Sterling Estates Management Review

I bought a flat in Bristol less than 2 years ago and SEM are doing the poorest job managing it, to say the list. There are constant issues with the safety in the development that they have repeatedly failed to address, the block is not cleaned properly or some weeks not at all and recently, there were major issues with the roof leaking that 4 months later, are still not fixed. There is water coming through the ceiling in my flat every time it rains and they have still failed to even provide an update as to what the problem is and when they will fix it. Myself and most of the residents in the development could go on for hours with issues we have had with them and how they fail to address them but needless to say I would not recommend them to anyone.

Sterling has just started helping us with getting the right to manage. We have not achieved it as yet, but they are doing an excellent job so far keeping us informed.
Their communication with us leads us to believe they are an incredibly experienced company. I look forward to a long and happy relationship.

We were extremely satisfied with the services provided by Sterling Estates Services they have always provided us with professional guidance and good advice.
They are a Fantastic Managing Agents and we would highly recommend them.

Although it took a day to get through to the right man, once in contact they went out of their way to provide documents needed urgently, and provided all, in the most efficient and friendly manner. well done!

Very satisfied with SEM services. Would highly recommend them.

We are a block of 11 flats in an old converted building. In the past we have managed our own affairs. We appointed SEM as Managing Agents in November 2015. Since then we have found them of great assistance. They have relieved us of much of the burden of management and their expertise and personal attention and commitment have been invaluable.

Sterling are the third managing agent we have had and by far the best. They are responsive and have gone out of the way to support the occupants' interests.

Excellent service, very professional and quick response times. Recommended.

Incompetency is the word, managing a large building of flats they have not performed their due diligence by not having original electrical safety documentation. They better perform this soon as it's been 5 years as it's a legal requirement.

In response to below which these incompetent agents have written they don't seem to understand the difference between building electric safety and flat electric safety report. We required the building electrical report that information is required for the eicr which they simply did not have because of incompetency. Continuous deflection of responsibility is key ingredient to how they operate.

We have been working with Sterling for a while now in an effort to gain RTM status for our block. Sterling have been critical in this process - professional, very knowledgable and always providing clear communications.

Although I am a tenant, but because the landlord and estate agent are not doing their job i had to take the matter in my own hands and called these people because of a burst water supply into the flats. But it seems they are the most unprofessional people around in this business.people including myself had to live for 10 days without any water supply. Finally they provided a temporary hose over the ground, and now after months that hose is frozen and again there is no water supply in our flats.

I am not sure what I am paying for as they admitted in a tribunal this week that they may have once visted the property this year but aren't sure when. Due to bad administration the communal electricity was cut off 19 months ago and has still not been restored. I am looking forward to the outcome of the tribunal.

Horrible service. Unprofessional. Zero communication. Very unreliable. Wishing my building could change estate service!

Sterling Estates have been consistently professional and very pleasant to deal with over the years in managing our block of flats. The individuals are responsive and know their business thoroughly. I can honestly say I have enjoyed and appreciates all my dealings with them. So a warm thanks to the management team.

Happy to explain - clear and transparent in how they're dealing with a lot of tricky issues at a tricky time. Found it helpful to understand the charges and what they are for.

I highly recommended this management company having working with them for almost 15 years now. They are professional and reliable and we have built a good working relationship together over a long period.

Always on hand to help, and provide a professional and efficient service. Would not hesitate to recommend. Thanks

Very much appreciate Sterling's response times on key matters and professionalism in resolving such issues

Sterling Estates has managed our building for at least the last 7 years that we have been resident, and for several years prior to that. They have done so with responsiveness to the needs of the building and its residents specially during some difficult environmental and infrastructural issues.

SEM have always provided excellent service and support on all aspects of property management.

What a corrupt company! Avoid at all costs this company is a massive scam.

