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Major Leeds Student Letting Agents Providence Properties Put To Shame On BBC’s Watchdog
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by pakalert | November 9, 2008 at 08:45 am
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Monday 3rd November 2008 sees Providence Properties and Providence Lets, letting agents for student properties in Leeds, shamed on BBC’s Watchdog for not returning students’ deposit money.
Over the past 18 months the Student Advice Centre at Leeds University Union has been working closely with several difficult student letting agents/landlords to secure the return of thousands of pounds in students’ deposits. So far they have managed to reclaim over £70,000 in disrepairs and deposits that landlords tried to retain.
Andrea Kerslake, housing manager at Leeds University Union’s Student Advice Centre, has been working on these cases. She says “There aren’t many difficult student landlords in Leeds, but we are very pro-active in pursuing those that are! It’s great we have managed to reclaim thousands of pounds from difficult student landlords and it’s really important that students are coming to the Student Advice Centre to inform us of situations where landlords are not returning deposits.”
One of the letting agents Leeds University Union’s Student Advice Centre is working with is Tariq Zaman, director of Providence Properties and Providence Lets. Andrea explains about the case: “We are still working very closely with Tariq Zaman to resolve cases on Providence Properties and Providence Lets. Unfortunately, all letters to Tariq have gone unanswered and, despite early promises to clear cases, Providence Properties and Providence Lets are failing to respond adequately to issues raised. In some cases they have failed to provide return of deposit money that they have already offered. We are aware of court action that has been taken, where students have been successful against Tariq Zaman and Providence Lets, and are awaiting payments.”
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.
Has anyone had any dealings with them while looking for residence in Leeds? Any Landlords given bad service, or conned?
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (20)
at 12:24 on December 19th, 2008
at 13:15 on December 7th, 2008
Hello to all the students, who are suffering likewise. I too also rented a property from Providence Properties in 2004. It was 7 Chestnut Avenue, (Horrible House) it was actually belonging to Mr Ishaq's mum. Mr Ishaq as described previously "the ugly fat chap". Although this sad CUNT never told me this! along with me were 5 other students who were to become my housemates. Each of us had paid £300.00, total £1800. We gave the money over to the fat cunt (who was sat on his chair behind the very same desk featured in Watchdog). He gladly took the money. We were taken to 7 Chestnut Avenue. It was in a poor state & Ishaq had promised us that after he'd spoken to the owners of the property he'd get it fully sorted. Which he had done in about a week. The next door house was Pakistani, 9 Chestnut Avenue.This was the house of the owners to 7 Chestnut avenue. Guess what it was Mr Ishaqs mother.
How i got to know this is a bizzare but true story... I was studying outside in the garden on a warm afternoon. there were these 3 sexy looking pakistani women.sniggering at me from number 9. it was strange because i thought what stupid girls they are behaving like kids..& so on. Then a few days later 1 of the women i think she was 17-19 years old at the time whisled me over to her & told me that her sister fancied me.. i am a jamaican guy mixed race. i had never had a pakistani girlfriend ever. so i took this womens number.... & so on. well guess what next thing you'd know this women would come over on weekends, to stay at number 9 which was her parents home. she'd sneak over to my room on a night & we'd have sex. This carried on for around 5 months until Mr Ishaq had become aware of this. i was forced to leave the house after being beat up from the Providence boys along with all of my housemates. This is when i'd found out that it was a family thing...makes me laugh at some of the comments because this is a very huge family. My housemates were forced to leave because they didn't let Mr Ishaq know. WEIRD BUT THEY ACTUALLY TOLD ALL US THAT THEY WERE KEEPING OUR DEPOSITS & THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO ABOUT IT! We coudn't because these guys meant bussiness the way they piled in like THUGS.
All i wish is GOODLUCK to all of you who are fighting to get back whats yours. Legally.
Me i don't want my money back. I did have sattisfaction from Mr Ishaqs sister on dirty weekends! LOL. & my housemates...I PAID THEM THE BONDS WHICH THEY WERE OWED! AS IT WAS MY FAULT!
at 11:02 on November 17th, 2008
Dose anyone know they Khalid Zaman who is Tariq Zaman's brother? well let me tell you all he is one low life bastard, he is abusive, rude and extremely arrogant, due to his poor behavior we left they property in Burley Park/Leeds. He is a married man, his wife's from back home, but he has a girlfriend Anna Webster who also works for Providence Properties, but has moved to MYHOMEZ she is another freak who sleeps with the son's and the father, how more low could you go then that? maybe they like wife swaps in they own houses *sick* people
STAY AWAY FROM PROVIDENCE AND MYHOMEZ & ZAMAN FAMILY THEY ARE BAD NEWS!
at 09:59 on November 9th, 2008
What!! I cant believe this nonesense, with the new govt deposit scheme there is just no way landlords can keep deposits - they dont even get a sniff of the money as it all goes it to a gov account!
