Providence Properties Ltd
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Leeds is one of the UK's largest university towns. Every year about 14,000 fresh-faced freshers arrive there all looking for somewhere to live - making them easy prey for the more unscrupulous landlords in town.
Watchdog has looked into some of those landlords before - but the one we've been hearing about this time is something else. Not only has he kept hold of thousands of pounds of students' money, he thinks he's above the law.
His name is Tariq Zaman and he makes a nice living renting out houses to students. But he does his best to keep as much of their money as he can.
In autumn 2006, Paula Radcliffe and three of her friends moved into a house they'd rented from Tariq.
Paula and her flatmates paid him a £1,000 deposit on their flat. They expected to get the money back when they moved out.
Paula says that when it came to handing their keys back they cleaned the property and left it absolutely spotless. Paula and the girl she was living with even got their parents to come and help them clean the house from top to bottom.
No intentions
Despite their efforts Tariq Zaman refused to pay back their deposit.
Eventually Paula and her friends had no other option but to take Tariq to court. They won. The court ordered him to pay back the deposit and the court fees. That was in October 2007 but over a year later, Tariq still hasn't paid them.
When Watchdog went with Paula to ask him why, he made clear that despite the court's judgement, he has no intention of ever paying up. Tariq told Paula and our undercover Watchdog researcher: "Listen mate, County Court Judgement right - it doesn't mean nothing... It doesn't guarantee you that you get your money back."
The story is familiar to Leeds Student Union housing adviser Andrea Kerslake. In the past 18 months the union has dealt with 80 cases of tenants not getting their deposit back. In all these cases the union has written to Tariq Zaman asking him why he's not returning money, and to date they've not had a single response.
No respect
Tariq Zaman clearly has no respect for his tenants. But he's got no respect for the law either. Some 17 people have taken him to the county court to get back money he owes them. All of them won. Even so, as far as we know Tariq still hasn't paid any of them their money.
Most students who rented their flats with Tariq were put in touch with him by a letting agency called Providence Properties Ltd. And that company recently made him a company director.
Providence Properties Ltd has its own peculiar ways of doing business. Even if you don't get Tariq Zaman as your landlord, you could still lose your cash.
Will Edmond rented a flat with Providence Properties Ltd. But oddly, when they asked him for a deposit, they wanted it made payable to a different company - Providence Lets Ltd.
No response
However, when Will tried to get back his deposits suddenly Providence Lets Ltd didn't seem to exist. He didn't get a single response from them despite sending eight emails and countless letters.
Watchdog found that Providence Lets Ltd's registered address is just a garage. But it's also the address Tariq Zaman, now the director of Providence Properties Ltd, gave to the county court as the address to be used when writing to him. And there's another link between the two companies. The director of Providence Lets Ltd, Azeem Zaman, seems to be one of Tariq's family.
Companies House records show that until very recently, both Tariq and Azeem gave the same Leeds address as the place where they lived. For two companies that claim to be completely different they certainly have a lot in common.
Legal responsibility
Under new laws that came into place 18 months ago, Will's money should have gone straight into a government approved bond scheme. He went back to Providence Properties to remind them of their legal responsibility. They still denied it has anything to do with them.
Tariq Zaman is easy to find when he wants your money but not so easy to pin down when it comes to finding out why he won't give it back. He's more than just a notorious landlord, he's a low-rent one - not in a good way. He's broken his word, his contracts and even the law so that he can keep hold of students' cash.
Providence Properties Ltd told Watchdog that they can't help with any of the problems raised with students' deposits. They're keen to stress that deposits for the current year have been properly registered under the government protection scheme.
"All deposits taken for the 2008/09 letting period have been retained by our company and registered under the Government Protection Scheme. All certificates have been made available to tenants. We operate our company within the legislation and have nothing to hide."
They even try to make us feel sorry for them, saying they've been getting a lot of abuse from angry tenants. But after seeing how they treat people coming into their office, it's hard to have much sympathy.
Protect your deposit
The Directgov website advises that from 6 April 2007, all deposits (for rent up to £25,000 per annum) taken by landlords and letting agents for Assured Shorthold Tenancies in England and Wales, must be protected by a tenancy deposit protection scheme.
Within 14 days of receiving a deposit the landlord or agent must give the tenant details about how their deposit is protected, including:
- the contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme selected
- the landlord or agent's contact details
- how to apply for the release of the deposit
- information explaining the purpose of the deposit
- what to do if there is a dispute about the deposit
There is more information on the Directgov website.
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I was a former tenant of unscrupulous providence properties between 2006-07 and we only won back our deposit (plus interest and costs) in September of this year! We too encountered incredibly rude behaviour from providence properties and in the end our only choice was to take them to court (both properties and the infamous lets). There is a support google group online for anyone who would like more information about going to court, just search for 'victims of providence properties'. Best of luck to everyone dealing with these people.