Switched to SEM from our previous Block Management Company a year ago when the predecessors failed completely in their ability to carry out their responsibilities. SEM have since taking over been most helpful in getting our Block Management professionally back on track and assisted in trying to resolve issues that arose from the predecessors failures.

Did not manage the building I live in at all!!
They lie about their finances and claimed it cost 15k to clean 4 communal windows in the building I live in. They do not respond to emails including urgent ones regarding health and safety issues. Luckily, the landowners have terminated their contract with SEM. Good riddance. Anyone who decides to use SEM to manage their properties please do your research first!

Charges are extortionate. I will avoid at all costs in the future.

I moved into a new block of flats that they manage. SEM have been doing work on the building for weeks on end causing significant disruption and didn't appear to have informed anybody about the start and end date of these major works. Plus they damaged my car in the process and blamed wildlife which in the professional opinion of my garage and insurance company could not be the case. Although some of the blame lies with the developer of this new block of flats, I am not impressed with SEM at all! I found their e-mails regarding the above matter quite rude and condescending. I witnessed their building contractors working next to my car in the garage, to not accept responsibility for their mistake shows how untrustworthy they are.

Horrible experience! have been ignored re bike theft, car damage, health and safety issues.... They just do not respond to e-mails.

Sterling Estates have been helping us with an RTM application, and have been very good at communicating clearly what we need to do. They also obtained for us the EWS1 fire safety certificate that we needed.

We have been with Sterling Estates Management for over 4 years now and whenever I had to deal with them I was always very pleasantly surprised at how well my enquiry was handled. The owners of the company Shalim and Antonio don't mind taking enquiries directly and do take time to make sure that the solution is found and implemented. Everyone we dealt with at SEM were professional, courteous and helpful. I would not hesitate to recommend them to friends and family. FIVE STARS!!

I have known SEM now for many years through the RTM they arranged and successfully still managing. Since, I have had many occasions to have personal contact with Antonio Ahmed, Philip Sherreard and with the accounts department, all of which I have always experienced to be efficient, knowledgeable, helpful and polite. In fact, I have even introduced them to my fellow leaseholders for a further RTM.

Sterling estates are one of the few Managing Agents that I have worked with who seem to be genuinely concerned about the leaseholders best interests. I have found them extremely responsive, very easy to communicate with and very helpful. They offer excellent value for their service and I have no hesitations in recommending using them.

I have a flat in a small block managed by Sterling Estates and have always found them professional, friendly and responsive. Whenever we have had an issue in the building they have been as keen as us to sort it out as quickly as possible. Definitely recommend.

We appointed Sterling Estates Management to look after our block as the previous managing agents were awful. SEM have been actively helping us resolve several outstanding issues from the previous managing agents and have provided good advice and guidance to us.

Horrendous service.
Items that need sorting out within the building and apartment we're staying in haven't been resolved for months.
Constantly phoning them to be told someone will call back - never, and no exaggeration, I've never had a call back.
Seriously try and avoid any apartment block they manage. You'll just have a headache.

Very bad service, have been chasing for a year just to have a bell/buzzer fixed. Always say they are taking care of it but nothing happens. Cleaning company they employ is not the most reliable or maybe they don' treat them well. I am just hoping a new building management company could take care of the building. If you can avoid them, you should...

The guys at Sterling has always been responsive, polite and knowledgeable. They have felt like true partners in the management of our building and have been judicious in steering us through some complex and challenging issues in regard to the running of our building. They are always willing to show up for face-to-face meetings and follow up with clear well-recorded minutes. A good team to have on your side.

Extremely knowledgeable and very professional! Fantastic Managing Agents. Would recommend highly.

They fail to arrange residents meetings even when lots of people are at home using zoom, they do very little to solve problems of drug taking youths congregating outside flats, there are no residents directors, directors are Sterling nvestment and S Ahmed, they put service charge up over 50% in recent years and overshoot budget and reappoint themselves and award themselves a management fee.

