Black Katz: Customer Reviews

Reviewed by Nessie on 17th December 2008

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

I would reiterate the other reviews on here - truly wished I'd looked at this site before entering into a rental agreement. At first, I gave them the benefit of doubt and thought that perhaps they were simply incompetent. However, I now realise this is far too generous and that they really are flat out dishonest and absolutely not to be trusted. Literally, ensure every communication is in writing otherwise you will find yourself arguing back and forth about who said what when. This extends throughout the company, it is not a question of an individual agent. Once they have your money and signature, they wash themselves of any further responsibilities and will tell bold faced lies to the tenant and landlord. They have no clue about the properties they are showing and will say anything that comes to mind. Make sure you have everything signed, and countersigned - even then you will likely encounter problems and debates on interpretating what is in writing.

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Reviewed by bad_pixie on 13th October 2008

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

We paid a whopping £120 each for 'admin fees'. They didn't have the keys the morning we were moving in - then they gave us the wrong ones. We are still waiting for one set. We were not given an inventory. Prior to all this, they phoned and gave me grief about the fact that my landlord had not yet sent my reference (which is not my problem - they're getting paid to sort all that out themselves).
It was agreed - in writing - that the place would be professionally cleaned, and the carpets steam cleaned before we moved in. The place was really filthy, and the carpets were being cleaned as we were actually trying to move in! It was also agreed that they would fix some lights that were out - that hasn't happened either.
They provide a really poor service and are not worth the money at all.

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Reviewed by Des on 25th September 2008

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

For what they charge for as Administration fees-thay give you sweet F.A.
They claim things like we have received your fax and when you ask about your requests on the covering letter-they claim, no covering letter was received!!! Absolute A class liars
They are just in it for the money!!!
Will never ever use them again

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Reviewed by tubemap on 14th September 2008

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? YES

I was going to leave them good feedback if they deserved it - they didn't though.

If you phone and they say we will call back in two minutes - don't hold your breath as the call wont come at all. They will waste your time until you have no choice but to take their flat because you have no more time to look.

When you first get shown around a few houses by someone who wants to help you, getting driven around you think that Black Katz are absolutely great. They are far from good though...

After finding a place which might be suitable (many flats are so bad that your standards have to drop quickly) you will be told that the landlord has just acquired the property - this is rubbish - he has had it for many years!! So the lies begin...

You will be told that the landlord is one of the good ones and that he is going to do the property up (this is news to him - he doesn't like to spend money)... 'The landlord will buy what you want, professionally clean the flat, add a new fridge freezer, new tiling, new work surfaces, new lights, cleaned this, cleaned that, new toilet seat, etc, etc, etc - he will decorate - it will be like a new place'...

The asking price is x amount but if you offer x amount plus another £5 per week he will definitely take your offer and proceed to do the place up. So there is another bit of money you have been conned out of..

If you try to get this all in writing you will be given more excuses and told a pack of lies - In the end you have to phone and negotiate what is going to be done and included but each time something gets knocked off the list. You pay the deposit because you need somewhere to live.

More fun begins - trying to get the signed lease is a joke, two sets of keys? No - only one - it will take weeks to get two.
Trying to get the furniture ordered is a joke - You expect the furniture that was promised - You will get the cheapest, most uncomfortable bed and this will be ordered on the last possible time, it wont be matching, it will be the cheapest possible - the same time the trades needed to fix electrics etc arrive after you have moved in, nothing will have been checked to see if its working.. So this will all take up a lot more of your time trying to organise it all.

The flat will have a quick coating of paint on the walls if you're lucky, the professionals have certainly not be in to clean - the place will be filthy. Not have any of the things promised. 'The lease will be in the post' but it won't really. Every time you call, you will feel guilty as you seem a pain because you keep calling - You will be told they will call you back time and time again but they won't.

Basically - anything you ask for will be wrong. You will be told you have to use a fax - then later it turns out that email is okay. The lease will be wrong, have wrong amounts on it. The manager will tell you that the person who told you that you would get certain things has left the company even though he still works there. You will get so annoyed it trying to get someone to speak to as they are all trying to rent new flats!

When you go to pick up the key on moving day - if you phone you will be told to wait. It's the final straw - you want to kill them all now - or wish you had paid that bit extra for better estate agents and a flat you didn't have to spend weeks cleaning.

In the end after a lot of hard work and spending my own money - the flat is good for the money and the area I wanted. Black Katz have a lot of flats. There are some really nice people who work there. All they need to do is stop the lying sellers and improve the admin. You get what you pay for.

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Reviewed by White Dog on 12th March 2008

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

STUNNING lack of competence and honesty on every level, which was particularly rich given the amount of money they charge for "administration". Flat was not ready, paperwork not followed up, etc . when I complained, they called my girlfriend and threatened us with "terminating the contract". Anybody dealing with them should insist on everything IN WRITING as you cannot trust what is said to you in person or on the phone. Luckily, I have lawyer friends, but I imagine they get away with a lot with the uninformed.

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Reviewed by Alex Wolff on 1st January 2008

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

The house was not ready when I moved in. They didn't pay the hotel. They never returned the deposit arguing that the carpet was damaged when the flat had wooden floors!!. Amazing. They charged me twice for last month and when I asked for my deposit back, they asked me again for that month!!

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Reviewed by chrissy on 3rd December 2007

Services: Lettings (Prospective customer)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

Reviewed by mct on 24th June 2007

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO

Reviewed by london001 on 5th May 2006

Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Property: Residential
Experience: Would you use Black Katz again? NO