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does anyone know what happened to zaman and why can he not get baillifs to knock on his door
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Have just watched this programme which has confirmed my thoughts regrading my son's landlord for this year. I telephoned Providence some weeks ago to be advised that the deposits for this year were with "Leeds Deposit Service", which I do not believe exists, as a Govt body would not have the name of the place.
Additionally requests, verbal and in writing from mys son and his fellow tenants for sight of a copy of the deposit have not received any response. Is there any way in which we as parents/tenants can address this situation, ie remit a cheque for the final instalment less deposit, as there is clearly no way tenants are going to be reimbursed.
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Watching the programme this evening I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or scream!! We have been through EXACTLY the same process, had exactly the same conversations with the same people concerning our deposits for nearly 2 years now! We have been met with nothing but rudeness and vile behaviour from the owners of Providence. We rented a 5 bedroom house with the company and it was disgusting. The day we moved in it was a disgrace, when my mother complained she was met with sarcasm and arrogance and this attitude does not seem to have improved. We have sent countless emails and letters to both Providence Properties and Lets and recieved no replies with no explanation as to why we are refused the money that is owed to us (which is over £1000 altogether).
We did seek legal advise and basically the solicitor said we could take them to court, probably would win the case but were unlikely to get our money back either way.
Why are these people still allowed to run businesses and further more why on earth are they being allowed to get away with basically robbing young people (and my grandparents who leant the money to me. People go to prison for a lot less. They continue to break the law on a daily basis, when will it stop and when will we get the money they owe us?
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I was more than disgusted when I saw the Watchdog programme on the Leeds students.I would advise the students Union to contact the Courts involved on behalf of the said students.
The Judge's involved will then impose a warrant of arrest for the said plaintiff.His assets will then be seized by the courts under existing English Law and the deposits RIGHTFULLY returned to the students forewith.
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Being an ex policeman from some years back I cannot understand why the criminal law has not been used in relation to the landlord, there appears to be a 'history' to establish system and intent to defraud, the fraud being the stated intent at the time of taking to return the deposit. The Fraud Act of 2006 s9 would seem to apply and the punishment of 10 years prison might deter others. Have the police ever been informed and if so what was their re-action.
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there is a little known way of getting the money. it is called a ganishee order. if you have the persons bank accout details the county court will serve this on the bank. once sufficient funds are in the accout the bank must freeze it. my father in law used this some years ago to great effect
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The BBC has missed an important point here. Why is Tariq allowed to have 17 county court judgements against him and just ignore them all? It's because he knows that county court judgements aren't worth the paper they're written on. The county court system is totally without effective teeth and until it gets some he and thousands like him will carry on. He should be in prison but his victims have no power to put him there.
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My daughter is a recent vicim of this landlord, the story has given her some small hope about what she can do to try to get her money back, thank you Laura, and watchdog!!
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My daughter is taking this company to the small claims court but why are these CCJ's not being enforced on this company by the Courts. Also anyone who has sent mail to 52a (Providence Lets) by recorded delivery forget it, they take the mail from the box and chuck away in wheelie bins any Post Office recorded delivery cards. My daughter saw them do this last Saturday and it will explain why my recorded delivery letter was eventually sent back to me by the Post Office.This director should be put in prison for not obeying the law or bailiffs should be called in to get peoples money back. What can all these students, including my daughter do to get this money back they are owed.
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When my daughter & 2 student friends deposits, and 2 months forward rent, were retained by the landlord, of an uninhabitable flat in Glasgow, we called out the HMO officer. He made a report, and we went to the small claims court. It took two years, but we finally got all the money back, and also 8% interest, and all the bailiff's costs through the use of Sherriff's Officers (accredited bailiffs)serving many successive notices.You have to be very patient and very persistant.
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That article has brought all the unpleasant memories flooding back to me! I had all the same problems from Providence and more when I rented from them in 06/07! They had our deposits for almost two years from the date they took them to when they gave them back (minus an unnecessary £20 from each deposit!) and we had to fight like you wouldn’t believe to get them! They were always rude and abusive when we went in to talk to them and were even so if our parents went in to talk to them too! I remember the ‘it’s providence lets that deals with deposits’ line all too well and I’ll never forget the day when me and my housemate went to find the mysterious providence lets and found it was just a letter box, we didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! If you threaten them with court they just laugh, it makes no difference to them at all!
We also had an addition to our contract saying that if works that were being carried out on our house at the time we signed were not completed by July1st when our contract started we would be compensated. The works were not completed but it’s probably no surprise to hear we never did get that compensation!