Since Sterling Estates Management have taken over a block in which i am lessee, i have noticed a decrease in my service charge and also the block is better maintained . They provide a friendly and professional service .

Dreadful service. Bully boy unprofessional behaviour. Illegal activities. Stay well clear

The team were always polite, helpful, professional and responsive. I never had any issues with them. When there were issues, they always responded back after I emailed them. Given 4 stars due to the rising cost of annual service charges, nothing personal to the people that serviced me personally. Thank you.

Massive yearly increases of service charges and lack of transparency and clear communication with leaseholders. Above all their tone is condescending and not constructive. If you're looking for someone to provide a service, I do not recommend SEM .... thankfully it looks like a new company will be taking over, good riddance to bad service!

An excellent and well managed team who have the best interests of the their clients at heart. Highly recommendable!

Having worked with them in a professional capacity I found them to be extremely helpful, efficient, very responsive, courteous and very knowledgeable. Thank you for all your assistance.

Very committed to and supportive of the RTM company over some years of very challenging Tribunal cases

Sterling Estates Management have taken over from our previous Management Company who were terrible. SEM have so far been good at communicating with us and have making efforts to try and resolve issues that were pending from the previous Management Company. So far, so good. Sanjay & Sonal

Sterling has provided excellent support to us in the process of achieving Right to Manage, without making any charge, so that we are able to become their customers for future management of our flats, which can't come soon enough!

A competent agent who has managed a large and complex block of flats facing ACM cladding issues with care and commitment in difficult circumstances.

Having had issues with the previous managing agent/freeholder, I recently moved to Sterling Estate Management to take the headache of it all away. They have been fantastic at advising me on a number of related matters and are processing well despite the complexities of the file.

I have found everyone I have dealt with to be both professional and courteous.

There is a possibility, that their advice may lead to some upside commercial value to me, which would be the icing on the cake!

The Nightmare is real! the -0 star maintenance management company. never monitored our flats or cleaned properly - dirty bin shed, dirty corridors, dirty walls that need painting and dirty windows..in the space of 2 years absoloutley disgusted at them where is the money being paid to you going? they avoid all emails and calls and all staff are rude they speak to you like they are managing you!

I have now used Sterling for almost 5 years as both a resident and landlord. Very happy with their service and believe it is good value for money. They have been very responsive to inquiries, emergencies, and repairs, even out of business hours. We had an issue with a fellow resident falling into regular arrears and Sterling have done a good job of enforcing payments. I'm would happy recommend them to a friend.

Appalling level of responsiveness and customer service.

Great service. Have used them for 4 years. Always prompt response to problems and good attention to details.

Eminently professional, highly responsive and proactive. A monumental improvement on our previous agents. They've generated material cost savings for leaseholders, and introduced efficiencies entirely of their own initiative. Personable and easy to deal with. Reassuringly experienced. An asset to the estate. I would highly recommend them.

As a developer of a high end block in North West London of a new build block of 55 flats, built over 4 years ago Sterling Estates are our third agents. The previous agents were certainly not to our standard or indeed the standard of our leaseholders. Thankfully, to date, Sterling have stepped up, they have sorted out two previous year end accounts for periods prior to their management and we are slowly getting the property back to where it should be. Well done Sterling for your hard work and may it continue for years to come. As a developer I am very happy to recommend the services of Sterling Estates.

I and my family have used various block agents, some ok, some mediocre and some absolutely terrible. However, I am very happy to recommend Sterling, there one of the best by far. They always try to go above and beyond. Thank you Sterling for all your efforts, do keep it up.

Good Managing Agents compared to others experienced. Seem to be fair and honest and accommodate the needs and wishes of the lessees. Special mention to Antonio and Philip who always make the time to discuss plans and problems and take care of them while looking at best options in a professional and courteous manner.

