I let for a year with Albany, a three-person flat on Livingstone Place. Albany was fairly decent, bar one instance which occurred in February.
We had a flooding in one bedroom and the kitchen, and Albany sent for the insurance quote twice (when it was clear that there was an issue, mold was growing behind the wallpaper). Due to all the delays, the maintenance could not be scheduled until May; we told Albany that we would rather just move out first, because May is our month of study. What upset me more than the mold, however, was that Steven from Albany was not very prompt in correspendence--whether via phone or e-mail. That being said, we received all of our deposit back without any hassle. At one point in time, Albany was even considering offering renumerations for the less-than-ideal living situation...I'll take the deposit at least, it's more than other students scrape from landlords.
Really, it's a case of "hope that nothing major breaks." Which, for you, hopefully shouldn't happen! Honestly, not many of my other friends have reported major cases like flooding, so the odds are in your favor.
...Now, the above review should warrant about two or perhaps three stars. I'm bumping it up, though, because Tom sorted me out on an accounting issue today (three months post move-out). Long story short, I forgot to cancel the direct debit and had overpayed Albany three months' rent (lesson learned). Haven't had access to online banking for a while or would've noticed it sooner. Anyway, Tom promptly asked for my bank details and forwarded the money back to me--no questions asked. Excellent customer service there.
And that's Albany: excellent customer service in the office, but not as much experience with broken stuff at the flat itself. There's a snag somewhere between asking the landlord permission and reasoning that something should be done sooner.
Hope this helps! -A read more
