Martin & Co (UK) Ltd Arvostelua 

My fiancée rented a flat from Martin & Co for two years while attending school in Essex. She took excellent care of the property throughout her tenancy. Martin & Co did not treat her well in return. Martin & Co left her without hot water for a whole month one winter. They repeatedly claimed they didn’t have a key to the flat, making it difficult to schedule repairs. Yet, when they needed access for their own purposes, they mysteriously managed to find the key. One representative even admitted to me that they had always had a key, contradicting their earlier claims.

At the end of the tenancy, they attempted to withhold £330 from her £1,325 deposit for cleaning. In Canada, where we’re from, this would be unheard of—if a tenant leaves a flat in good condition with only expected wear and tear, they should receive their full deposit back. We tried to negotiate, offering £100 as a compromise, but they refused. We then challenged the deductions through the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, and after a few months, we were awarded the ENTIRE deposit back. If you find yourself in a similar situation with Martin & Co, I highly recommend using the deposit scheme—just be prepared for a delay in getting your money back.

A personal note to the landlord, Dr. John Askew: As a fellow property owner who also uses an agent, I strongly advise against associating with a company like Martin & Co. Their practices could put your reputation and legal standing at risk.

A huge thank you to James and his team for all the support and guidance during our tricky flat purchase. Throughout the transaction James put in the extra work to chase up the solicitors on both sides of the transaction and always kept me up to date on any changes. James was always prompt with his replies and went the extra mile for me to ensure the sale went through, which he didn’t have to do🙂. I highly recommend James and his team as they helped me secure my first property and even helped manage the tenancy/rent of my garage. Can’t thank them enough!
If you’re in the Beckenham area then look no further, they’re the best in business and will definitely be using them again in the future.

I would like to share my experience with Martin and Co regarding their property management services. Unfortunately, I found their communication to be inadequate in handling various issues that arose during my tenancy. My partner and I reported several concerns related to the property, including mould and non-functional heating. Despite consistent follow-ups via email, the issues were not addressed in a timely manner.

For instance, the mould problem persisted for an extended period, and it appeared that attempts were made to conceal it with superficial solutions, such as painting over it. As is commonly understood, without addressing the root cause, mould tends to reappear, which was precisely what happened in our case.

Moreover, we experienced a prolonged period without heating during the winter months, which significantly impacted our comfort, given that the property did not retain heat well. It wasn’t until we expressed our intention to escalate the matter that any action was taken.

In situations where disputes arise between tenants and landlords regarding property conditions, tenants in Scotland have the right to seek mediation or arbitration services. While we sought a resolution, it became evident that the third-party mediation provider GIVEN TO US (rather than suggested) by Martin and Co likely wasn’t entirely neutral, leading us to look into other avenues. This is something tenants should be aware of when dealing with property disputes.
It’s important to note that landlords and letting agents in Scotland are legally obligated to maintain a certain standard of habitability. Unfortunately, based on my experience, it seemed that the landlord and letting agency did not prioritize maintaining the property to the expected standards.

Eventually, we made the decision to move out of the property after searching for 6 months. While we are now in a better situation, I would advise potential tenants to carefully consider their options and ensure they are aware of their rights under Scottish housing law when dealing with property management companies like Martin and Co.

— Edit to add—

We are STILL fighting our deposit and are horrified to find out they took images after they did up the place and used that as our pre-tenancy images “evidence”. Take pre-tenancy images of everything, guys.

They never deal with issues until you raise, chase x10 then make a complaint and chase again

Took over 80 days and a formal complaint, and they just gave up and offered a good will bribe in the end - the process being quite salty.

For more detail:
I found them in breach of multiple laws, and when addressing the concerns, they actively avoided the issue, or in my case "good will" bribery to pay me off/shut me up.
- I'm too stressed to pursue and they have treated myself like some annoying stain that quote "cost the business money" to even refused to offer an apology for the stress they caused.

Overall It's destressing how poor they treated me, and likely many others, operating under a deceptive business practices.

So here is some basic information, regarding my case.
PSA I'm not a lawyer and this is not a substitute for legal advice. But I do have evidence that does support the following.

