Selling our shared ownership property has been the worst experience ever and guess what, optivo are the ones who are stopping us selling at the last minute. 2 years ago we applied and gave notice to sell our house, 8 months ago we found a buyer and today on our deadline we won’t have sold our house due to optivo being as incompetent as a chocolate tea pot. We’ve moved all our belongings into shipping containers, sofa surfing with friends and family to allow the sale to go though to proceed with the house chain all while with a baby and optivo couldn’t care less. Fancy that for brill customer service. So optivo if you decide to ask us to contact you after this review you have our details, call us and do your job so we and our baby can move in to our new family home Ps. Please see attached Picture of us and our belongings in our shipping container

Awful customer experience. I am a homeowner who has been charged for repairs over four times the predicted costs of service charges yet the issues still are apparent. When contacted customer services it seems to be apparent of a ‘passing the buck’ attitude. Their service level agreements are not met and i suggest those who have similar issues begin to document email strings in order to ensure you can take the correct legal action. Having raised a complaint, the response I received was that the issue was solved by their contractor. This was not true and I responded informing them of this and have followed up multiple times. A week on, and still no response. To others facing the same issues I suggest reading your leases in fine print as Optivo may be breaching this which could lead to you pausing your service charge payments. Update: Generic response to the review by Optivo below…. Of course I know how to contact you. And so do all the other reviewers. The fundamental issue is what you do when you are being contacted!!!

Do not buy or rent a property managed by this company. Tiles came of the roof during strong winds leaving a hole in the roof to my top floor property. Reported this to them and we are now 62 days with constant emails telling me things that will happen but nothing has been done. For what is considered a critical issue Optivo have obviously had no urgency or care to fix this. They are more then happy to chase and send emails around service charges but won't lift a finger for an urgent repair.

Just an awful firm. Optivo are the landlords for building in which i own a flat. it clearly says in my mortgage documents that they are responsible for maintaining the communal areas and the buildings. They did maintain the area for a bit but to a poor standard. Then about 3 months ago randomly stopped. Now the grass is over grown and the outdoor spaces are a complete mess. I have been trying for over 6 weeks to find someone in optivo who can help. i have been in contact with the contact us email address and their complaints email address. Optivo cannot even work out who was looking after the garden. The company is a complete mess. The last 6 weeks of dealing with them has been extremely stressful and has caused me soo much detriment. It has honestly led me to tears

Back in Jan 2022 I was shown a flat at a soon-to-be new build, in South Bermondsey. Argo House.I really liked it as a result I reserved the top floor flat. I was told then, the building would be ready to move in, spring/summer 2022. However, a couple months later, I was told the contractors were facing minor delays therefore it would be ready in October 2022. We exchanged contracts in August 2022 with that in mind. By October 2022 we were told more delays and due to move in, in December 2022. At this time most of us left our former homes/gave notice at their demand. We never moved in December and the former contractors gave up on the project. We now know they have had the building works paused for several months, without communicating it to us till January 2023. We were then told they were vetting new contractors to finish the final bits. Works resumed by April 2023, and we were told we should expect to move in within 3 months time or so. That also never happened, and further delays have been communicated. Because we all thought we were moving in, at different stages, most of us have moved out of our former homes, moved into temporary accommodation. Multiple times. Incurring significant extra costs we had never expected to have. The most significant additional cost we have been forced to deal with is a new mortgage deal at significant higher rate. In addition, they have held our deposits since August 2022. Needless to say that now on a high interest rate account, would have provided us some little help amongst so many expenses we have had and we had never expected to be in such position. We are being told now we will be moving in January 2024, but some of us have visited the site often, and we are not sure about it. Most shockingly, the last few times I have been there the past month, there has been no one working on the site. Again.

Absolutely worse housing association that is out there. AVOID. They make your life hell with repairs and breakdowns in properties they have no concern for young children or residents. My son and I have had the worse experience with them. When you accept the property they are so lovely but after people make appointments for repairs and people dont show up your constantly chasing this housing association. No sympathy for young children.

Probably the worst Housing Association. Most of the lights are not working. Phones never answered.I have complained for the same lights for about 3 years but still not repaired. Service charges are going up yet maintenance is going down. Many windows often fall apart. Sewerage blocked. Money spent on unnecessary work. Maintenance contractors are aware of the issues but not interested to repair. Shame on Optivo! Only one good thing i.e. gardening.

