Mystery as letting agent closure leaves landlords worried

Mystery surrounds a letting agent which appears to have shut up shop, leaving landlords and tenants speculating about what has happened to the business and, apparently, their money.

Ayrton Properties, trading as The Property Showroom in Farsley, Leeds, is run by husband and wife team Mark and Samantha Hamilton-Smith.

According to the website, the company, which belongs to the Property Ombudsman scheme, is still trading in both sales and lettings. However, Samantha Hamilton-Smith resigned as director and secretary of the company on January 20, and local agents say there has been no sign of activity or of the couple at the premises since February 18.

One agent who went to The Property Showroom last week said he found the smart looking office shut, with no staff present and all the computer equipment gone.

Glenn Ackroyd, of National Property Group, said there was also a build-up of unopened mail, but no sign indicating that the office had closed for business.

At a nearby lettings agent, he said he was told that they have been approached by over 20 landlords, whilst Ackroyd himself has been contacted by a tenant not knowing what to do about payment, plus landlords who claim they have had no rental income and that phone calls and emails are not being answered.

According to Google reviews of The Property Showroom, landlords are less than happy.

One said that they had used the business to manage their property since January 2009: “Rent was rarely paid on time and as of February 2012, the business has gone into administration and/or ceased trading, and the telephones are not being answered.”

Another, apparently a tenant, says that they have been chasing them for over a year for money, but that the firm has not returned their deposit.

Ackroyd, an ARLA member, says he has been unable to make contact with the Hamilton-Smiths, but is advising landlords that the firm did not appear to be ARLA members and may not have client money protection insurance in place.

He is also advising them regarding tenant deposits, gas safety checks, and the tenancy agreements.

Ackroyd said: “I’ve informed any landlords in difficulty that we’d be happy to take care of the handover and administration to take back control. We would waive all admin costs and do this free of charge.”