But that’s not even the worst of it. Their houses are often in really poor condition and no matter how much you report the issues they’ll never do anything about it. For instance, in the house I rented from them there was a leak in the kitchen that made the ceiling so damp fungal growths such as mushrooms of a diameter of about 5cm’s were in our kitchen all year. Reporting it made no difference how ever; they would just be rude to you and not do anything about the problem so we quickly had to give up on that one!
These people are little more than thieves taking advantage of the fact that many of us students have only just left home and have little idea of what our rights are or what to do in this sort of situation!
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I am currently trying to get my deposit back from this company. I cannot believe that Tariq Zaman can openly boast that a CCJ doesn't mean anything. It should be a criminal offence to ignore a CCJ, surely. I am considering taking Providence Properties to court and would urge other students in a similar position to do so too. The new law about protection schemes is useful as it means that you can take them to court purely for not protecting your deposit. They have not protected ours and I'm sure this will be the case for hundreds of tenants who have just moved out, as they were using 'Providence Lets' instead.
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Just to let you know that we too are trying to retrieve the deposit of £300 from last year for a property in Headingley which was shared by 5. No deposits returned as yet. Email response from Providence as follows:-
Thank you for your email.
Providence Lets Limited, [personal details removed by Moderator], hold the
deposits and deal with all end of tenancy inspection procedure and the
verifying of nil balance documentation in relation to Council Tax,
Electricity, Gas and Water Rate bills.
Once all the paperwork is in order as per the requirements of the move out
pack provided to all tenants at the end of the tenancy, and any outstanding
issues in relation to any damages at the property have been concluded the
deposits will be refunded.
As our involvement with the tenancy is now over we should be obliged if you
could please correspond (by post only) direct with Providence Lets Limited.
Kind regards.
Yours faithfully,
PROVIDENCE PROPERTIES
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I think all the individuals who have been to court and not been paid the money owed should send a statuatory demand to him for non payment of a debt, this is the first stage of bankrupcy. See details and forms on the government site for insovency. An undicharged bankrupt cannot be a company director so that may produce a result.
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Myself and my other 7 housemates have still not recieved our deposits back from providence properties/lets totaling £2400.We have spoken to our landlord and he told us that he had told them that he was happy for the full amount to be returned. We have been to discuss this with the people at providence properties only to recieve abuse and to be told to leave as it is 'nothing to do with them'!! I have been told that others have won court cases but still not recieved their money back, what hope do we have?
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I had the same situation. I was renting a house privately with 3 of my friends and we moved out in march this year. We paid a £1300 deposit and the house was left spotless. We didnt hear anything from the landlady, she stopped answering our calls and our emails. Eventually she sent us a cheque for £500 out of £1300!! I couldnt believe it it was like she had stolen £800 from us! I applied to the court in August and she has since defended the whole claim and I havnt heard anything from them since. I have wrote a letter to the court today as I will not let her get away with my money and I dont see why we should! We had to save for that money and it belongs to us!
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My son and his friends (3rd year students) have recently fallen victim of Providence and Mr Zaman. After a bad experience last year they approached providence. They were offered a newly refurbished property from September (belonging to Mr Zaman).September came and the new property was unfinished so they were put into temporary accommodation, a hovel with boarded windows, they have been burgled twice A few weeks ago he visited this property and said it was messy, they were bad tenants and therefore could not move into the new place. After a meeting he said the boys could only move in if we all paid all rent in full for the year and he made weekly inspections and they were to have no friends around. We obviously want to have no more dealings with these people but are stuck as if we move them out we will not get our money back (deposits + rental difference)
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We all realise the world is full of con merchants and many many scams. In many instances there are legal loop holes and issues from other countries which leave people with no legal rights or impossible situations to get your money or goods back.
The issues with Tarig Zaman, in essence should have been resolved. The issues are with the british courts and justice system. There should be facilities in place where the the victims who should have been given their deposits back, can contact the court concerned with the result of Tarig Zaman being arrested and held until he has honoured the courts decision. This should happen within weeks not years. Yet another instance of british justice failing. If we look at the justice system over the years there is a pattern of hitting the soft targets. The issue should be, what and when is the justice system going to address this.
[Details removed by Moderator]
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Me and my flatmates moved out of one of Tariq Zamans houses in June/July this year (2008) and we haven't got our deposits back yet. I have just spoken to him on the phone and he says that no-one is getting their money back because he is going bankrupt. I asked if this has already happened, but he says it will take 3 - 4 months for him to become bankrupt, but he cannot give any money back now.
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we got done over by zaman in 2002. he nicked our deposits but we had already heard that taking him to court wouldn't end up with us getting our money back so didn't follow it up.
and, like most students, we were too lazy to sort out paying bills, let alone organise a CCJ...
