Can't see the Wood for the Trees

Sometimes things go well and there is a prolonged stretch of smooth running in life. Plain sailing, blue skies. Other times a whole heap of crap lands at once - family worries, stress at work. Naturally when things take a turn for the rougher the universe piles it on... there is always room for one more woe...


And then there is Redwood Estates. Redwood are the estate agents who manage the building Husband and I live in; and are letting agents for the apartment we live in in particular.


For the better part of four years we have tolerated with good natured resignation their utter disdain for us and our building. The first winter we were here we were left for three weeks without heating as the boulder broke down. The same thing happened the next winter too. Because they unaccountable never had a key for the property I or Husband have taken the day off work whenever they demanded - never asked, demanded - to do all manner of things. Put in a new letter box for no reason, for example.


Year on year the rent has gone up by 10% or more; and we've had to pay spurious admin charges for the privilege of renewing the lease. Recently we've got into the practice of leaving a set of keys with them for them to use if they need to get in - we have no objection after all, so long as we have enough notice to get the dead prostitutes out of the bath and generally have a bit of a clean. We have suggested on more than one occasion that perhaps they ought to get a spare made for them to use? They have countered with the suggestion we go and get one made for them *sigh*


Well things have certainly come to a head now. Redwood, in their endless pursuit of avarice, suggested to the landlord that now would be a good time to get a valuation (cue selling our home out from under us - but we're only tenants after all). So they ring me, and all is well because finally having had a key made they can come in and do it right?


No, no, no. Thursday I get an email from them reading they tried to get into the property but the key didn't work. Could I maybe take some time off to let them in??


OK.... so, typically missing a couple of key points there. Firstly, not the day we agreed. So amazingly not the date we agreed they were in different MONTHS. Secondly, so what has happened with this key they had made? Ah, well apparently the key is fine there must be a problem with the lock. No, I counter, the lock is and has always worked. No, I haven't changed the lock. Looks like maybe Redwood have mixed up some keys?


I think I would have been better off saying something about their mothers. Cue a stream of emails that quickly cross the border into harassment territory. Heaven forefend anyone might write "sorry about the mix up of the dates. We promise we'll manage keys better in future." Instead, why not have three employees play some kind of one-upmanship tag team in an effort to... well, I'm not sure what would be a win for them.


In the end I lost patience and told them from now on they need to do what I have always taken a point of pride in doing - comply with the lease. Which, by the way, means keeping the flat secure and given written notice of a wish to enter the property; things a letting agent might be expected to manage given enough tries.


Well, this is a rant and a half but this is also about my home and my family and Redwood, you treat your tenants like crap while expecting them to bend over backwards for you. You seem unable to do basic things like look at a calendar or manage a set of keys, and it's not for me to manage your incompetence. As for me - four years of this crap: I need to be quicker on the uptake.


As for you - avoid at all costs.