Tenant Denisa Bartova talks about her experience of renting from a London Rental Standard accredited landlord.
I’m originally from the Czech Republic and came to the UK to study. I’ve just finished my first year at Brunel University where I’m studying business and management.
I started off by looking for somewhere to live near the university campus. I found a room in a house via an agency. However, things didn’t work as I had expected. The estate agent was very bad at communicating with me. She would sometimes take about two weeks to reply to an email. Two days before I was due to move in I got really worried as I still hadn’t been sent the contract. The estate agent then emailed me to say they wanted £500 more than they had originally asked before they would let me move in. As a student, I just couldn’t afford to stump up the extra cash. As a result I was left homeless.
I was desperate to find somewhere to live. I posted details of my need for a room on the university’s Facebook page. Several people replied to recommend my current landlord, Paul. They’d been his tenants before and said he was friendly, helpful and fixed things in good time. They reassured me that he was genuinely a good landlord. When I contacted Paul he told me that he was accredited with the London Rental Standard. As well as the personal recommendations, knowing he was an accredited landlord gave me added trust and confidence in him. I knew that he wouldn’t mess me around like the last agent. That meant I was very happy to become his tenant.
I have been living in Paul's property for over a month now. I really like the house. When I moved in, Paul kindly refurbished the whole room to my liking and bought everything new. I have noticed that he treats his tenants really well and the rooms he rents are well kept. I have never seen such modern and beautifully furnished student houses as the ones he rents out.
Whenever I had an issue, whether it is being locked out of my room at night or not knowing how to switch the heating on, he's just always a phone call away. His attitude is very friendly yet professional. I feel very comfortable having him as a landlord and the fact that he's an accredited landlord really gives me peace of mind.
Find out more about the London Rental Standard
If you’re a tenant who is renting in London, ask your landlord or letting agent if they are accredited. Click here for more information about the London Rental Standard including how to join if you are a landlord or agent.