These student must have caused damages of not payed bills!
at 10:03 on November 9th, 2008
"WARNING: Providence Properties Are Now Operating Under A New Company My Homez (http://www.myhomez.co.uk)"
If the above comment is not removed within the next 24 hours with a written apology to My Homez, legal action will be sought.
at 04:10 on November 10th, 2008
Myhomez is providence properties
at 07:27 on November 10th, 2008
Just to add few of my commets about Providence Properties and mr T Zaman,s family, I personly know that family, thay all are crooks , No respect for other peoples, very selfish and greedy peoples, Names you have to remember when you rent properties in Leeds 6 Headingly area are, Tariq, Khalid, Basharat, Azeem,Shahida Zaman. They are all brothers and sister, and Mr Shabir and one of another business collgues, beware of all these names, I hope we all together get them out of business, These peoples are burdon on the society, Real crooks and we are better of without them, they don't care how they make money out of people. T¬otaly law life cheers
at 08:17 on November 10th, 2008
It seems they are oprating under new names "WARNING: Providence Properties Are Now Operating Under A New Company My Homez
at 08:07 on November 11th, 2008
Go for it. Take legal action. I 'd love to see how far you get in a court of law!
at 08:14 on November 11th, 2008
My Homez is definitely Providence Properties/Providence Lets, run by Basharat and his associates. DO NOT RENT FROM THIS COMPANY!!
at 10:46 on November 11th, 2008
you are right, Basharat is one of Tariq brother. becareful of them, They have about 50 of their own properties, we can altogether make them go out of business, world would be much better without people like that, cheers
at 10:58 on November 11th, 2008
you'r right, Basharat is brother of Tariq Zaman, watch out name Zaman, Basharat (Bash) is realy scum, We all together can get them out of business, They are crooks, they have about 50 properties between them and rest of family most in Headingley area, but still too greedy to rub students, totlay scum of the earth,
at 04:35 on November 14th, 2008
Has anyone heard of 2View properties in the Hyde park area - ive had some really bad experiences with them. They are liars and have kept my deposit. Im thinking of adding these people to the student unions list of BAD LETTING AGENTS - infact they are probably already on there.
One of the workers here even tried to make a pass at me - i was so scared because he told me hes got the spare key to my front door. I dont know about anyone else but that was enough to freak me out.
I left the house tidy and payed all my bills along with my 4 other house mates, but they keep on telling us they cheque is on its way, its being processed. im still waiting.
at 03:17 on November 17th, 2008
i too personally know this family and they nothing like how "shafiq" described. I think you need to be careful what you write about people. and you really need to work on yor english mate!
They are real entrepenuers who have a great business sense
at 09:11 on November 18th, 2008
Why are Providence getting so upset about people pointing out the link between Providence Properties and MyHomez? If the two companies don't have any link, then why would Providence be the ones making threats and not MyHomez? But anyway, I'm certainly not saying that MyHomez and Providence are the same company because hey, I don't wanna get sued! All I will say is consider the company officials of MyHomez: Bashirt Zaman & Azeem Zaman. Now consider some of the company officials of Providence Properties and Providence Lets: Tariq Zaman, Bashirt Zaman and Azeem Zaman. Now consider they all live at the same address. Are these two companies linked somehow?! Surely not! But I'll leave that for you to decide...
FAO Providence or MyHomez, depending on which company you decide you are working for when you got out of bed this morning, please don't waste your time with threats of legal action as all information in this comment is taken from records available to the public via Companies House. If you don't want your company to have a bad reputation I suggest you consider paying people back what they're owed...
at 04:12 on November 20th, 2008
See here for more info on links between Providence Properties and MyHomez: http://myhomez-warning.blogspot.com/
at 04:14 on November 20th, 2008
Sorry the last message didn't include the hyperlink so here it is again for the links between MyHomez and Providence Properties: http://myhomez-warning.blogspot.com/
at 13:28 on December 7th, 2008
True , these guys are Scum of this earth, this Family 9 Chestnut Avenue are A SHAME TO OUR COMMUNITY. they would be better off away from our city. There has been so much that had been mentioned regarding this family & the ways they live. Fraud is something that we do not accept in Islam. This family is know now for a lot of Allegations within our community.
As a muslim scholar here in Leeds,Studying is a must in a humans life, & to gain degree from this studying is a must. It is not in our entire community to agree with the ways you all have been treated. Good Luck And May The Almighty Help You Gain Back Which Is Owed To You! Ameen.
at 01:49 on December 11th, 2008
hallo,can somebody help, how to got the deposit back?
at 12:44 on December 19th, 2008
I never thought I would ask that someone refrain from making gestures on NP...