A tenant has been organising with SolFed after deposit deductions were made from their joint-tenancy deposit, despite the fact they left the property in a clean condition. The deductions were unreasonable, not costed in enough detail, and, on top of this, service from the agency was poor throughout her tenancy. This even included not being provided keys when locks were changed during the tenancy.

Brand Vaughan’s response to the demands for £390 to be returned from the deposit, and for £541 compensation, has included making legal threats, as well as claiming that the problems with the tenancy were not their responsibility. The landlord of the property is in-fact Tom Ghibaldan, chief executive of Brand Vaughan. Deposit deductions claimed by Brand Vaughan were in the service of their own chief executive.

Mr Ghibaldan’s staff profile on Brand Vaughan’s website claims that the agency have a “strong emphasis on excellent customer service,” when in this case the tenant was treated appallingly. The tenant suffered terrible service during their tenancy. Her concerns about feeling unsafe in the property were not adequately addressed, and correspondence was ignored. The agency even charged for visits to the property, when they eventually attempted to acknowledge the problems the tenant had raised. So far, the agency have chosen to belittle and ignore the tenant’s reasonable demands.

Tom Ghibaldan continues holding on to the money which has been taken, and has as yet failed to acknowledge the responsibility Brand Vaughan has to the tenant. The public campaign thus continues apace. Agents and landlords need to realise that they cannot take money from tenants in this way and hope to get away with it, and must compensate tenants who suffer distress through their poor practices.

An injury to one is an injury to all!