Abode Property Management

I rented a property with Abode for 5 months, the situation was not a simple one; I had taken the room over from a girl who had to move quickly and still had 5 months of her contract left, I took over the contract on her behalf. Because of the nature of this I had to go into Abode and pay my rent by cheque every month.
Despite this rather awkward agreement for me, it was adhered to, and despite me walking in to pay them money every month I always felt that I was an inconvenience to Abode and got what felt like a rather frosty reception. They were also rather slow on a drains issue we had in the house.
When my contract ended I vowed never to use Abode again, especially not as the main point of contact for the maintenance of a property. After being initially relaxed and happy for me to take the room I was soon made to feel like a problem. I have in fact not gone back to Abode.

With a dish of colourful lollypops on a table inside, Abode makes a good effort to provide a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and service, and I’ve got no complaints about my experience. They always answer the phone really quickly and they seem to remember you if you call again, so that’s all very reassuring and when you visit in person, there’s always someone free to help you.
My only niggle with Abode is that it’s hard to talk privately with one of the agents/​assistants, as it’s a quiet, open plan office. That’s only a small thing, though; generally I’d recommend going through Abode to find a flat to rent, especially for students or young professionals. This place seems to «get» young people, and it’s right in the middle of the popular student residence areas, so you know they’ll fight your corner.

Estate agents are hard to like and Abode is no different. You won’t find overly friendly staff trying to get you a good deal on a flat, but you will find overworked, stressed employees with a limited tolerance for the inquisitive students that form the majority of their client base. I have been rudely ignored at times, but equally I have been treated extremely well at others. Strangely I found them unhelpful when we were looking to sign on to a house with them but we have found their post-​sale-​service to be pretty exemplary. When the dishwasher has gone wrong they’ve been quick to send a friendly repair man over. With slightly better management Abode could give help estate agents get a better name!