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I have been suffering at the hands of Mr Zaman for several months now. Providence Properties were the agents for my landlord until the end of my contract in June this year. Sensibly my landlord decided he no longer required the agency services of Providence Properties and I signed a new contract directly with him from that point on. Ever since then I have been trying to get my £600 deposit back. I have experienced the abuse at the shop, I have sent emails, letters and SAEs to Providence Lets as suggested by Mr Zaman and my landlord has provided all the required evidence that there is no justifiable reason for retaining my deposit. Despite this I have heard nothing from them and will therefore have to take him to court. [Details removed by Moderator]
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I’m a former tenant of Providence Properties, and like everyone else, have still not received any of my deposit back!! I rented a 7-bed house from 2006-2007 and alongside my other housemates handed over a cheque of £300 each. Not even a single one of us has received our money back…totalling £2100, it makes me furious! Countless letters, emails including a letter from our solicitor have got us nowhere. They just don’t want to talk to us. What is the best form of action in getting our large amount of money back?!
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I am cuurently in the process of taken them through the courts to also get my bond back too. I am was surprised but not shocked, others were also in the same situation as myself.
When in the past i have tried too speak to providence lets Ltd, on a mobile number whcih i was given by providence properties, i managed once to speak to a gentleman. He informed me to write in to providence, and at which point i would than recieve my bond back. When this didnt happen, i rang the number again on numerous occasion for it to just ring out. Than a message on the mobile said to contact providence properties about this matter. when i called them i was spoken to in a rude and abrupt manner. I feel even though i am taken them through the courts and if i win, which i feel i will. as i left the property in a better state then they handed it over to me. Even though i dont think they will pay up.
How can this man,Tariq Zaman still trade under this name?
Has anyone actually recieved there money back? if they have i would be intereted in hearing from you.
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I was a tenant with providence properties between 2006-2007, i was new to leeds so I didn't know what i was getting myself into. Throughout the tenancy they were not helpful with house maintenance. After wards with retrieving my deposit it took them approximately 5months of myself hassling them, they also said providence lets held my deposit but in the end they just wrote out the cheque over the counter. So I don't know how they can tell people it has nothing to do with them.
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It is incredible. I never expected to see those faces on TV again. I came to the UK in 2006 and rented a terraced house from Providence Properties in Burley Park/Leeds. I came over from Germany to finish my studies in Leeds and I was so glad to have a place where I could stay and live. Fortunately for Providence, I left the UK just 6 month later and furthermore, I did not have a British bank account during that time. Moreover, I paid the bills (gas, electricity) in cash to my housemates...I was/am the perfect victim for Providence. However, I came back to the UK again (and I am still here) and went to see them, wrote letters, called this very phone number etc. ...but the same happened as was shown on TV, they told me that they haven't got anything to do with Providence Lets. They also told me that I have to patient and that some of their tenants even have to wait two years to get the deposit back. I also contacted the companies that provided us with gas etc. to get the zero bills...my former housemates won't help me with this as they have already told me that they don't bother. Well, it so frustrating...THEY have stolen MY money and I do not see a chance to get it back. I just don't understand how things like this can happen and even worse, how they keep on happening!!
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I have yet another similar story. Tariq owes my three housemates and I a total of £1200. The house was spotless when we moved out in comparison to the filthy state of a house that we first moved in to. We have rung him endless times since we moved out in June, on most occasions he would simply hang up on us after we explained who we were and he no longer answers any of our calls. We have also sent him and Providence Properties official letters via recorded delivery with no reply. We are currently looking in to the small claims courts but it now looks like there is little point.
One particularly funny phone call involved him denying the fact that he was Tariq… he claimed that “Tariq” had left his phone behind. I challenged this because I would recognise his voice a mile off having spoken to him endless times. He replied “No it’s not me!”. I was so frustrated by this stage that I couldn’t help but laugh.
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I have as good as lost £300 to this company but am working with my housemates from last year to try and resolve the issue. The money should have been returned last July. Unfortunately the letting agency don't seem to share the same interest in us as they did on the day we signed up...
Thank you Watchdog for giving this cause more of a voice. I hope it changes things for Providence.
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Unfortunately i am yet another victim of providence properties, who rented two properties from this estate agent and now my friends and i are owed in excess of £2400 in bonds and am very interested in how i can get this money back?! i have persistantly been trying with legal claims for over two years now with no success and a lot of abuse off this so called 'letting agent'. any ideas welcome please.
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We too have had dealing with Providence Properties. My daughter a student at Leeds University rented a room in a house managed by Providence Properties which she vacated in July this year. We paid £300 deposit and although we cleaned her room and it was in a far cleaner state when she moved out and despite numerous letters confirming all bills had been paid and requesting our money back we have had no response what so ever. I only hope exposing this criminal on your programme it may help many people to get their deposits back. It seems such a shame that the legal system lets you down. We were going to issue proceedings in the Small Claims Court but having watched your programme Tariq Zaman seems to be above the law and we would just be wasting our time and further money.