Housing Act 2004:
Deposits for Assured Shorthold Tenancies must be protected in a government-approved Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme. Any deductions must be supported by evidence such as invoices and receipts. Reliance on "standard rates" alone does not meet the evidentiary requirements under these rules.

Consumer Rights Act 2015:
Contract terms and practices must be fair and transparent. Inflated charges, such as £30 for a light bulb replacement, and deductions unsupported by receipts or invoices, are neither fair nor enforceable. A detailed breakdown of actual costs incurred, along with evidence of work performed, is required.

Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Section 11):
The landlord is responsible for maintaining the property’s structural and essential systems. Issues such as cloudy windows or pre-existing poor carpets fall under general wear and tear, which cannot be charged to the tenant.

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008:
Misleading commercial practices, including failing to provide evidence of actual costs or inflating charges (e.g., £30 for a light bulb), raise serious compliance concerns under these regulations.

Fair Wear and Tear (Common Law Principles):
Tenants cannot be held responsible for minor issues such as crumbs, fingerprints, or light stains. These are reasonable signs of use during a tenancy and do not justify professional cleaning charges.

For a side note I hope this helps anyone that feels taken advantage of. Tenants do have rights and we shouldn't be afraid to use them.

I hope that this is an experience that they can address and learn from. And I highly recommend you steer clear of what I regard as trained liars.

I had a very frustrating experience with this service. Viewings were canceled at the last minute without any prior notice or follow-up communication. I was left in the dark, wasting my time and energy trying to figure out what was going on.

Frauders and scammers. A company built on stolen money from honest people.

Just got robbed half of my deposit because lies despite I have left the property in excellent conditions and got accused of damaging some furniture and received the flat dirty with already old broken furniture's.
In fact I have provided myself dining table with chairs as the previous one was rotten.

An unbelievable way to operate and an absence of service during the tenancy and after claiming to steal your money based on lies. Clearly a mafia built on internal politics to steal money to honest people. Avoid at all costs

A big thank you to Tracy and Ian, Martin and Co Hucknall, for being my letting agent for 6years very efficient first class service. Then now selling the property for me. You were attentive, always on hand to answer my queries very quickly. Liaising between buyer, buyers solicitor and my own solicitors for a seamless sale. Thank you.

Please read carefully if you are considering Martin & Co. as your letting agent.
I started an agreement with them in November 2025 for a flat that was going to be vacant in December, after I passed all the reference processes, a contract was made after I paid the holding deposit, but I was unable to view the property as it was occupied (and they probably had issues with the tenant, so there was only a video tour provided).
Almost a month after, and a week before getting the keys the apartment was finally empty. When I went to visit I found a lot of issues, from cleanliness to faulty appliances, soiled carpet that needed replacement, and awful overall conditions of the painting, bathrooms, and furniture. I asked for a deal to get the place fixed, painted, and renewed, on my own, but, the landlord didn't accept it, and now, 2 days before getting the keys with everything packed they just canceled my offer and said they would return my holding deposit.
They don't answer the phone, ignore e-mails, and never speak to you clearly and have no empathy at all, even though they knew I had given notice where I currently live and was going to be homeless in a week, and because of holidays break, it will be nearly impossible to find another place in a suitable time.

All of Martins staff have been great in the sale of a property, led by Gaye and David. They respond promptly, give well-informed and clear advice and keep an eye on progress throughout, intervening as and when necesary to achieve a timely and positive outcome for all parties. Thanks to you all. Much appreciated

The staff at the Kingston office were brilliant in handling an unfortunate drain blockage in one of the flats. They were on the case immediately, organised someone to deal with the problem and kept me informed throughout. Highly recommended.

Please avoid Martin & Co Birmingham. This agency caused me extreme stress and put me out of a lot of money! 5 days before my agreed move-in date (after paying my holding deposit, handing in my notice, booking my moving van, and declining other viewings) Martin & Co informed me that the landlord withdrew from the tenancy agreement and they refused to provide ANY explanation. I believe it was due to me querying some odd terms in the tenancy agreement that seemed very off. I asked and pleaded for an explanation, but I was ignored. I told them that it was extremely unfair to withdraw so close to my move-in date and they replied "That's not our problem, there's nothing we can do".
Please avoid this awful agency at all costs.

