2 Bedroom Flat In Herne Hill With Garden

We’ve rented from Peterman's for more than eight years and have found them professional, courteous, and easy to approach throughout. They listen, follow through, and add a lovely personal touch.

We rented a Petermans Herne Hill flat for a year, while my flatmate had lived there for about two and a half years. The building belongs to the Council of Southwark, so some repairs needed the council to be contacted and visits arranged. In my view, Petermans Real Estate Agency was cheeky, greedy, and irresponsible. I can’t give zero stars, though I’d like to. The hot water and heating caused problems after a radiator in the toilet burst. For nine of the 12 months I lived there, I had issues with hot water. Sometimes it was off for one or two weeks or longer, including in winter. The agency said it was our responsibility to contact the council and let workers in, though that wasn’t in the contract. Since we mostly worked outside the flat, arranging visits was difficult, and we spent many days trying to get it fixed. The agency took no responsibility. After we gave notice, they suddenly seemed more interested in resolving it because the property had to be sellable. The burst radiator was a negligent act by the landlord and agency. Luckily no one was in the flat, so nobody was injured. It damaged the bathroom and the flat’s main entrance. A neighbour reported it, and the council came quickly, broke in through the entrance window, and put a wooden board where the door window had been. For two years the agency didn’t really push the council to repair the entrance, despite our pressure on both the council and agency. Only after we left did the agency email the council to follow up, since the house needed to look good to rent. At the end of the tenancy, they wanted to deduct £600 from our deposit for repainting over scuffs, blu tack, and made up things, including drill holes we hadn’t made. We rejected that and counteroffered a much smaller amount. Since the claim was extremely excessive, they accepted our offer in the end. Money comes first for this agency, while people and their needs come last. To me, this is another example of how bad the London estate agency sector is.

Update, 2026: I’m still renting with Petermans, and they’ve now helped me move into a bigger apartment. The property manager is incredible, always willing to help and address any issues or repairs that come up. The sales team are friendly when I visit the agency, and a quick phone call gets things moving. Back in 2024, Ben helped me rent my first studio apartment. He told me everything upfront, and Ben & Petermans team were very helpful with referencing and answered all my questions promptly. The tenancy terms were reasonable, which is rare in renting these days. If you’re looking for a reliable Estate/Lettings Agency, Petermans is a gem 💎

Ben made our move-in process seamless, helping us from start to finish. He replied quickly to all our questions, however small, and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the experience. If you need a property agent, we highly recommend Ben.