John Shepherd Estate Agents Reviews 1.090

We had a very disappointing experience with John Shepherd Lettings at the end of our tenancy. Significant deductions were proposed from our deposit for cleaning and full redecoration, despite the check-in report already recording marks, chips, and general wear in multiple areas.

During the process, we noticed inconsistencies in the evidence provided. For example, different versions of invoices were shared with varying amounts (£675 vs £795 for decoration, and £250 vs £270 for cleaning) with the same dates and descriptions. This raised serious concerns about the transparency and reliability of the claims being made.

The checkout report also relied heavily on close-up images, which exaggerated minor marks that are expected from normal use over a tenancy. Despite raising these concerns, we had to proceed through the Tenancy Deposit Scheme dispute process to resolve the matter.

While the adjudicator did reduce some of the charges, a substantial amount was still deducted. The overall experience felt heavily weighted against tenants and lacked fairness and transparency.

Would strongly advise future tenants to document everything in detail (especially with dated photos) and be prepared for disputes at the end of tenancy.

My partner and I viewed a property with Ellie on short notice, as we needed a quick turnaround after prior arrangements fell through.
Ellie was absolutely brilliant during the viewing and afterwards. She explained everything in detail and gave us all the information we needed about both the property and the process. She also went out of her way to ensure our referencing was completed as quickly as possible, as we were working within a tight timeframe.
We really appreciated her help and professionalism throughout — we couldn’t recommend her more!

Debbie Jackson has been my property inspector for a little while now and has gone above and beyond to ensure that any issues or concerns regarding my property are being addressed.
Within less than 24 hours Debbie has put plans into to place to ensure everything is up to the standards required.
After many months of back and forth with my property manager and nothing coming from it I started to loose faith. Debbi has restored my confidence with John Shepherd and I am extremely greatful for this lovely lady’s help.

Joe Farrar has been amazing throughout the whole process of finding a place for my friend and I for our next academic year. As an international student renting an apartment for the first time, he explained everything thoroughly and responded to each query swiftly.

We had a great experience with John Shepherd Estate Agents when securing our home. The whole process was smooth and well managed.

A special mention to Alex, who was incredibly helpful throughout our application. He was polite, honest, and very friendly, always taking the time to answer our questions clearly. His responses were always prompt, and he made the whole process much less stressful.

We really appreciate his support and hope he gets the recognition he deserves. Highly recommended!

Lara was very efficient and very helpful.

Caitlin is very responsive and tried to make sure we have a smooth move-in. Much appreciated.

We rented a property in Solihull for 3 years with John Shepherd managing the property. All of our queries were dealt with quickly, staff doing inspections were always very friendly and polite, and we feel we have been well looked after as tenants! Big shoutout to Lauren Foster who helped us throughout our tenancy, especially during our move out process ensuring that it was done in a smooth and timely way— she is a great asset to the team ⭐️

Thanks kelvin, for helping me out. The process was smooth and easy😊👍🏻

Efficient staff who are friendly and helpful

I am currently on Day 50 of living in a property managed by John Shepherd (Birmingham) that is unfit for human habitation. Since 9th February, I have been dealing with a severe structural leak that remains active and unresolved today.

The agency’s handling of this emergency is a disgrace. I am currently forced to live with:

Active Electrical Hazards: Water is leaking through internal light sockets. I have witnessed sparks on the electrical board twice, yet the source of the water has not been stopped.

Visibility Issues & Safety: The contractor’s only action was to remove the light bulbs. This has left one side of my living area without light, making it difficult to see the constant flooding on the floor.

Physical Injury: Because of the poor visibility and the wet floor, I have already suffered a physical slip injury, a direct result of the agency's failure to provide a safe environment.

Outrageous Management Demands: Property Manager Melissa Cannon has told me it is my 'contractual duty' to keep cleaning up this structural floodwater. I am being treated as an unpaid maintenance worker for a building defect I did not cause.

For over two weeks, Melissa Cannon has hidden behind a scripted 'business formal' response, stating she is 'in talks' with the landlord regarding a rent rebate. It takes five minutes to call a landlord, but this agency has stalled for 14 days while I continue to pay full rent for a hazardous, partially uninhabitable home. They are clearly prioritizing the landlord's future interests over my current physical safety.

If you value your safety and expect an agent who actually picks up the phone, avoid John Shepherd at all costs.

Thank you Natasha for helping
Me to get my property sold promptly. Very much appreciated!

I would strongly advise anyone to avoid John Shepherd Lettings. Our experience has been a nightmare of poor communication, negligence, and total disregard for tenant health and safety.
​We were told the property was undergoing renovations and were promised a second viewing that never happened. After paying our deposit and giving notice at our previous home, communication vanished. On our move-in date (19th December), nobody responded to our emails, and John Shepherd staff eventually blocked our calls.
​We were forced to show up at the initial agency's office with our luggage because we had nowhere to go. After a long confrontation, we were handed keys to a flat that was in a shocking state. Despite being told the property was "under renovation," no work had started.
​The Current Situation (3 Months In)The kitchen floor is severely buckled due to an ongoing building leak. Water is accumulating in the kitchen and bathroom.
​ There is widespread mould and a fly infestation. My partner has developed breathing issues, and the floor is a major trip hazard.
​
The agency is based in Birmingham while the property is in Slough. They have shown zero ability to inspect the property or manage repairs effectively.
​Hostile Communication: Instead of providing solutions, staff (aleema aziz) have been dismissive or rude. They even questioned our "capabilities" when we asked them to perform their own inspection duties.
​
We were left to figure out utility providers ourselves with no help from the agency, and they have refused to provide the landlord’s contact details so we can report how poorly their asset is being managed.
​We have spent months eating out because the kitchen is unusable, yet the agency refuses to discuss compensation. This is not just bad service; it is a health and safety crisis. Stay away from John Shepherd.

Regards,
Moin.

Mandi was punctual, knowledgeable, polite and friendly. The information was clearly presented and my questions were dealt with thoroughly and quickly. It was a most useful and enjoyable meeting.

Everybody was so kind and understanding! Such a quick process! I can’t wait to move into my new home!

Lucy at Solihull branch is fantastic such a superstar

They have a good knowledge of the local property in a wide area of the Midlands.
The staff have been most helpful.

Reported a repair for my hot water tank at 7am panicking about no hot water / heating with a child in my property, by half 9 I had the lovely Pauline dealing with it and had contractors assigned almost straight away, was a very fast process and Pauline even rang me to give me the heads up about the contractor struggling to contact me to arrange coming out, she was so friendly and sorted it all very quickly, Parker & sons (Charlie) arrived at my property within half an hour of speaking to somebody at the office and now it’s all sorted. Big thank you to both of you :)

Kelvin Zakeyo helped with a smooth process. I had a lot of questions after the viewing as well which he answered quickly and helped me with the booking process. Thank you!

The team as a whole performed great throughout the viewing and sale process. Worthy of particular mention were Natasha and Joe.