Sab Property - Cambridge

Joe

Living in the flat I rented from this letting agency was a nightmare. The flat was on 25 Regent Terrace. When I moved in the flat was very dirty. The carpet, mattress and living room furniture were dirty and with an awful odor about them. The fridge smelled of rotten food. These issues were ignored in the inventory of the move and instead wrote that the state of the apartment was "professionally clean". The flat had a constant smell of mould and the agent brushed off by claiming it was caused by my kitchen and the restaurant outside. I discovered black mould under the carpets. The agents claimed that this could be caused by the shower leak and tried to shut down my complaint by blaming me for the mould. I did not know what I could raise a formal complaint and take this agent to court as I know now that the presence of mould is a serious offence of the tenancy and they tried to mislead me about it.

James R. D.

From day one SAB have proven to be very difficult and I've tried my best to be objective and fair but their failings are consistent. When a problem arises, they do everything they can to put the onus and cost on the tenant, including making ridiculous amateur errors that it is then on you to point out their mistakes, wasting your time making you do their job. They offer no solutions and have no creative thinking but I can only imagine this is because the majority of their staff are 18 years of age, have recently graduated local sixth form centres and colleges, walked straight into a job here with a minimal pass in BTEC Business, and are not up to the task. Certainly there is some effort with customer service, the staff are seemingly not bad people, but they are naïve, lack creative thinking, there's no love of the job for sure, but worst of all is their obvious inability required for the role and a lack of skills that make life difficult and frustrating for the tenant. They are an unnecessary middle man. I would avoid unless renting via them unless there is no other choice.

Edit following SAB response: They took my creative thinking comment to be a criticism that they wouldn’t work outside of the law. This is a misinterpretation. In the example they clearly thought I had in mind (because they know they were a disappointment) they were totally oblivious to the multiple ways their chosen 3rd party, Goodlord, could carry out their relevant checks. It was up to I and my wife to go to the Goodlord website when SAB simply said “we’ve only ever done things this one way, we don’t know what to do”. So when I was talking about “creative thinking”, I meant something more akin to problem solving.

The real problem is that I didn’t mention an example because it’s been multiple times. Last week I had to waste my time contacting them because they told me I was liable for a bill dated for a period ending 16th of June, when our tenancy began on the 17th. Ultimately showing that they can’t read, or understand dates. When this risks bailiffs coming to us, or a misunderstanding affecting our credit rating, I really think these mistakes are unacceptable. Anyone would except SAB who think i’m unfairly picking on them obviously.

As for them saying my comments on their staffs credentials were unkind and untrue, again, I checked the “linked in” profile for whom I was corresponding with because I was in disbelief at their lackluster efforts. Of course there was generalization and allusion to their staff as a whole m because I hardly wanted to name and shame their inexperienced eighteen year olds who are still learning, but I calling me a liar is hardly tactful.

They can shirk responsibility and try and cover their iniquities with a desperate defensive reply but you need only interact with their staff once to realize i’m being completely honest, reasonable, and objective and that they need to do better. Otherwise they wouldn’t have such a depressing collection of reviews from tenants and a rating evened out only by the presence of their landlords and contractors who I can only imagine must enjoy a premium service.

Ruth L.

I live abroad and rent out my house in the UK and have recently changed agents to SAB. The handover between agents was smooth and SAB have already done a good job managing a change-over of tenants. I personally really value having a single go-to as my property manager, who is easy to contact and responsive to my queries and requests, as this gives me piece of mind letting out my house while overseas. So far I have experienced all of these things, so I am very satisfied with their service. Thank you SAB!

Mert P.

I recently rented a house for six months with SAB in Cambridge while on a short-term stay, and I couldn't be happier with their service. I had to complete the entire process from another country, and SAB made it incredibly smooth.
They were consistently quick and courteous in their responses to all my emails, both during the rental process and after I moved in.

Liam H.

Even though we had to move in at very short notice, SAB were incredibly helpful and accommodating. During our tenancy, replies to our queries were prompt and helpful. Any maintenance requests were handled appropriately and with due care. Staff were friendly and concise in their communications. This has been our most seamless and relaxed tenancy thus far, thanks in no small part to SAB.

Maryelly T.

I do not recommend this agency. They are very good and quick when it comes to finding a property, but when it comes time to leave the property, they are completely unprofessional. I left a property with them on June 20th, and to this day, a month later, I have not received any response about my deposit. It's completely ridiculous because I've always paid all my fees on time, and now I have to deal with this. Besides the lack of communication and not responding to my emails, find another agency!

Dan J.

SAB have been a valued service partner to our business for over 15 years and are first-class in lettings and management.
There has been no stress in letting our properties, from finding tenants to estate management dealing with issues or repairs. We have experienced a wide range of letting agents, and SAB stand out by comparison.

Mimi A.

Some of the rudest most arrogant people I’ve ever met. Paying close to £2k a month for a shitty house without a shower and shit stained walls and can’t even get spoken to with a bit of decency from their admin, who was basically telling me to get off the phone. Unnecessarily rude. Just no need for it, you can say it all and leave the call with both people still smiling. Basic manners are nowhere to be found here.