200% annual increase in lettings complaints
According to property website, Globrix, the number of new rental properties coming onto the market rose from 98,841 in the final three months of 2008 to 155,499 in the first quarter of 2009 - a 57% increase. Along with this however, the latest figures from Christopher Hamer, the Ombudsman for Estate Agents, show a massive 200% annual increase in letting related complaints; highlighting the need for the public to be acutely aware of rapid changes in the property letting industry.
Extra care needed when entering into rental contracts
Dandara Lettings is urging tenants to take extra care when entering into new rental contracts to ensure they don’t fall victim to unscrupulous practices. Dandara Lettings Manager, Vicky McCarrick comments:
“The current financial climate has had a massive impact on the lettings industry. In some ways, it has been to the benefit of tenants who can choose from some amazing properties at more affordable rates, but for some, it has meant dealing with lettings agents and landlords who are more concerned about making a quick buck than looking after their tenants’ best interests.
Rent with a well established agent
“Moving into a new home should be an exciting experience, so I would advise people who are looking to rent to do their research and only rent through a well established agent with a good reputation.
They should look for a defined standard of customer care and a complaints procedure or else they could be facing a whole manner of issues such as poor maintenance and lost deposits. Lettings agents require intensive training and should be able to deal with the pressure of delivering results without compromising on customer service.”
Renting at Spectrum Manchester
Holly Taggart (26) and her friend Ciara Duffy (24) have just moved into a brand new apartment at Spectrum. Although the girls work for rival football teams, Holly at Manchester United and Ciara at Manchester City, they have been best friends since the age of seven and wanted to move into a place together in the city centre.
Choosing a lettings agent
Holly explains why she and Ciara were extra cautious when deciding which letting agent to use: “We were both living in different homes in Didsbury and knew we wanted to move together to the city centre where we would be in the middle of everything. It was really important to us to know we were using reputable lettings agent because of the problems Ciara had experienced with a previous landlord.
“We had seen the Spectrum development and loved that it was so close to the buzz of Deansgate and just minutes from our favourite shops. The apartments themselves are gorgeous, but the deciding factor for us was knowing that we could trust Dandara to look after us and our deposit.
Both Ciara and I had heard that Dandara had a great reputation and the lettings team couldn’t have been more helpful when we were looking around; they explained everything thoroughly, including the fact that our deposit would be put in a government secure scheme.”
Looking to rent in Manchester city centre?
Dandara Lettings offers a bespoke service to tenants in Manchester; concentrating on Dandara built developments, no other lettings agent could know their product as well or provide as detailed advice on the apartments they let. They are currently offering a selection of brand new apartments; as phase two of the stunning Spectrum development on Blackfriars Road is completed, a selection of Dandara’s trademark ‘Concept’ apartments have been made available to the Manchester rental market for the very first time.
Contemporary city centre apartments
Cool, contemporary and positioned in popular locations throughout the city centre, Dandara’s portfolio of stunning Manchester apartments also includes; the Lock Building on Whitworth Street West, and the Castlefield based developments; Base, 360 and Saint George’s island.
Find out more
For more information regarding Dandara Lettings properties, please contact
0161 829 3052 or view Dandara's current apartments available to rent at Spectrum Manchester
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