burlingtonestates.co.uk Reviews 

The property management industry is supposed to be one that serves the needs of tenants and property owners alike, ensuring that properties are maintained, safe, and comfortable. Unfortunately, there is a growing trend in the industry that threatens to undermine this noble goal: the culture of bribes.

Bribes, in this context, refer to payments made to property management members in exchange for preferential treatment, such as access to coveted work assignments or faster responses to maintenance requests. It's a practice that is both illegal and unethical, yet it persists.
One individual who has been known for accepting bribes is Mihai Lamba, a member of Burlington Properties/Dexters property management company. Mr. Lamba accepted bribes from individuals seeking to secure work opportunities within the company. These bribes amounted to significant sums of money and were made in cash.
The consequences of this kind of behavior are far-reaching. For starters, it creates an uneven playing field for those seeking work or services from property management companies. Those who can afford to bribe their way into better treatment will have an unfair advantage over those who cannot. Moreover, it can lead to sub-par work quality and a lack of transparency in the management of properties.

The bribery culture erodes trust in the system and perpetuates the notion that the property management industry is corrupt and untrustworthy.

If they want to improve they must invest in better screening and training for their staff, so that they understand the gravity of accepting bribes and the harm it can cause.

How is it that a company with a single one-star review is given an 'average' rating of 3.2? Is there some branch of mathematics which could conceivably justify this?

I have hesitated to give Burlington's another one star review simply because I am concerned that their average will probably go up as a consequence however that is a risk I'll have to live with. They are utterly appalling in every possible way and thei charges are absurd. If I were planning to buy another London property and found that they were the managing agents I would pull out solely because of that.

Appalling, shameful, unscrupulous, disorganised and I could go on...
Burlington (BELL)'s appointment was a shock to almost all leaseholders on our property. BELL took over managing our estate after 25 years with Esskay Management. This was done without the knowledge or consent of all the leaseholders. Problems became apparent VERY quickly when BELL took over, as drastic changes were made that affected the running of the property. One of the first things they did was terminate the contract with the window cleaner that had been cleaning the property since it was built for 25 years. They began taking instructions from an unofficial representative of the freeholder who has no legal mandate and is in fact just a leaseholder not even part of the residents association and have forced and imposed changes that have decreased the standard and quality of services.
They have been trying to force staff cuts since they have taken over without our consent while raising the service charges by extortionate amounts. Since their inception, they have failed to pay contractors and our on site staff on time - so out of loyalty, our on site staff continue to come into work despite BELL failing to settle their invoices on time and these are hard working individuals that have families, mortgages, financial burdens and are without pay for 2 weeks after their intended pay day!! Many jobs are left outstanding and they take weeks to approve jobs which used to be approved within 48 hours in the past.

Of course, all of this and no responses to emails sent by leaseholders. They fail to communicate despite emails to their director and property manager at the time. Majority of leaseholders are against changes they want to enforce and yet they insist on ignoring communications, continuing to make false promises.

On top of all of this, their own staff turnover is record breaking with a change in property managers who do not last more than 4 months in their post. In the past year, just based on the property where we live, they have had more than 6 employees leave which of course also causes delays and disorganisation with respect to dealing with pressing issues within our estate.

What continues to puzzle us all is how they continue to listen to one individual who is closely connected with the Freeholder without any legal mandate that she is allowed to do so, hence breaching privacy and confidentiality of all other leaseholders plus enforcing actions with no actual basis.

The list goes on, and until today, there are ongoing disagreements with BELL and yet they fail to respond and communicate. I would avoid buying a property managed by them and if anyone is thinking of changing managing agents, then do not be deceived by whatever 'promises' they make as they will NOT deliver!