Leaders - Chelmsford Avis 

Was a tenant with Leaders as the letting agent for 5 years. Communication during the tenancy was mostly ok however, when giving notice to end the tenancy it was a nightmare. I gave 2 months notice to leave on 30th June 2025 and this was acknowledged on 1st July after I chased confirmation it had been received (had to do it via their online portal) as there was no confirmation received that it had gone through ok. Guy Cooper-Clarke responded to my chaser email to confirm notice was received and it would be "processed". 4th August 2025 I received an email confirming my notice had been processed and my final day at the property would be 30th August. They recommended a cleaning company to carry out an end of tenancy clean. They were hideously expensive (£420) so I found an alternative company. They failed to do anything with regards to arranging viewings for new tenants and the landlord was unhappy so they called me in a panic to arrange viewings that week, with 2 days notice. On 29th August I received the one and only communication regarding return of keys. I had assumed I would be posting them through the letterbox for them to collect however a text came through asking that the keys be returned to the Witham branch (!?) by "close of day" on 30th. Being a Saturday the branch was only open until 1pm so I had to ensure I had fully vacated the premises by midday to drive to Witham to return the keys. When I arrived, the branch was closed (1230). Guy cooper Clarke replied to my frantic email with images proving I was there in time to return the keys, sent to them at the time, on the Monday saying the keys were never meant to go to witham, they were supposed to go to Chelmsford. They confirmed keys were collected (posted through Witham branch letterbox) and some time later (end of sept?) I received the check out inventory saying the clean I had done was insufficient but that I could NOT respond to this and had to wait for "liabilities stage". They then demanded I pay £320 for a clean with no evidence it was carried out and with no confirmation of what exactly was wrong with the professional clean I had already paid for. No opportunity was given for me to return to the company I employed to clean to get them back out to deal with whatever issues leaders had with the clean already done and so I contested the charges and it went to adjudication. They also wanted to charge me a full days rent, despite asking the keys to be returned to Witham by "close of day". Adjudicator reduced cleaning liabilities as only "light cleaning required" (I still feel opportunity should have been given to rectify by my company I employed and evidence of this alleged additional clean should have been provided!) and that was it, nothing mentioned about a full day rent being charged.
Leaders have stated that the one and only communication received said "close of day" not close of business so I could have returned the keys at midnight (!??) and will be liable for the full days rent.
Absolute charletons with no communication skills, who left everything to last minute, caused additional stress in a moving process which, is already a stressful time and will absolutely try to screw you over as a tenant in any way they can. Beware if you rent via leaders and make sure you challenge everything and get everything in writing prior to you leaving.

ONE OF THE WORST ESTATE AGENTS IN ESSEX.
Landlords/Tenants! Stay away, as this branch has issues with bad referencing and unreliable tenants who often fail to pay rent on time. The whole team needs to be changed, with the manager potentially needing to be sacked. This branch requires a revolution for change. I have been with them for only the last four months, and my experience with them has not been so good.

Great agency

As a landlord, I have 16 separate units to keep tenanted, and ensure all is in order for the tenants so that they stay tenants. It is a big task, boilers go wrong, windows need fixing as well as the need to find new tenants when old ones eventually leave. That said Toby has proved his worth in gold as a Senior Property Manager at Leaders, standing out for his organisation, skill at resolving complex issues and for doing a great job at keeping myself and tenants in the loop, communication wise. It has definitely freed up a lot of my time to have Toby's skill and competence available. That said if you are a landlord then I would recommend Leaders based on my great experience!

I am a tenant with leaders for 11 years , I am really happy with them , my property manager Tobias is helping every issues quickly , he is always very helpful ,
Thanks to Leaders especially Tobias .

We have been living in this property for over three year and we are very happy with the quality of the accommodation and the service provided by the property manager.

The property managers is always friendly, professional, and responsive to any issues or requests that we have.

They take good care of the property and make sure that everything is in working order. They also communicate regularly with us and keep us updated on any maintenance or repairs that are needed. I appreciate their attention to detail and their commitment to ensuring that we have a comfortable and pleasant living experience.

I would highly recommend Leaders to anyone looking for a great place to live.

Good established company. They have always dealt with my problems quickly and efficiently. Toby at Colchester has always been helpful.
Well done

Chelmsford…
I rent a property through the Chelmsford branch. My main contact is Tobias Wynne-Golledge. He was very helpful when we had to deal with a tenant , We have been with Leaders for many years now.

Best agency
Thank you Tobias for your wonderful service

I let a property through the Chelmsford branch. My main contact is Tobias Wynne-Golledge. He was very helpful when we had to deal with a tenant who wanted early termination of their tenancy. Always willing to help. We have been with Leaders for several years now.

Spoke with Libby most of the time. She is very lovely, polite and organised, deals with our queries quickly and efficiently to ensure the process from start to finish was pain free