Tenancy review for 74 Seaford Street in Hanley Park And Shelton, Stoke-on-trent rented from Rifat Iqbal

Landlord rating: 3

She will attempt to take as much money from your deposit as physically possible. You can be a shining example of a tenant and she will still find something to rob you for.

Whenever issues with the house would arrive we were often told that there was not/could not be an issue and we were made to feel stupid on a regular basis. We had to put up with a broken dryer for two years as she refused to replace it and the downstairs bedroom had mould for two years which she refused to acknowledge until it was time to deduct money from the deposit.

When we had almost the entire render fall off the side of the house (which almost hit one of the tenants about to walk past the side of the house it fell down) she made no effort to quickly rectify the situation or ensure the house was structurally sound. Someone was sent out to simply sweep the debris to the side and nothing else was done about it.

She will 100% take advantage of the fact that this is more than likely your first time renting. Know your rights before you enter into an agreement with this landlord.

Property rating: 4

5 rooms. One very well-sized room, two relatively well-sized rooms and two tiny corridor rooms. Mould in the large main room on the bottom floor. Towards the end of the tenancy, about 70% of the render collapsed off the side of the house.

Area rating: 1

Neighbourhood is terrible. Drug deals taking place in the alleyway directly adjacent to the property and because the wall to the "garden" was so low you were always made to feel like you were intruding. Once even had somebody tell me to "f**k off" while having a cigarette in my own garden. The past two years (2019 and 2018) people had set fireworks off at people down the street. Definitely the nasiest part of Shelton!