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Myself and housemates are one of the 17 who have taken Tariq Zaman to court and won. However, having still heard nothing, we were resigned to giving up, until we saw the watchdog programme and realised so many were in the same boat. Despite being ongoing since 2006, we are now inspired to seek further legal advice. As it seems with many people, we have had numerous excuses and countless lies from Tariq. The final straw came in the summer of 2007 when we had arranged a meeting with Tariq where he had promised to return the bonds from the previous year, but after a no show, we rang him, only to be told that he was out of Leeds on business at which exact moment he drove right past us outside providence properties. We knew then that me must proceed down the legal route.
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I've just found out that the refurbished property that we have been paying for since the summer + Tariq has been stalling letting our boys move into has been advertised on their web site for the last few months as vacant. He never had any intention of letting them move in despite taking the rental + deposit !
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I cannot comprehend how this individual is still at liberty,let alone continuing his 'work' with impunity.All law abiding people must feel totally let down by a system designed to protect them.
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Im a landlady of over 10 years now and I think we need to hear the other side of the story everyone on here seems to be a student who are very quick to recall their bad experiences. As a landlady I have found tenants to be uncooperative and have selective listening skills. I have a host of approximatley 56 houses in the west midlands area and each year the amount of money I have to spend on redecorating, cleaning and mending broken fixtures with in the house is unquantifiable.
I have never been so outranged, students who claim all innocence in what seems to be a vicoiuse cycle of "my word against yours". It date i have only known 5 or 6 tenenats who have left the property in the same condition they found it.
Often they seem to think they inherit the furniture within the property and take whatever suits them at the end of their agreement. As a landlady/lord this can be a very expensive experience - tenants seem to want the best went they move in but seem to have so much disregard for the landlord when they vacat the property.
My overall point is that this man "may" have made mistake but i really do feel their must be two sides to the story and would like more landlords to post their commnets.
As a landlady I often feel like a victim at the hands of many of my tenats. I feel their should be more mechanisms in place to protect honest landlords.
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When my housemates and I were looking for a house to rent in early 2008 (for the 08/09 term), we went to Providence Properties and viewed a reasonable looking house. We then went to another agency to another viewing we'd booked, saw that house and signed the contract that evening. I've never been so glad to have gone to that final viewing, even though I had wet feet and wanted to go home, and have never been so scared of what we could have been entering into had we signed with Providence.
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When I turned on the tv and saw my old landlord I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I shared a house in 2006-2007 with 5 other girls, to be fair the house was immaculate and for the first 6 months we have very little contact with tariq. However things started to break in the house and although it took us 3 weeks to get fixed. I have to hold my hands up and admit that the wild parties my other housemates held were responsible for furniture breakages and even a big hole in one of the partition walls. Tariq was very annoyed at this but nevertheless he still carried out the repair work and replaced furniture.
On leaving naturally we all wanted our deposits back. We argued our case for around 3 months, we did get our deposit back minus the charge for all the broken furniture, burnt carpet and fixing the internal wall. I think at the time I was furious with Mr Zaman and was adamant none of us had done anything wrong, I even thought we left the house in pristine condition. We also took photos, but once we were given the opportunity to compare them with the original snapshots of the house I felt ashamed and embarrassed. Im no longer intouch with my old housemate as they caused more disruption and argument for no reason.
Looking back and after reflecting on the programme I can see why Tariq becomes very frustrated with tenants who abuse the house they live in – not only did we leave the house a mess but my housemates and myself probably harassed Tariq to the point where he just got fed up.
Yes their may be genuine cases out their that have not received their deposits but in my personal experience Tariq was a nice guy who was helpful but busy. He was never abusive to any of us even when we wrecked his house. I have rented again from providence and have had no problems what so ever.
I just wanted to share my experience as I lived with the housemates from hell who caused a lot of the problems we ultimatley faced witrh Mr Zaman. Living on my own now I can honlesty say that Tariq has been a really good landlord.
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I would just like to post in response to Mizzbabini (post 56). I do acknowledge that there is another side to the story and that landlords do have to put up with a lot from tenants who may do damage to their properties.
On the other hand, I feel that there is enormous mistrust between lanlords and student tenants and that this leads to landlords being quick to blame tenants for all manner of things (I have been in this position).
However, this is the reason for the new law about tenancy deposit schemes. This law exists so that tenants and landlords can resolve disputes under the guidance of an impartial government-approved agency, who know the laws and the rights of both parties.
The problem with this situation with Providence Properties is that they have not protected tenants deposits in one of these schemes.
