Touchstone – Bath BA2 2AF

A prospective tenant arrived at a property on the move-in date to find it in a terrible state: the door wouldn’t lock, there was no power, dog waste in the garden, stained carpets, damp on the walls, and damaged windows. None of the issues were addressed as promised, and the tenant felt uncomfortable proceeding. Despite repeatedly stating they did not want to continue with the tenancy, they were ignored. After returning the keys, the tenant received no response to their emails or phone calls. This experience, being the tenant’s 30th house move, was unprecedented in its negative nature. The tenant requested contract termination and deposit return. Another tenant was charged for an extra month’s rent after giving notice, despite complying with all requirements and vacating the property on time. The property was listed for rent late, and advertised with a later availability date, resulting in unfair charges. The landlord also failed to arrange a pre-exit inspection. Communication was poor, with contradictory statements, delays, and a lack of accountability. The tenant was held their deposit and attempted to deduct rent they were not liable for. This company was viewed as unprofessional, showing little respect for tenants, and shifting responsibility for delays. A tenant who wished they had known about Touchstone’s management before renting had several issues that took over a month to resolve and a significant unresolved problem with a front door that wouldn’t close, creating a safety risk. The tenant reported this issue nearly three months ago, and the previous tenants had reported the same problem a year prior. The tenant, a landlord themselves, was appalled by the lack of urgency and disregard for the tenant’s safety. Another tenant experienced a nightmare scenario, with a leak and a broken boiler since March, leading to constant dampness and mold. Despite numerous attempts, the tenant was unable to reach the same person twice, and nothing was fixed. Forced to move out due to the conditions, the tenant received no response regarding the return of their keys and felt ignored. Reporting the issue to the council was also ineffective. A tenant emailed to end their tenancy well in advance, but confirmation took weeks. The tenant took a day off work to be present for a check-out, but the agent did not arrive or contact them. Instructions on key return were not provided. No contact was made for a fortnight. The tenant was asked to return the keys, with no communication. Then a deposit return agreement email arrived. However, five weeks after moving out, the tenant hadn’t received their deposit. Phone calls resulted in hold times of over 45 minutes, and emails were from different people. This move-out experience was described as unprofessional and chaotic. The tenant suggested a simple email template for deposit delays to improve tenant peace of mind. The tenant planned to report the situation to the council. Another tenant experienced a lack of a working toilet for six weeks due to failure of repairs. The apartment was dirty on move-in and the living room smelled of dog urine. The stove was also filthy, and the tenant had to spend hours cleaning it. When moving out, the landlord attempted to make deductions from the deposit for minor issues. The tenant felt the company made up faults to deduct money from their deposit. A tenant was charged for parking multiple times in their designated spots and later unjustly charged for cleaning after cleaning the house thoroughly. Staff did not respond to emails. A tenant was completely ignored after the boiler was broken for almost three weeks during freezing temperatures. The landlord had previously ignored concerns about unsafe water temperatures. A heating engineer said the boiler needed replacing, but the landlord closed for Christmas before addressing the issue, leaving the tenant without heat or hot water. A director was aware of the situation but did not offer temporary accommodation. After finally getting the heating back, the tenant requested rent deductions and compensation for negligence. After trying repeatedly to get a response from anyone, they were still ignored, even after repeated attempts to contact the landlord. The tenant had no choice but to contact the ombudsman. A tenant had a tub issue for nearly three months, causing damage to the property, and the tenant received no response from the landlord. One tenant described their experience as one of the worst rental experiences, with a persistent leaking shower for over seven months that was not addressed. The tenant was told not to use the shower for over a month. It took six weeks for the landlord to agree to deductions after the tenancy ended, and then another five weeks for the deposit to be returned, which violated the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. A tenant has been waiting 18 months for a hole in the ceiling to be fixed. A tenant described the company as a joke, as the company was not responsive in a timely fashion. A tenant has been chasing the company for four years for Hyperoptic installation in their building, after many promises to get the issue sorted. A tenant experienced a lack of commitment to property maintenance and had multiple unresolved issues for over a year. A tenant was without a washing machine for almost a month. Appointments were missed, and communication was poor, the tenant was still without the washing machine.