Hotblackdesiato Arvostelua 

Charlie was excellent during the letting process — punctual at the viewing, quick to answer questions, never pushy, and responsive throughout the negotiation. Full credit to him; if this review were only about renting the place, it would be five stars.

Unfortunately my experience as a tenant since moving in has been very different. Because of some rain my flat flooded badly, with dirty water coming through the ceiling and windows into every room. None of the emergency numbers in the tenant handbook were answered that night. In the days and weeks that followed I had to chase repeatedly; deadlines the agency set for itself came and went, and several of my emails — including one flagging what appears to be mould developing on my bedroom wall — went unanswered. Weeks on, the flat still hasn't been repaired or dried out.

Separately, several maintenance issues that were documented at move-in and promised to be fixed have stayed outstanding for months.

Great at getting you through the door; much less so at looking after you once you're a tenant.

Agents are inexperienced children with trust funds. Can't run a diary or have a successful interaction with a client to save their lives.

I have been attempting to contact a specific estate agent at the HotBlack Camden branch regarding an ongoing issue with one of the properties they manage and water damage to my property. Despite sending emails, I have yet to receive an adequate response to my emails.

The lack of communication is concerning and unacceptable. The agent in question is Jane Havel. I request that this matter be reviewed immediately and that the issue is addressed without further delay.

I expect a prompt response and resolution.

RESPONSE TO HOTBLACK DESIATO CAMDEN BRACH.
Firstly, while you state that the issue has now been identified as the freeholders responsibility regarding rainwater goods maintenance, that is not my responsibility to resolve.
As the managing agents, it is your role to liase with the freeholders/leaseholders/owners and take accountability and responsibility for ensuring this matter is properly addressed and resolved. From my perspective as the affected property owner, the issue remains ongoing and unresolved.

Secondly, although you reference email correspondence on specific dates, the communication has not been handled in an orderly or consistent fashion with a lack of clear updates, For example "as soon as possible" is not a clear timeframe to get the issue resolved?

I have sent videos clearly showing the rotten pipe and the ongoing condition causing the water damage (I have not mentioned waste damage just water damage ????). These videos are evidence that this is an active problem requiring urgent remedial action - not simply reassignment of responsibility.

If you wish to continue disputing the facts publicly rather than resolving the issue constructively, then so be it - I am prepared to have the full timeline of comunication and supporting video evidence reviewed openly.

I now expect HotBlack Desiato Estate Agents acting on behalf of their client to take full accountabilityand ensure this matter is properly sorted out without further delay.

UPDATE 18/04/2026
Replacement Drain covers on the property maintained by HOTBLACKDESIATO CAMDEN BRANCH still outstanding meaning the drains are still open and
vermin can still come up from the drains despite being told by the manager of the branch that the repairs would be done many weeks ago.

I never write reviews but this has just been an awful experience and the company seems to be staffed exclusively buy rude belligerent scammers. As soon as we moved out they did everything they could to extract money from us through dodgy claims and fake cleaning costs and lock changes and anything else they could to hold onto our deposit.

kiss your deposit goodbye unless you plan on breaking into their office and taking it back by force. I will never deal with them again and if you see the name Laura Simpson on any paperwork you should run a mile.

After many years of dealing with estate and buy-to-let sales agents, it wasn’t until my final sale that I found the agent I’d been looking for. Stuart at Hotblack Desiato has been excellent. When my property received multiple bids, he handled the situation perfectly. Sometimes — and I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this — you can tell he’s been in the business a long time, and in my opinion, nothing beats experience.

Thank you for your help. It hasn’t been easy, but I would highly recommend Stuart at Hotblacks to anyone looking to sell a property.

Russ

I had a great experience selling my flat through Hotblack Desiato. Stuart is experienced and knowledgeable of the local area. He priced the flat sensibly and we reached the asking price despite 4 sales falling through in a six month period. He was diligent in staying across all details and keeping me informed.

Refuse to properly remove the ugly 'SOLD' sign outside my block of flats after being chased for months

Jake and Stuart both worked tirelessly over a two year period (in which we had two sales fall through) to get my property over the line and sold to the right people for the right price. They were always incredibly helpful, supportive and good humoured- which helped make, what would otherwise be, a very stressful business entirely tolerable. Highly recommend!

The team at hotblack desiato went above and beyond my expectations. They delivered a great sale price, they were professional at every stage and had very good lines of communication.
You have the experience of an agent with a few different offices with the bespoke local insight that each property needs. A great service overall.

Really happy with Hotblack: they have been efficient, quick to respond to any questions and lovely to deal with. Would recommend. Nina and Jane, in particular, are very helpful and always on the ball.

I couldn't recommend Gino at Hotblack Desiato more highly - he helped me secure a brilliant rental property in an amazing location in Highbury in a really competitive rental market. I needed somewhere quickly and he was so responsive and commited to finding me what I needed. He also proactively followed up and resolved all questions and issues really quickly, without any chasing. My previous experince of moving house in London has been stressful and impersonal - this was completely different as I felt like I had a nice human helping me along the way!

Great service and assistance from Diriye in helping us find a flat, much appreciated.

Hot Black Desiato have found us good tenants over nearly a decade for different apartments. I've also been impressed by their management service: Daniel, Diriye and the team are efficient and detail-oriented, and helpful with questions. It's great to work with an agency long-term, who you know you can rely on and don't need to chase up! Also find their systems of document organisation etc good.

Hotblacks rental department are very helpful
Well informed and I have found working with them excellent

Drummed up a significant amount of interest for the launch weekend and delivered an offer over asking price from a good buyer. Above all else, they are really nice people to work with (unlike some others in the area!)

Very client focused. Good people and just want to get the job done. Highly recommend

I recently rented out a property through these guys and honestly could not recommend any higher. Excellent service from start to finish! With Maya, Iona and Jess. Thanks again!

How can I say? When I decided to sell my flat I went back to the agency where I bought it in the first place and I was right. I met a professional team: young, dynamic and motivated people with the human touch. They took care of everything step by step. Mehdad especially was very helpful beyond my expectations. I truly recommend it.
Liana

Iona was super helpful throughout - very responsive and proactive from start to finish ensuring a smooth process which was very much appreciated!

I was lucky to connect with Gino Gerardo when looking for a flat to rent. He was absolutely phenomenal and went above the beyond to help me find the place I wanted. He was always very professional, knowledgeable and someone I trusted immediately. I would highly recommend getting in touch with Gino for a stress-free renting experience in London.