Question to those who've used Flatland

Jareth64 · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

I've read the threads about Flatland and how their adverts are fake (their own websites says their ads are only 'examples') but to those of you who've actually seen the flats they offer, how are they?

I want a basic little room with a kitchenette, possibly a shower if they really do offer them built in. Nothing flashy. But I don't want some dirty place with mice and dreadful neighbours!

I only ask, because almost ALL the flats in the area I want (West Kensington, Barons Court - walking distance from Hammersmith college) come under Flatland! Findaproperty lists so many from them on just the roads I want. Sad

I know they're actually owned by private landlords, but it seems you can only get to them through Flatland.

Your experiences from those who've looked at the places they've sent you to please! What were the flats like?

Bluey · Community Moderator Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643

See the Gumtree Stay Safe tips when looking for accommodation.

http://www.gumtree.com/help/stay_safe#item73

Gumtree discourages advertising from agencies that charge upfront fees (fees paid before viewing) because of the amount of negative experiences by those that are disappointed with the accommodation they get to view AFTER shelling out big money to obtain listings or arrange viewings.

According to the Flatland website contains disclaimers that the property they advertise is indicative of what they offer and not actually what they may have, that they don't view the properties, "do not have control over the properties" and that no refund of the fee is permitted so long as they've arranged an appointment for the applicant within a week of purchasing the service.

So the risk is on the applicant handing over the money that isn't refundable if they are sent on a viewing within a week of paying, whose paid this money based on the strength of information posted on a website that freely admits it could be inaccurate for properties that the company has never seen.!

Here are some historic threads on this general topic

http://forums.gumtree.com/about28787.html
http://forums.gumtree.com/topic116360.html
http://forums.gumtree.com/topic67603.html
http://forums.gumtree.com/topic1972.html
http://forums.gumtree.com/topic62947.html

Letting agents that actually manage properties (i.e. have them on their books) are not permitted by law to charge upfront fees to tenants before they have viewed the property and agreed to accept it.

Appointment making/accommodation listing services are but the risk is squarely on the applicant who is parting with money for a service not yet given for accommodation not yet seen...

Jareth64 · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks for the info.

That's why I'm curious on what the places they do offer are like. I don't know whether to take the gamble.

Sanne · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 189

They do not deal with landlords. All they do is call places listed on other sites like gumtree or loot, or estate agents and try to arrange a time for you to see the flat. You can do that on your own without paying them.

Bluey · Community Moderator Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643

Bluey · Community Moderator Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643

Personally I think it's fantastic that the appointment making service has managed to find 325 properties to advertise on www.findaproperty.com
at fantastically low prices in central London.

http://www.findaproperty.com/agentdetails.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&agentid=03789

With bedsits from £50 and Studios from £85 in zone 1 & 2, nobody now needs to pay £100 a week for a room in a shared house in Zone 3 which is probably the norm. It's great to get change out of £100 per week for a studio in kensington or Holland park! It's virtually run on a charity basis...

http://www.findaproperty.com/agentprops.aspx?edid=00&salerent=1&agentid=03789

Jareth64 · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

Well I think I've now found some of the flats I was interested in on Gumtree. But they're still at remarkably low prices... Confused

Hopefully the numbers go through to the Landlord and not Flatland!

Why do respectable sites like Findaproperty list their 'adverts'?

Bluey · Community Moderator Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643

flybynight · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Pimlico

flybynight · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Pimlico

Mr_X · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 207

Really? £90pw for Pimlico?

Are you sure it is Pimlico in Central London and not in Herts?

Yes. Yes you do expect the agencies to view the properties as them listing incorrect information about the properties would be against the property misdescriptions act.

Gumtree is not an estate agent, and the postings are done via the landlords / agents themselves. Rolling Eyes

flybynight · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Pimlico

Mr_X · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 207

Well that is indeed very cheap.

So Flatland, Interlet, etc. are not agents.

They provide a listing service for would be tenants, making properties cheaper.

Funny, but I think they also list properties from other estate agents. So, what they do is charge for their service to the tenant, then the tenant goes through the other agent, the other agent charges him another lets say £100 (on the cheap side) for administration, references, etc., plus the tenant is paying a further 10-15% more of the rental value to cover the costs of the landlord's agent. Confused

flybynight · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Pimlico

alanr · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 13

Nick seems to run a decent operation, but the problem with Fl*tl*nd, Int*rl*t, C*ntr*l Fl*ts et al, is that they encourage people to pay in advance for services they know they cannot reasonably supply - e.g. by displaying pictures and details of properties that are not actually available to rent, or implying that they are agents acting for landlords - which they clearly are not.

They are fully aware that once they have your sign-up fee, they only have to screw you around for a short time before you lose patience with them and go elsewhere.

A decent letting agent will make money by quickly matching a prospective tenant with a suitable property, and receive a fee from the landlord - either a one-off charge, or a percentage of the monthly rental. There's no need to charge an additional fee just to arrange viewings.

You would be just as well-off offering a stranger in a pub £50 to find you a flat (as long as you pay them afterwards and not before!)

flybynight · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Pimlico

Thank you for the compliment - I genuinely do my best.

I find my self in an odd position defending the firms that I will refer to as "Listing Agencies" as I have had my own issues with one of them.

I have visited Flatland, Central Flats, & Interlet simply because I wanted to satisfy myself of their propriety before placing my propeties with them. I have met the owners of Flatland & Central Flats, who are perfectly normal genuine individuals. Odd as it seems they are brothers who compete with each other! Interlet is also a "normal" Estate Agency so as a tenant with them you have a choice - you can pay them £70 & get to see properties on their direct rental list, or rent through them where you don't pay a fee but the rent will be about 10 - 15% more expensive.

So I am happy in my mind that these companies are not fraudsters, & I know for a fact that at least some of their vacancies are genuine because I often let property through them! Having said that I recognise some truth in your complaint - these companies are charging less than half in total than a lettings agent will charge every month! The service is going to be Aldi v Fortnum & Mason.

If you want Fraudsters you have to look upmarket, to the companies with the poshest websites, the flashest company cars, & the best lawyers (which is why they don't get named). Now they really do rob people, & we aren't talking £70 here but in my tenant's case they lost £3000. But I guess that's off topic.

alanr · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 13

No doubt that a landlord's perspective is somewhat different from a prospective tenant, and when you are running a business it's a case of 'whatever works is good'.

I visited Flatland in Gloucester Road because their published phone number connects only to a recorded message, and I would have willingly paid them a fee to find me suitable accommodation, but they were not willing to give me even the briefest details of what I could expect for my money - all they were interested in, was getting the money first.

Same story with Central Flats near Goodge Street.

It just seems odd to me, that a legitimate business would demand an up-front fee just to give me details of what they do - with no indication or guarantee that I am likely to end up with what I am looking for.

In fairness, they do kind of state that the properties they list may not actually be available, but you have to really be good at reading small print - and what kind of incentive is that to do business with them?

It would be like getting into a taxi that is advertising your destination, paying a non-returnable fare to the driver, then being told that the taxi is actually going the other way - that was just an example of where the taxi could have gone.

Cov · Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 2291 Location: London

All this blood sucking makes me sick.
I wished those people in the Estate Agency business would get a proper job.

They're all the same.
A prime example for the deccay in our society.

flybynight · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 59 Location: Pimlico

Well I can confirm that I have seen the properties that I have placed with Interlet & Flatland advertised on Gumtree. I have a bedsit with them currently & I did a search to show you the advert & say "that Bedsit is available" but I can't find any adverts from either company on Gumtree. Have they been thrown off? Or have they just stopped advertising on Gumtree?