If we could give 0 stars, that would be our choice. Nothing new here as you can see from all the feedback in this page, however it's good to maintain this updated so everyone can see that nothing has changed. In sum, we bought a new build flat in London through a shared ownership and basically the flat came with many defects - extractors not working (they were never installed according to someone we paid to fix it), handles falling apart and for 2 weeks, we had no electricity due to the customer service having no clue what the providers actually were. We weren't worried as we had just moved in and were within our "liability defect period" and would soon/eventually received a settling in visit to check on us. Obviously this visit never happened and after emailing the company we were told that the period was over and that they wouldn't be responsible for any issues. Basically, from what we could understand, the period (warranty, let's say) starts when the construction was over and not when we moved in (?) - as the flat was over a year old (we found out though this), nothing they could do anymore. To sell you the flat, everyone is responsive and lovely - aftercare is another, more horrendous, story. We have all the evidence saved, however to start a legal battle would be too costly for us at this point. That is what they count on, that not enough people will have that courage or financial freedom to pursue their rights. Stay away if you can!

I have been a tenant since 1995 with Optivo with an excellent track record. In the last 8 months I have been going through a nightmarish ASB with an Optivo neighbour. I have had to contact the Police, local authority and social services all confirmed that Optivo is one of the worst Housing Associations around. Optivo have completely failed in their duties towards me as a victim and months of collecting ASB evidence from sound recordings, video recordings, photos, witness/ neighbours statements and medical reports have come to nothing. And although some neighbours/independent house owners have emailed and contacted Optivo expressing that they’re very concerned about how badly the property is being neglected, which is clearly causing hygiene hazards, health issues, not to mention the terribly embarrassing image for our lovely street, yet despite all our (myself and neighbours) requests and pleading for someone to physically attend the premises and investigate for themselves. Nothing has come out of it. I'm a highly rated registered disabled single father that has been driven to anxiety and depression after suffering months of harassment, abuse, threats and ASB, it has especially deteriorated my emotional and mental status due to my suffering from PTSD growing up during the war, the random loud shouting, and bangings on our ceiling offered from upstairs really doesn’t help. Simply because we had stressed our concern to Optivo about loud music, and other unsociable activities at unneighbourly hours. Optivo managers have refused to meet me face to face or visit me to discuss and see for themselves the situation that I have been reporting for months. At least 20 times the investigating officer failed to call me after agreeing to call me. I reported suspected drug dealing and children abuse but Optivo have turned a blind eye to this situation. For months I have been unable to sleep due to ASB noise till the early hours of the morning. Family members have lost their jobs due to sleep deprivation and fatigue due to extreme stress and lack of sleep. Optivo management should resign as they are totally unprofessional and incompetent at running this organisation. They lack both common sense and empathy towards suffering tenants. My case has been passed to several individuals working at Optivo to investigate and sadly either they get removed very quickly and if IF they get replaced, they don’t feel the need to communicate and take advantage of each other’s findings regarding the case. It’s basically either starting from scratch each month or creates a great deal of confusion. If I had to describe Optivo’s conduct, it would be “a very toxic, unprofessional and biased environment” If anyone on this review forum as managed to take legal proceedings against Optivo for their incompetence then please respond to my review as I have no option left but to take Optivo to court for the harm and suffering they have caused me for months. Any assistance or guidance is greatly appreciated as our lifestyle and health of myself and my two young sons have been severely affected. God bless you all Behrooz Nasr-Azadani

This should be complaint 1 of 5000 but to begin with genuinely, one of the worst organisations to deal with in history - very poor customer service. The lifts have been out of service in the building for over 10 days. No proper update has been provided by Optivo, Southern Housing or Precision Lifts. People in the building with young kids, mobility issues that have not been able to go about their day to day activities as a result of this poorly structured organisation. Very disappointed, the people I call are not understanding of the issue at all, each time the issue has to be repeated - I would advise looking to buy a home from Optivo or Southern Housing to really think and look deeply into their processes and procedures before committing to anything. Private owners, tenants and the like are treated awfully and dismissed / passed around on calls. Terrible.

I am taking legal action against Southern Housing formerly Optivo because of their extreme incompetence. We have been without intercom for 6 months and they keep fobbing us off like we do not exist and we keep paying for services they do not provide. It should be ilegal for organisations like this to operate.

