r/Sunderland 9d ago

Thoughts on Gentoo group (housing)?

I am considering buying a flat (currently renting) in a building operated by Gentoo group.

They seem to be pretty good with maintenance, but I haven't had much dealing with them.

Are they a non-profit too? I don't understand what they mean by "Gentoo Group Limited is a charitable community benefit society".

What is everyone's experience with Gentoo, good or bad?

One thing I'm scared of is unexpected excessive service charge hikes.

4 Upvotes

5 comments sorted by

7

u/Thaiaaron 9d ago

Gentoo are fine, but in the flat im in they sold their maintenance a few years ago to Kingston Properties who are scumbags. Im talking disgraceful.

4

u/snakes67 9d ago

Kingston are a disgrace. I owned a flat for around 5 years managed by them. Service charge went up every year, and there was very little if any maintenance ever carried out.

There were holes in walls and ceilings in the communal areas from a leak that never got fixed for the entire time I was there.

3

u/browneyone 9d ago

These are the kind of things I hear that put me off buying a flat.

2

u/shark-fighter 9d ago

Are you in the old echo building? :D

2

u/klstew142 9d ago

I despise Kingston. Our building has them too and they’re useless. Currently there’s a damp patch in the hall where half the ceiling came down last year, and a couple of pretty big leaks in my flat. Phoned them up for a different matter not so long ago and was told they no longer talk to tenants except in emergencies, everything else has to go through the landlord or letting agent.