This argument is not about who caused what damage. (If I knew what damage we are supposed to have caused to justify the retention of £900 then I might be able to dispute it but I have had absolutely no contact from them whatsoever despite several letters and emails). It's about an agency who are operating above the law. They have taken thousands of pounds from students with what looks like no intention of returning it. As it mentioned in the Watchdog report, this landlord/agency have handed deposits over to another company which they claim is not in any way related to them, when in fact (as you'll see in the report) there are many links between the two.
The agency then shouts and hangs up on tenants who ring them to enquire about deposits.
The landlord you are in essence defending in your post is the director of this company and has SEVENTEEN CCJs against him. This means that the court has decided on this many occasions that he is in the wrong.
I accept that you may have had issues with tenants but I'm sure that you operate within the bounds of the law. This company does not. What they have done (and so far gotten away with) is indefensible.
I know the stories of some who have posted on here may seem far-fetched to you, but I assure you that after having dealt with this company, I believe every word.
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And in reponse to 59. Yes, there ARE so many genuine cases where tenants have not got their deposits back. Too many for it just to be an 'oversight' on the part of Mr Zaman and co.
And I didn't wreck any furniture or cause any damage. I just haven't had my deposit back. 4 months after moving out.
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My daughter is also a victim of this scam. She lived next door to Tariq, moving out in June 2007. He repaid the deposit to 4 out of the 6 tenants, they went to collect it from him personally. They were lucky!We also wrote and phoned and have now sent in a claim to the county court- I am thinking of stopping it- what is the point of paying for this? On the other hand I think should we see what happens? I am disgusted that the legal system is not working for all these students. The house was left in a better state than when they entered it, I was there cleaning myself. I am also disappointed that the University have declared that there are 80 students awaiting a return of deposits, why have they not supported these students and reported it before now? Like everyone else I cannot understand why nothing can be done,I hope Watchdog will pursue this case. The other tenant sharing with my daughter rang Tariq the day after the programme and he said he was declaring himself bankrupt and could not pay back his deposit. So what? He will set himself up again under another name or using the name of a family member. what happens when the baliffs go? The university have informed us that he is not worried by this. Why is this?
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I never thought i would have the bottle to write anything even though i have been watching and reading with great curiosity.
Im a student who is renting from providence, I have a nice place and dont understand how some of the ppl here are saying they actually lived in a filthy house - why on earth did you sign the contract to live in a hovel? Maybe, just maybe thats a little white lie eh? I looked at about 6 properties before i signed the dotted line and all of them were really clean and modern. I guess i was just fussy about the location. I cant vouch for you guys on here but i have nothing but praise for tariq and the staff at providence. I know it sounds like im talking about someone else in comparison to 99% of the blogs here but one of the ppl on here have been bold and brave enough to point out that tariq is a pretty good landlord who is always up for a laugh and gets stuff done when things go wrong, yeah it takes him a while thats my only gripe but give the guy a break theres only 24 hrs in a day! I needed some shelves and after ringing him a few times he told me to buy them and he would reimburse me, which he did. I cant really fault the guy anymore im trying to think but honeslty even providence were really helpful in giving me extra info about the area and they even told me about bus times etc!
I think the stuff on tv was a bit harsh too and would like to know what tariqs side of the story is shame he wasnt around, I believe their are always two sides to every story.
Im not worried about my deposit because i know i will be leaving this place as i found and will be paying all my bills before i leave, this is the second flat ive had through providence and i had no probs the first time and dont envisage any the second time so long as i keep my side of the agreement!
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My son has not had his deposit back and I am now taking this to the small claims court. I myself have been verbally abused by providence staff have been given false instructions to write to providence lets which I have done with no reply. The house was left in good order with no breakages although when he moved in he had to wait some time for repairs to be carried out. The staff at providence use intimidation and bullying tatics so the students will not claim their deposits back. I am amazed that these people are allowed to get away with this and truely hope that BBC Watchdog continue their investigation and help us get our money back. I tried to contact Providence after seeing them on the television but surprise surprise their telephone number has now been disconnected!!!!
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Hello again!
I just wanted to share some valuable information to the students on this blog as a landlord myself I feel that their really is too much .
From the 6th of April 07 all deposits upto £25k must be protected by the landlord / letting agent by a tenancy deposit protection scheme. This must be done within 14 days of receiving the deposit. The landlord must also do the following under this new law:
- Provide the tenant the contact details of the tenancy deposit scheme selected
- the landlord or agent's contact details
- how to apply for the release of the deposit
- information explaining the purpose of the deposit
- what to do if there is a dispute about the deposit
So if this landlord has failed to do this then I feel there is justification for the complaints on this blog. However from what I have read no one is complaining of the non- compliance of the above issues which are a landlord’s duty under the new Tenancy Deposit Protection law. But seem to have issue because they have not had their deposits back. Under this new law and as a landlord myself I can categorically confirm that the landlord does not retain the deposits as they go into an agents account who has been approved by the government.