Terrible - takes ages for simple communal things to be fixed, if at all. Issues with lifts, communal cleaning, security, parking etc. The service charge that you pay is obviously going into a bottomless pit because it is not being used to maintain a new build development. If you’re thinking of renting or shared ownership - DO NOT DO IT! It’s not worth the headache 🤕

Absolutely disgraced by the customer service from HEIDI. My very sick father left hospital and his fridge sockets were not working I explained my dad was very sick as she said it’s not an emergency he needs to get out to buy extension. Which I explained he physically can’t. she then went on to tell me he should be living with family instead of doing her job she got very personal and intrusive.it’s already a very sensitive time..we rang for a repair not an opinion on where my dad should be living when you’ve literally just been asked to do YOUR JOB !!!!

I put one * just because there’s not possible to leave no *. My sister is living in Optivo flat. She reported that the shower pump is not working so her bathroom is getting flooded when she takes a shower. She was forced to use communal shower for whole month until someone came to repair the pump. A week later - pump is broken again. The heating in the flat was never repaired even though 8 months ago was reported that none of the radiators are working. UPDATE - 3 months gone since this review - shower pump hasn’t been repaired until now leaving my sister to use communal shower.

Never use this company. Really dreadful experience with lies and awful customer service. Treated first time buyers with complete disrespect and then escalating to managers getting the same rude response. They promise things over the phone and then you ask for confirmation in writing they say you are lying. Avoid at all costs and save yourself time and money - we have now waited a year with probably less than 10 emails all year.

One star is being generous. I would avoid Southern/Optivo. If you make a complaint it will be the same spill and narrative from the managers. A lot of false hope and empty promises. In order to protect your mental health and well being I would personally look into being managed or being a tenant where. I have been waiting to move for under 10 years, I was served papers that I was under occupying the tenancy. However very little has been done. Optivo believe I have been treated fairly despite their incompetence. There is a lack of duty of car and compassion, I am expected to remain in the property where my grandmother perished and pay for a two bedroom flat.

Went for a viewing, send the application form as I was interested in buying the property, it has been more then a month a not replying yet .I also email and phoned couple of times to get an update still waiting for an answer. How could you trust Optivo especially if you are a first time buyer? Wouldn't recommend it just a waste of your time

Worst housing association ever Now know as Southern housing association ( formerly known as optivo housing association) Sine March 2022 until now January 3rd, 2023 been having repairs after repairs after repairs. They ignore your complaints and no one cares if you're affected by what they are putting you through as my health and wellbeing as being affected. They ruin my Christmas 2022 and my family holiday as my home is now not suitable to live in .You all should be ashamed of how you treat people . All you care about is your rent. I could go on and on with my list of complaints, repairs and fixtures, maintenance repairs. I have a book to write all I have been through in my flat and yet still no result as been sorted. I think I am in a bad night mare and need to wake up , cause it can't be real at all

These people rented me a damp, mouldy, filthy apartment which was supposed to be brand new for £1200 per month. I’ve had a broken washing machiene since moving in (OVER A MONTH AGO) tap’s broken, hob’s broken and the place is covered in mould and smells of mould and sewage. I cannot believe Optivo are behaving like slumlords! They refuse to fix things and mislead you so that you rent with them, to lock you into a contract. I was flat out lied to in order to get me to sign a contract. Beware. Update: I have called 4-5 times in one day sometimes to get this fixed. Today in particular I called twice. Your copy and paste response is insulting!

WHY GOOGLE FORCES US TO BUY - TO GIVE ONE * TO EVILS WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE 0 OR MINUS? THAT SHOWS WRONG RATING. From feedbacks and my very own awful beyond believe current experience I am going through, it makes me think Optivo is formatted from specially trained inhuman, soulless, shameless, conscienceless, brainless, ice-cold creatures. How I could name them 'people' if they are absolutely opposite, what normal civilised society understands under this name. Optivo's evilness is absolutely beyond reasonable believe and they do not show mercy to nobody - no babies, single mums, ill, disable, old, no one. Because of Optivo's lack of normal staff, I am deprived from my belongings, which were moved to storage for repairing period NOW ALREADY OVER 8!!!!!!!!! MONTHS. Optivo's repair was under every critic. They flooded carpet floor with over 9 years dirty killing stench water, but refused to change carpet until independent inspector took pictures and admitted flat is not in healthy living condition. THEY DIDN'T CHANGE DAMAGED CARPETS, BUT PAINTED CEILING - DO THEY HAVE ANY BRAIN? I want my belongings back, but one plainly brainless refuses it with reason I am using candles. Can you imagine more idiotic reason? Over two months Optivo forced me, 68 years old sleep on floor, of course I got sick. Now they moved me to hotel two weeks ago, BUT I WANT MY BELONGINGS MY BED INCLUDING. Can one normal, friendly with head imagine such story? OPTIVO, DON'T YOU DARE INSULT ME WITH YOUR 'SORRY' ETC, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SORRY AND NEVER EVER WILL BE. I WILL NOT GET IN TOUCH, I HAVE BEEN, THAT'S ZERO, EXACTLY AS MENY OTHERS ADMIT IT. YOU ARE FORMATTED OF EVIL MONSTERS.

