty easy to use and they’ll email you pdfs of listings you might like as well. They will take credit cards for the deposit/​retainer fee when you make an offer.
Retainer fee: 180pounds/​tenant (each applicant). Pro tip, my husband did not have a visa yet, and so was declined even though I paid the 180 for him to be screened. Had I known I’d have saved myself half and just qualified for the flat on my own. Now I know.
Thank you Ian!
**hahhahaha, yeah. Right. No. :)