I still am finding it very difficult to believe this landlord – Mr Zaman has retained deposits without justification. From experience many students fail to pay bills and leave the house in a state of disrepair – these issues are resolved by using the tenant’s deposit. Why should the landlord have to fork out money to sort out problems the tenant leaves behind at the end of their tenancy? Its just no fair I really do think us landlords are the victims. Tenants just don’t comply and are very quick to complain.
I think the sympathy vote goes down really well and if i wasnt a landlord i too would feel very sorry for the students on watchdog. Fortunalty i am a realist and i know all too well that students do not care about the houses they rent and their is always two sides to a story, i would like to hear Mr Zamans side.
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our landlord from july 2007 till june 2008 in Manchester changed the locks to our house before we'd even moved out. He then went through our inventory and said there were no problems with the house and we would recieve the full amount (£325) of our deposits. Whenever we call him he forwards our calls to voicemail or answers and hangs up. On several ocassions he claimed hed sent cheques in the post but strangely enough they never turned up. After informing him i was going to take him to the small claims court a cheque arrived on my doorstep, only to be returned by my bank after several attempts of trying to place it due to insufficient funds in his account. One of my housemates never even got the cheque he supposedly sent 4 times and another still hasn't even heard from him. Since then we've been in touch with Manchester Student Homes twice, the first time we filled in a form and were told theyd get back to us, 3 weeks later we returned and they tried to make us fill out the same form, they then said they'd been in touch with the landlord who said he was sorting the cheques out and that they would be in touch again, that was a week and a half ago. Im risking not making rent on my current house and i have a job (i used to have 2) in order to support myself at university, i dont know how i'll find Januarys rent as i'm sure most students know januarys rent is taken before the second loan installment is paid.
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I have been following this story with great interest as I rented from TZ/PP during my 3 years in Leeds and luckily had my deposit transferred from house to house with TZ so it never became an issue until we moved into the last house. We had heard bad rumours whether fact or fiction and more than aired our views to TZ, We wanted to stay in his property because whatever else he is his houses are immaculate and has some of the best houses up for rent which all his personal tenants must agree, not many students would ever get houses the standard he offers (no mingy carpets or flock wallpaper!). He explained certain things to us and even took us to a brand new house where the tenants had smashed fire doors and used a brand new high quality fridge freezer for target practice with a pellet gun! He knew how we had kept his houses and agreed to pay back the deposit and put us onto a deposit free scheme which although it did mean we paid a bit higher signing fee for him taking the risk (I think it was about £50 extra each) we knew the deposit was never going to be an issue which, as our house was 7 bedrooms could have become a problem. We had a good time with TZ and PP and Im sorry to read all this about them because its a shame but I think one issue is this is not an isolated landlord/agent problem as stated at Item 66, it has, over the years, become a contentious issue with many landlords/agencies hence the TDS coming into force. Many people go for deposit free now and maybe this is the way forward for all student tenants if its on offer if you want the house but feel dubious about handing over your deposit, I think many landlords would go for it if it became a choice of letting/not letting their house. Its a 50/50 situation with no winners really both parties always thinking they are the hard done by ones with the letting agents being in the middle trying to protect the landlord and keep the tenants happy! Not the easiest way to make a living I think. I hope TZ/PP sort all this out and get on with doing what they did best its a shock to read all this but as I did a media degree I am always sceptical of getting the true story through the media but a CCJ is a CCJ I guess at the end of the day. Hoping for a happy outcome for all.
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I'm sorry Mizzbabini but these guys can not be excused. I am one of the few in a unique position that I am both a landlord and a former tenant of Zaman. This guy's actions can not be excused.
It took us 10 months to get a £300 deposit back and several attempts to reason with him. I don't tolerate personal abuse in any situation and certainly not when someone is unlawfully retaining my money.
I ensure that I carry out a personal inventory with my tenants and take before and after photos of the properties to negate any possible disputes due to negligent tenancy. This, I believe, should be par for the course for all landlords.
There is no defending this guy and I for one would never let him manage one of my properties!
Whilst you're entitled to your opinion please don't try to defend this guy. It's impossible!
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It makes me so angry that people are still trying to defend them and claim that we should 'wait to hear their side of the story'.
I just wish I could hear 'their side' so I would know why they are keeping 900 pounds from me and my housemates! The letter I sent by registered post to Providence Lets about 3 weeks ago has still not been signed for. They obviously don't care!
And with Watchdog being too harsh...I think not. They were spot on. What they showed was exactly what I and many others have experienced. I have seen people being given the same treatment as Will Edmond. I have been treated that way myself on the phone. Throughout my tenancy the way they could treat people like this and get away with it made me so angry.
