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Where do I even begin…
We were so excited to move into our first home together, but the experience with Thornley Groves (Monton branch) has been incredibly disappointing.
The property was handed over in a poor condition and clearly had not been properly prepared. We were told it had been professionally cleaned, which simply wasn’t true. We had to scrub grime off multiple surfaces ourselves, and the carpets were filthy and heavily soiled. They blamed the condition however on a "quick turnaround" to give us the keys, because the previous tenants moved out days late.
From day one, we’ve been dealing with a long list of issues including broken door handles (to the point of getting locked in a room), windows that don’t open properly, damp and mould in multiple areas, poor ventilation, pests (ants, woodlice and carpet beetles), and items left behind by previous tenants. A kingside bed left on the drive blew over in the wind and hit my car - no apology from the office but it was eventually collected 10 days later.
There are also serious safety concerns. We were told the back door was “fine just stiff”, yet a locksmith has since confirmed it needs replacing. We had to sleep in the house whilst we were unable to close or lock it, and all of our belongings had been moved over before we realised we couldn't lock the house. We’ve effectively been told to use windows as a fire escape whilst awaiting the back door to be replaced, despite the window handles being loose and the windows difficult to open, which is completely unacceptable.
What’s been most frustrating is the lack of response and the way concerns have been dismissed or downplayed as “not high importance”. The property manager even said "many of the points raised relate to minor cosmetic wear and tear, which is to be expected in a lived-in property that is not a new build" when we have reported faulty handles resulting in us getting locked in rooms or mould on the blinds etc. So living in a home with health and safety hazards is just to be expected apparently, because it's not a new build. We’ve had to repeatedly chase for updates and still have many unresolved issues. After 3 weeks we still don't know when they will be sorting the mould, despite them knowing we are both asthmatic.
We’ve spent our own time and money trying to make the property liveable, which shouldn’t be necessary when paying rent for a home that should be safe and clean from the start.
Overall, this has been an exhausting experience and not what we were led to expect at all.... Read more
28th Apr 2026 (10 days ago)