Zinn Apartments

The customer apparently doesn’t matter here. The photos may look lovely, but once you’re in the apartments, problems keep surfacing. I spent a month here across two units, and the management and cleaning were so poor that the property has gone downhill despite being fairly new. I was reporting and documenting dirt and essential broken items for at least ten hours a week, then had to be around while cleaners, repair workers and other tradespeople came through. It made me feel like an unpaid part-time employee. There are over 30 units. The managing director, who is the daughter of the construction company that built them, should have an inspector checking each short-term furnished apartment at every turnover. Instead, tenants who are already paying for their stay are left with that work and the problems themselves. After documenting so much, I asked her for some compensation. I was told I could leave. Finding somewhere else in Aberdeen at short notice in mid-July, with a major international event only two weeks away, wasn’t realistic. I was then told I’d be moved to another unit that would be completely redone from floor to ceiling before I arrived. The first unit had a shower drain that stank, and an oven that smelled as if it hadn’t been cleaned in ten years. The decorative pillows were covered in dog drool and spit. There were food crumbs and sticky residue in the couch cushions and living room carpet. A light fixture over the bed had broken, exposed electrical wires, which was dangerous, and the TVs didn’t work. The blinds had caked-on black dirt, while spiderwebs and dust balls filled the corners from floor to ceiling, enough to cause breathing issues and constant sneezing. Even after the cleaners returned, crumbs and greasy marks were still on the counters, kitchen canisters, toaster, kettle, pots and pans, and inside the cabinets. They left empty salt and pepper shakers, then said they don’t provide salt and pepper. The replacement unit was worse. Half the kitchen equipment was missing, the window casings and blinds were filthy again, and the oven had black grease and dirt with rusty racks. The TV was broken, and the table had come away from the wall, making it unusable. Cabinet doors were ripped off their hinges. I documented and reported everything again, then had to be available while more workers came and went. Since the tradesmen were all on holiday for two weeks, I had to put up with the damage during that time. After I left, I sent all my records and a letter to the construction company’s owner asking for a refund, or I’d report them to Aberdeen City Council, which monitors short-term lets. The owner never replied. Complaints have been filed. Be wary of the attractive photos. These units have gone downhill, and while trying to get on with your life, you may end up reporting the problems and hearing that you can always just leave.

Flexible tenancy lengths and a car parking area are handy. The location is great, the service is nice, and the manager is responsive. It’s a very good place, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Aberdeen.

The staff are lovely and very accommodating. I stayed for a month, and the apartment was nice and clean, though its layout was a little odd. The communal spaces had a very office-like feel. The shower pressure was lovely, but the loos were oddly shaped and the washing machine took forever. Since the flat opened onto the atrium, I would have liked a bit more privacy and proper bedroom curtains instead of blinds.

The rooms are lovely, with all the amenities provided, and the staff are friendly and accommodating. I’ll definitely stay here again when I’m in Aberdeen.