Grooverspacepod - if you really are a genuine tenant and not just one of Providence's relatives (they have been known to post 'undercover' on forums before) then I suggest you should be worried about your deposit. If you do get it back then I would sincerely like to know how you manage it.
Mizzbabini, with all due respect, you have no idea how awful this company is. As a landlady I'm sure you understand that it is now against the law not to protect a deposit. Read and believe what people have written on here. I have no doubt that it is all true.
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I cannot believe people have written defending Tariq and it is so upsetting people thinking that these students trying to get their bonds back have been house wreckers. My daughter certainly was not a house wrecker and left the property in an immaculate condition. Tariq has admitted all the necessary final bills have been received and the house was left in a good condition as has the landlord the house was rented through. This guy has 17 CCJ's which he is not honouring and also many people all going through the Small Claims Court to claim their bonds back. We are not liars and this man is breaking the law. All we want is our money back which he is unlawfully withholding. Good luck Blog 62 you will have the same battle as all of us when you come to claim your bond back.[Personal details removed by Moderator] Please DO NOT DEFEND THIS MAN, he is not a nice person and thinks he is above the law. Hopefully we will all get our money back and the law will help us otherwise the law is a sham.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
In response to no.70
I certainly am NOT a relative of Mr Zaman just because my opinion of tariq is not the same as yours!! I like yourself have evey right to air my opinion on this blog about my experience with Mr Zaman.
I have no bad experiences with him and am not worried about my deposit, i found out that the deposits are insured under a deposit protection scheme actually so you really need to get your facts right before having a swing at ppl who are simply posting their views on the topic.
Out of the hundrends of properties Providence lets out only approx 70 ppl have complained. Yes I hear you say thats 70 too much but realistically those ppl may need to take some ownership towards why their deposits have been held back - im a tenant who has only ever rented from proviedence so i can only base my views on the positive experiences ive had with them.
Tariq is a nice guy and I may be the only person on the planet who thinks this but lets get things into perspective, most ppl on here are annoyed hence they are airing their anger, happy tenants cant be bothered to come on forums like this cos they think it dosent concern them, the only reason im on here is because i saw tariw on watchdog when i was flicking throught the channels!
In response to 71 - I dont need luck to get my deposit back as the deposits are insured under the deposit protection scheme! and I will defend who I see fit. Just because watchdog said tariq thinks he is "above the law" how do we know this?????? Did tariq actually say this? I never saw that bit on the programme. Yes he has 17 CCJs as watchdog have reported - i dont think i would believe eveything you watch on tv - the programme has to appeal to the audeince so the more sinister and baddie like they make mr zaman look the better response they will get. Trust me Tariq is nothing like what they say on tv, even in the secret filming they did of him he wasnt aggressive!
Give the guy a break and get back to what we should all be doing............studying!
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By the way SILLYBEAN dod you know that if an individual faisl to show at a court hearing the decision 99% of the time goes in favour of the party present?
I bet a million pounds mr zaman (who is so difficult to track down as watchdog said) never even shoew up?
This is why its so important to get both sides of the story.
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Avoid Providence Properties they are bad news,just by a few people saying they are great, that dose not make them great, many people have suffered lose due to providence's negligent
Thank you
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Yes Grooverspacepod of course you have the right to post your opinion. But I can't believe you can be 100 percent positive about them...have you never seen the staff of PP being aggresive towards anyone or had them be rude to you on the phone? I saw it practically every time I went in!
But I do find it slightly insulting when people imply that those of us who have not had our deposits back have somehow done something wrong. If we had done something to the house then it would be the duty of Providence Properties or Providence Lets to inform us of this and to provide receipts accounting for any deductions. As it is, Properties refuse to take any responsibility and Lets are impossible to contact. What am I supposed to think? If you're so keen to defend them then please give me an explanation for that?
Oh and about the number of complaints..."only 70"?? Yes that IS 70 too many. If my calculations are right that's already 21,000 pounds withheld for no reason. And new cases are popping up every day from people who had not previously known their rights or who had not been proactive enough to chase it up before the programme.
Ok so they may not have ever wronged you personally but please have the decency to have a bit of sympathy for those of us who are now £300 down.
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Plenty of Pro Providence Properties worker guys posting on forums trying games of being in the right & victims.
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I am yet another victim of Providence Properties and Tariq Zaman. I have been trying to recover my deposit of £300 for the last 5 months. My experience is exactly the same as all the other frustrated ex tenants and I have received exactly the same level of abuse, delaying tactics and dishonesty. Providence Properties have now moved into new Leeds City Centre offices - their new address and phone number is on their website. Don't give up trying to recover your money but don't believe any positive comments you see about this company.
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