Alternative Property Services

Business Details

Professional Letting & Property Management in Havering

Alternative Property Services is a family-run letting agency established over 15 years ago, serving the Havering area from our Hornchurch office. With a team of 10 fully trained professionals boasting over 100 years of combined experience in the lettings industry, we specialise exclusively in property letting and management. As members of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), we maintain high standards of competence and professionalism, ensuring client peace of mind through our dedicated service. Our commitment to excellence is demonstrated through our membership of The Property Ombudsman scheme and Client Money Protection via the National Federation of Property Professionals. We utilise advanced technology and comprehensive marketing strategies to maximise property exposure, while our Rent & Legal Protection Scheme provides additional security for landlords.

Our office's central location in Hornchurch enables extensive coverage of the local property market, supporting both landlords and tenants with tailored solutions. We maintain strict compliance with industry regulations and have implemented robust in-house complaints procedures to ensure transparency. Our team's longevity, with five members employed for over a decade, reflects our stable and experienced workforce dedicated to delivering exceptional service. We invest in continuous staff development and maintain professional indemnity insurance to guarantee compensation payments when required. Our comprehensive approach combines modern technology with traditional values to create a letting experience that meets the evolving needs of our clients.

Services

Lettings Property Management Tenant Referencing Rent Collection Property Marketing Deposit Protection Maintenance Coordination Legal Compliance Valuation Services Inventory Management

Highlights and features

Established family-run business with 15+ years' experience in residential lettings
Team of 10 professionals with 100+ years combined industry expertise
ARLA-accredited agency maintaining strict professional standards
Comprehensive Rent & Legal Protection Scheme for landlord security
Dedicated Maintenance Manager ensuring prompt property issue resolution

Associations and certifications

Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)
The Property Ombudsman
National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP)

Website

Update Listing

Services

Lettings

Our comprehensive lettings service specialises in placing quality tenants in residential properties. With 15 years' experience and a team of experts, we provide market-leading valuations, professional photography, and multi-channel marketing. Our ARLA-accredited team ensures full compliance with legal requirements while maintaining high service standards.

Property Management

We offer full property management solutions covering over 500 properties. Our services include rent collection, maintenance coordination, regular inspections, and legal compliance. Our dedicated team ensures landlords receive timely payments and tenants enjoy well-maintained properties, supported by our Rent & Legal Protection Scheme.

Tenant Referencing

Our thorough tenant referencing process includes credit checks, right-to-rent verification, and employment confirmation. Using advanced software systems, we ensure landlords receive reliable tenants while maintaining compliance with legal requirements. This service forms part of our comprehensive lettings package.

Rent Collection

Our rent collection service provides landlords with regular payments through standing orders. We issue monthly statements, handle payment reminders, and manage arrears resolution. This service includes our Rent & Legal Protection Scheme to safeguard against non-payment.

Property Marketing

We maximise property exposure through professional photography and listings on major portals including Rightmove, Zoopla, and PrimeLocation. Our marketing strategy combines digital presence with local market knowledge to achieve quick lettings at competitive rents.

People

Adrian Turner

Chief Executive

As Chief Executive of ARLA, Adrian Turner leads industry efforts to raise letting standards. He has championed Alternative Property Services' membership, recognising their commitment to professional excellence and ethical practices in residential lettings.

Questions

What services do you offer for landlords?

We provide full lettings, property management, rent collection, and legal protection services. Our packages include marketing, tenant referencing, and maintenance coordination.

Are you an accredited letting agency?

Yes, we're members of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and registered with The Property Ombudsman, ensuring professional standards and client protection.

How do you handle property maintenance?

We have a dedicated Maintenance Manager who promptly addresses service requests for properties under our management, ensuring timely resolution of issues.

What fees do you charge?

Our fees range from 120% of one month's rent for let-only services to 18% for fully managed properties, with transparent pricing detailed in our service guide.

How do you protect tenant deposits?

Deposits are protected through the Tenants Deposit Scheme, registered within 30 days of receipt, with full compliance to statutory requirements and documentation provided to all parties.

Can you help with rent arrears?

Our Rent & Legal Protection Scheme covers landlords against non-payment, including legal costs for eviction proceedings when necessary, subject to scheme terms and conditions.

Reviews (5)

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Dodgy

Jun 14, 2022 Report

Rented through APS for 5 years. Good service, all repairs carried out quickly & got my deposit back without a fuss when I moved out. I recommend them.

Gemma S.

Jun 12, 2022 Report

Not very good customer service, don't call back after you enquire and had to twice none of which was replied to. Guessing clients get the same treatment, I would avoid.

Morena Pepe

May 27, 2022 Report

Dalila Daniello- response to original review. Thank you for your response As before, is argumentative with no solution at end, but just playing the blame game. I would like to start by saying that I just wrote the review of my own personal experience, and for you to come back like said already- argumentative and picking out matters that wasn't relevant, which from my point of view shouldn't be used in your response ( very unprofessional).

I could have gone more into detail on the review but I didn't, as this is a review not a complaint! We both know that wasn't down just to meters but your service - the wrong contract was created hence null and void. Like already mentioned I wont go into any further details, as I don't believe this is the right place to do so. I wish with constructive criticism your services improve, all the best.

Sayed Husseini

May 25, 2022 Report

People in this place need to learn how to deal with customers, I was due to view a property today, someone called Jake called me to tell me that they have to cancel my appointment and that I need to come on Monday instead, I told him that I will be at work on Monday and his response was that he doesn't like my attitude and that I will be losing the property if I can't make it on Monday. I asked to speak to a manager but Mr Jake refused and claimed he is the most senior person there. Judging by his attitude and customer service skills, I highly doubt that's the case. Avoid this place at all costs, as you can see, there are lots of unsatisfied customers leaving negative comments.

Dalila Daniello

May 22, 2022 Report

First time renting in my whole life and I couldn't pick a worse agency than this. poor communication, not helpful at all! I wouldn't rent again with them! Ever!