I’d give -0 stars if that was an option. You can’t even call this an estate agents. Not a single person with a brain cell, let alone any customer service or knowledge of landlord/tenant rights. Absolutely shocking service since the beginning of having the displeasure of dealing with them. Avoid at all costs!!!

Martin & Co Prestwich have just helped us sell our property and they were amazing!
It wasn’t the smoothest of sales but Barbra chased everything all the way to the end , nothing was ever to much trouble for her, we contacted her a lot and she always got back to us no matter what time of day.
We will both be forever grateful for all your help Barbra
Best wishes for the future
Joanne & David

This must be the most ineffective estate agents in the United Kingdom. I recently rented a property listed by them in Smethwick and regret it deeply just 2 days after moving in, oh yes! During the viewing, I expressed some worries about the property's condition and the agent assured me that all issues would be rectified before handing over the keys to me. However, upon moving in, I discovered that not only were my concerns ignored, but the agent (Amelia Brady) handling the references informed the landlord that there were no documented problems, which clearly contradicts the truth. I was advised by her to address any maintenance issues directly with the landlord, but she relayed a different message to the landlord lol. I should have conducted another inspection before making any payments. I have sent images to both parties, and if my concerns remain unattended, I will escalate the matter. Be cautious of this estate agent, as they prioritize profit over customer satisfaction, hence their poor reputation.

This is for the Gloucester branch hallum has been an asset to me on finding tenants for my Propertys he has a brilliant eye for choosing the ideal tenants which takes all the worries away!!! Many thanks to hallum and the Martin &co staff for all there help .

Well, I know that the staff are leaving the company, but an Estate Agents job is to keep their clients informed of all aspects of their sale and to liaise with the solicitors. There was no communication for 4 weeks and having found out that the perspective buyer had pulled out of the sale after 2 weeks. To say the least I was very disappointed. Moving forward I would not use this company or recommend it. As I am not a vindictive person, I will not be mentioning any staff names that I had dealt with.

My interactions with Martin & Co have been among some of the worst experiences I’ve had, not just with letting agents, but with other human beings. They really do not care about their tenants and make no secret of it. Do better.

Awful. Don’t use. Never reply to enquiries.

The worst estate agent going - Martin and Co Folkestone / Dover.

Please avoid this estate agents - they allowed me and my partner to live in housing disrepair for 2+ years we had someone come round once to de mould using de mould spray and fit a vent in the bathroom which caused the mould to get incredibly worse, Matt done a property assessment with NO notice and made out we was the problem with a comment ‘ do you even turn on the vent ‘ I explained it had got worse since that being fitted ( we later found out this was fitted incorrectly ) so we was treated poorly over a mistake from there contractor.

We had cried out for help on multiple occasions and had been ignored.

Every time someone visited they said how bad the mould was and to avoid sleeping in the bedroom being a small house we ended up having use of half the house.

We got desperate and thought to withhold rent ( this was done once over the 3 years we stayed ) still nothing done and we sent up a rent arrears payment plan.

After living in a property not suitable for even a animal, me being allergic to mould and them not caring, we informed of our pregnancy and begged for this to be sorted prior to baby arriving low and behold a no fault eviction given.
( no support given during this time from them )

We have had to push the final payment of arrears back by 4 weeks to help with a deposit on a new home Katie was incredibly rude and seems to care more about £125 then a family about to become homeless.

Trying to speak to anyone there is incredibly hard, they fail to take care of the tenants, the only way to get somebody to contact you is when you don’t pay something ( suddenly the replies become very quick with this and extremely rude )

Please do your research and avoid them where possible ( especially if you have children and if house has a history of mould / disrepair )

The last 2 and a bit years since these issues started we have lived in hell, my mental health being at its lowest, we have been actively trying to get out for ages but have struggled finding another property, we asked Martin and Co for help on this as overall as tenants we have been good except missing one months payment over a course of 37 months.

Begging for help doesn’t make us bad tenants, the property disrepair is not on us we have paid out of our own pockets multiple times to sort things.

Martin and Co treated us like animals and expected us to clearly live like one to.