C CARTERS A1 Property Rentals SUGGESTED GUIDANCE prior to using this management agency. IF you consider renting out your property through Carters A1 Property Rentals check you achieve the following (A - K below) : - A - A comprehensive meeting with the Owner/ Manager asking in-depth and pertinent Qs and considering the company's suitability for the job in Q. In particular discuss communications, ethics, references, sub-letting, credentials of staff and precisely what you receive for their commission taken. Get it in writing. B - Ensure you get evidence that your tenant's deposit will be placed with a Deposit Protection Scheme and make sure your house/ contents is comprehensively photographed throughout prior to admittance of the tenant/s. C - Credentials of the Maintenance Manager - discuss general household matters with her to verify that she has a reasonable understanding of repairs, maintenance, utilities and associated terminology and determine for yourself whether she might be proficient in this job. D - Discuss communications and their availability, especially during emergencies. Ensure you have full contact details including names and roles and most importantly a point contact. Will your calls be ignored and your queries avoided? You will find out, of course, once you've signed a contract. E - Discuss their stance on sub-letting and sub-tenants and whether this practice is disagreeable to them and whether you would be immediately notified if this was suspected. F - Ask to see more than one example of inspection reports from more than one example property - study them carefully. Are these reports adequate and well written? G - Get at least three landlord contact references from them and follow them up. H - Check your house yourself at least once every 6 weeks. If you live at some distance from Wisbech decide whether A1 can look after your affairs whilst absent. Can they handle your property and ensure that your mind is at rest if you are not yourself living locally? if you are living locally, do you need an agent ? I - Enquire as to whether they will ensure all legislative HSE aspects are covered by them eg Landlord's Boiler Cert (within the necessary time frame). Ask to see schedules. J - Consider other management company options, such as William H Brown who may possibly have a better resources, a stronger team, better procedures and quality assurance. But this requires careful research and judgement and you may decide not wish to use any agent. But some agents are significanty more professional than others. K - Ensure you get copies (x2) of tenant references and most definitely follow them up. Be extremely careful in your choice/ acceptance of tenants. Can they likely afford your property and might they illegally sub-let. Should you then, after following these guidelines, feel that A1 ticks all the boxes then you should perhaps allow them to manage your property. Good luck. read more

A1 poor communications, never return call as they promise. The initial set up is good well they are after their fee, back up is dismal.

Renting my property out through A1 Carters was the single worst experience of my life.....it was traumatic and fraught with worrisome problems, lack of support and great cost to me. Landlords....please be so careful in your choice of agent, if you need one at all. No matter how decent and pleasant you are, you will no doubt be abused. Awful....really awful.....why they cannot be decent and follow professional standard procedures and practices I don't know.....the owner should be ashamed of her ways. read more