The letting of property has increased over the years as more and more people are seeing the advantages of renting. Consequently, the market has become more sophisticated and it is increasingly important to seek the advice of a specialist and professional Agent. Established in 1998, Rees & Associates Property Management has fast become one of Cambridge's most respected Agents
Associations and certifications
- ARLA
- The National Approved Letting Scheme
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme Member
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Reviews (5)
William
Aug 09, 2014
Rees & Associates is set up to make it as difficult as possible for the client and convenient as possible for themselves. To choose various examples at random: I have never before rented from a company that require so many forms to be signed by all tenants throughout the process, they don't allow tenants to pay rent separately (for the convenience of their accounts department), and they visit the property annoyingly regularly, with each visit followed by extremely condescending and invasive letters filled with jargon that requires a dictionary to decode: a personal favourite was the complaint that we had objects in "high traffic zones", ie corridors.
Despite being a "fully furnished" house we had no desks in the rooms which they justified by saying that clients are particular about desks (but not beds?!), and the kitchen table they provided for a five person house had three sides and only 2 working legs. We bought a new kitchen table that was well suited to the room and big enough for 5 and offered to give it to the house for free, at which point they said we had to pay to remove the original table and the one we donated.
When our shower head stopped working the tenants paid for a new one (we needed to have showers that day so could not wait for Rees to visit) and asked for a refund: we were told we should have soaked our shower head in vinegar overnight, instead of just refunding us J8 (on rent of over J2000 per month). The check out process was better than expected because we were dealing with Jacqueline rather than Angela (and as such we received emails that were less patronising and were at least written in plain English). However, they did still try to make us pay for "additional cleaning" to rooms that we had paid to have professionally cleaned by a company of Rees' choosing, they wanted money to move lamps from room to room, and they tried to make us pay an absurdly small amount for a new shower curtain, and it was only when we appealed the petty request that they admitted they were going to be re-decorating anyway so probably didn't require us to pay.
In other words they tried to sneak a few more pounds out of us when the curtain would be replaced anyway (and presumably the house would be cleaned after the re-decorating?). At no point did we feel like a client: we always had the impression they were doing us a favour, or at the very least were looking out for the landlord, although one day the landlord personally arrived to check something and based on his understanding response to the issues we raised it can only be concluded that the issues were with Rees & Associates rather than him.
As a side note: Angela then rebuked us for "contacting the landlord" when he had actually turned up unannounced (since when is it banned for a landlord to visit their property or the tenant to answer the door, are we not the clients?) In short, if you want a year of battling over tiny issues, getting buried in admin, and being condescended by a barrage of incomprehensible jargon, I thoroughly recommend this firm.
The one saving grace is that the house was great: previous tenants had warned us how difficult Rees & Associates were to deal with, but we believed the quality of the property would make up for it. We were wrong.
Despite being a "fully furnished" house we had no desks in the rooms which they justified by saying that clients are particular about desks (but not beds?!), and the kitchen table they provided for a five person house had three sides and only 2 working legs. We bought a new kitchen table that was well suited to the room and big enough for 5 and offered to give it to the house for free, at which point they said we had to pay to remove the original table and the one we donated.
When our shower head stopped working the tenants paid for a new one (we needed to have showers that day so could not wait for Rees to visit) and asked for a refund: we were told we should have soaked our shower head in vinegar overnight, instead of just refunding us J8 (on rent of over J2000 per month). The check out process was better than expected because we were dealing with Jacqueline rather than Angela (and as such we received emails that were less patronising and were at least written in plain English). However, they did still try to make us pay for "additional cleaning" to rooms that we had paid to have professionally cleaned by a company of Rees' choosing, they wanted money to move lamps from room to room, and they tried to make us pay an absurdly small amount for a new shower curtain, and it was only when we appealed the petty request that they admitted they were going to be re-decorating anyway so probably didn't require us to pay.
In other words they tried to sneak a few more pounds out of us when the curtain would be replaced anyway (and presumably the house would be cleaned after the re-decorating?). At no point did we feel like a client: we always had the impression they were doing us a favour, or at the very least were looking out for the landlord, although one day the landlord personally arrived to check something and based on his understanding response to the issues we raised it can only be concluded that the issues were with Rees & Associates rather than him.
As a side note: Angela then rebuked us for "contacting the landlord" when he had actually turned up unannounced (since when is it banned for a landlord to visit their property or the tenant to answer the door, are we not the clients?) In short, if you want a year of battling over tiny issues, getting buried in admin, and being condescended by a barrage of incomprehensible jargon, I thoroughly recommend this firm.
The one saving grace is that the house was great: previous tenants had warned us how difficult Rees & Associates were to deal with, but we believed the quality of the property would make up for it. We were wrong.
Kostas N.
We have been renting a property with Rees & Associates for the last 3+ years and our experience so far is overwhelmingly positive. Their service is 100% professional, their staff is very effective, polite and helpful whenever we have an issue or question about the property and their responsiveness is immediate. What else could anyone ask from a property management company? We highly recommend them.
Daniele Cassese
I had a very positive experience with Rees & Associates during my 3 years and 3 months of tenancy. The communication has been always smooth and efficient, and the staff proved very kind and helpful with all the matters I had. The apartment is beautiful, perfectly located and in a great position in the Mill Road area, close to pubs and shops. The check-out procedure has been easy and I received my Tenancy Deposit back in few hours. I would use R&A again if I will come back to Cambridge.
Darcy Isaacson
I rented through this company for two years and have had only positive experiences. The staff are always professional and very prompt in answering any queries I had as a tenant and a great deal of helpful information was provided to us to ensure we had good knowledge of the properties we stayed in. Staff were very quick in sorting any issues we had in the property and no issues in regards to return of deposits. Would definitely recommend.
Somer Greene
A friend recommended Rees to me, and they were a wonderful right from the start! It was my first time renting in Cambridge, and they were patient with every question as I learned about the renting policies in the UK. Rees does a great job in communicating with tenants as well, so I always knew any updates going on. When a flat mate or I needed assistance with the house they were quick to respond and always friendly during the process. I would highly recommend Rees to anyone—and especially if you are intimated by the idea of renting property for the first time!