Sterling Estates have been managing my building for over 10 years. As an owner of an apartment in the building I have always found Sterling to be really helpful in resolving problems. All my contact with the staff at Sterling has been great. Compared to the two other property management companies we used before, Sterling are fantastic in comparison.

As a Director of our resident management company we have used a number of managing agents over the years. However, thankfully I do not think we will be looking much further anymore or in the distant future as Sterling Estate Management Ltd provide a valued asset to us.

They are extremely impartial in dealing with the various different personalities within our estate and while they may not always be flavour of the month with some, their factual, honest and reliable service reinforces what we need to hear. Thus, they are highly effective in getting the job done!

Competent, professional and highly responsive. Highly recommended.

SEM has been managing the City Plaza Block of flats over the last 15+ years where I am one of the lessees. They have accorded an excellent service over the years and have maintained the block to a high standard, keeping all the lessees meticulously abreast of developments and works to be undertaken at the site. They are quick to respond to our queries and are always very helpful in assisting the lessees. Sorab Contractor Flat12-City Plaza.

Very tricky company and people.. Water mark initially showed up in March/2020.
Sujata is always playing with wording, but never clearly answer my simply question: Where the water mark on the edge of my ceiling came from?
Tired of arguing with her anymore, just a fresh picture taken in Nov/2020 explains everything..

i worked for these cowboys and after not getting paid for 8 months need to sue them,lies and lies they are full of it, STAY AWAY FROM !!!

Rude staff. Mizwala in particular such arrogance so unnecessary. Better companies out there stay away.

Moved to new building run by Sterling Estates, paying a premium for the property but unimpressed by Sterling.

They have hired a individual who does not speak English to take care of maintenance and a young chap to guard the front desk but according to the Fire Service was not trained re health and safety when people were stuck in the lift.

Very cheaply done ... would not recommend

SEM have turned around the block that I live in. It used to look like a council estate with terrible security. It's now clean, secure for all residents so that children can play in the gardens and has had a wonderful facelift. It has even help to increase the value to the property. SEM are very responsive when there are issues, with both the property and those of a anti-social nature. I recommend them highly.

If I could give a -10 rating I would. They are awful. We are charged high rates of service charge for our building and they DON'T DO ANYTHING! They do not deal with issues at all. You can barely get a hold of them either. They are unresponsive and when you finally do get through they take forever to deal with the issue. Disgusting customer service.

I have had very positive experiences with SEM over the past 10 years ... always immediately responsive and always efficient in helping me with many requests I have had of them in a timely and effective manner . My experiences have always been positive in what is often a thankless environment . All the best to SEM for the future

Sterling Estates have been assisting our building with an RTM claim. Communication is clear potential and outcomes described in detail, along with associated costs. So far all deadlines have been met in the process.

They have also ensured that our building has met the required fire safety standards and as such the building has its EWS1 certification. This has proven to be invaluable for leaseholders wanting to refinance or sell. I understand there is quite a backlog nationally of buildings waiting to have this process completed.

This is a fair, professional and experienced team serving estate management, they take on feedback well and incorporate it into improvements. I've been recipient of their services as a landlord and resident for over 7 years and would highly recommend them as a property managing agent.

Avoid this company at all costs. Every single member of their staff is incredibly rude and disrespectful. I have leased a flat through SEM and have never witnessed a landlord so blatantly unconcerned for his property and tenants. From leaving water leaks and mould unaddressed for months on end to refusing to fix standard flooring, these people have no interest in meeting basic living standards.

Should you ever wish to live in a flat that does not pose various health and safety risks, avoid SEM at all costs.They do have one redeeming quality. Should you ever have any issues with your flat, they will simply ignore you by refusing to answer your emails or phone calls. While this may seem like another negative point, you would understand should you have ever spoken to a member of their team given how painful, useless and downright migraine-inducing it is to speak to a single one of them.

Bottom line, SEM makes a mockery of the property management industry. Should you have any concerns regarding your mental and physical wellbeing, avoid, avoid avoid!