From: hiscrp@nuscc.nus.sg (C R Pennell)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Help seeking flat in London
Date: 28 Sep 92 23:38:14 GMT
Organization: National University of Singapore

chem91@Elroy.UH.EDU ("Bill Harrison (713)-743-2789") writes:
: >3.  What are the advantages/disadvantages to using a letting
: >    agency such as Runyards?  Are there any specific agencies
:                     ^^^^^^^^
: 
: Andrew -- imagine the sleaziest street in College Station, and the sleaziest
: second hand car dealer/pawn shop in that street. Then you're at the Runyard's
: level. They're slumlords... There are probably 2,000,000 dwellings in London;
: you'll find a nice(ish) one somewhere, but expect to pay an outrageous rent
: (remember "tradition" -- bad or no heating, leaky pipes, squalid kitchen etc. 
: costs money, squire...).
: 
: Bill


	Before I go any further a declaration of interest

	I have lived outside Britain for nearly 10 years, during taht
time our flat has been rented out through one (and only one agency).
I can highly recommend this company (and will do so if you hang on a
minute) for LONG-TERM (more than 6 mths) lets. The only other company we
ever tried failed to let the flat and has since, to my satisfaction gone
nothing by all this.

   The flat is rented at the moment, so I gain very little from what
follows in a direct sense. Though, if the agent;s ever got to hear I'd
been giving them free advertising doubtless they'd be pleased!
	Birch's (that is the name of the company) recentlty took two
whole months to let the flat - up till then they had never taken more
tahn a week. We had to knock a bit off the rent in order to do so. The
point is that just at present there is a surplus of rented accomadation
on the market. The flat concerned - which I repeat is now let - is a
rather odd creation, formed by slinging several very large concret beams
between two neighbouring 1930s blocks at about first floor height plus a
bit and building a two floor maisonette over the resulting arch. It was
originally designed for the caretaker of the two blocks. It has a big
living room with a semi attached kitchen making up the bottom floor with
the bathroom which hangs over the arch backwards(!) and two bedrooms up
stairs. It is on the edge of Highbury fields, which are very nice, and
fice minutes walk from two tube stations and a British Rail station.
Busses are excellent, good shops, public swimming pool 3 mins walk. The
rent is 140 pound a week. Above included to give some idea of prices.
	Now the agent:
	Birch and Company
	18-21 Jermyn Street
	London SW1Y 6HP
	Phones 071-734 7432/ 071-4375921
	Fax 071-439 4742
	Telex 286312 WESCOM G (attn BIRCHCO)
	No e-mail!
	AS I say I have dealt with them for nearly ten years. I have
also spoken to most of the tenants they have found - they are picky
about this, want refrences which they follow up - and they ALL said teh
same thing - that Birch's are absolutely straight, they get things fixed
when they go wrong, they don't mess about. As an owner, my impression is
the same. ACtually thre was one woman who didn't like them, but from her
correspondence it was clear that she suffred from severe psychiatric
problems. SO I recommend them without reservation.
	BUT - whoever you find remember - thre are more properties than
tenants in London at the mo. If the landlord buggers you around - the
agent can only be as good as the landlord - go somewhere else. Birch's
say that one of their landlords refused to provide bed-linen on the
grounds he never had before and lost a 250 pounds a week let. He
deserved to.

Richard Pennell History NUS