Can't get through and they cut off the phone. This is emergency repair as well I'm not happy at all. Customer service is really bad . What's the point of having a phone line 🤔

We moved into a new building in May 2022 and since moving in have kept highlighting the lack of heating and hot water but till today they have still not sorted it. All through the snow and when the temperatures have been well below zero even today. The build itself is poor quality and everything is already coming apart or doesn't work. The building has three doors to enter but only the external one can be opened from the flat after which you have to go collect the individuals or deliveries. Communication is poor and second hand. And still no solution found. Just appalling.

Worst ever no change only the name . Had a leak for years Optivio finally rectified it years later. I have damp and my illness has deteriorated due to they neglecting my leak . They don’t care or communicate with each other bad service won’t recommend them at all stay away from them if I can give 0 I will. Don’t know why Optivio changed to southern housing as it’s still the same bs with them . They need to be closed down waste of time cheap badly built homes with lots of issues all Optivio care about is rent money things will never change same old s. Avoid they can’t even repair nothing professionally very unprofessional and messy never clean up after themselves and always do a bad horrible rushed bad work job cow boys

I had to take four days off work as they would make appointments with me and cancel. they would say it’s not in the warehouse or the person has called in sick. I would call the day before and they would be like Yes that they have everything then the day of the appointment cancel on me. Four day pay lost! They must think the price of living has not gone up.

I would give zero Star if I could. Awful customer service and the whole other contractors they use, specifically K&T heating service . Poor coordination of customer service , they would lie to cover their back and have zero compassion for their tenants. The complaint team is incompetent: all you receive is sorry you haven’t had hot water for a month.

Hi. Just to mention that Lorraine in repairs in London is absolutely fabulous. I’m sure she works very hard at her job and deserves a good holiday. She goes above and beyond to help us out and calls back when necessary. She’s polite,friendly,thoughtful and always happy and a pleasure to talk to. Always happy to speak to Lorraine. Also all the team in London are brilliant. Thanks for all your help. Paul and Michelle.

Had it been possible to provide no stars I would have done so. Lack of responsibility for issues, damage allowed to continue to Landlords property unabated, lack of responses and broken promises. Appalling service, I really don't know how they are still in business :(

DO NOT BUY any flat from this company. I have received a flat with a damaged open window, damaged ceiling, the boiler of the building has not been working (according to the residents since July last year), hence there isn’t a heating system that works properly, the constructors damaged a window when they came to fix the ceiling, and do not want to take responsibility. Already said they didn’t do it and are playing a blaming game. Btw, they didn’t even fix the ceiling. They were advised by the building developers to inform the new buyers about the boiler problems but they didn’t say anything. There is an office space downstairs, I will make of it my office and will make it my work to advise anyone coming to see the flats of the problem, I am also printing flyers which I will start giving people around Croydon and I have been doing research on new buildings in the area, I will leave them on other developments too. I have gone door to door on my building to ask people for advise and almost every flat have had similar or probably worse issues. Nobody even give a proper explanation of the problems. Nor when those are going to be fixed. From other residents I realised that this will be a constant battle and prob something will be done after months of fighting. They will exhaust you until you do not want to do anything more. From tomorrow I will bring my portable desk downstairs, come and see me at the grove in Croydon and we can discuss, I can show you around my flat and the problems. DO NOT LET these people scam you.

Honestly, Southern is the WORST HOUSING that could possibly exist. They accept you to pay rent but whenever you've a problem it takes months for them to take an action. WHY SHOULD WE PAY RENT IF WE AS TENANTS DON'T RECEIVE THE SERVICE WE DESERVE ? I DON'T UNDERSTAND AND IT'S NOT FAR AT ALL. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP CALLING OR CHASING ANYONE. BUT IF WE STOP PAYING RENT WE GET EVICTED ? THE MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE ITS PATHETIC !!! MAYBE ALL TENATS SHOULD SUE THIS HOUSING

Zero service. We have no one to report issues. Our So called Home Ownership Property Manager Janine Edwards radio silence.

Have raised a very simple request, using their preferred method of contact: through my account Received response from Optivo that I would be contacted some time ago - nothing forthcoming. Have re-raised this, in form of complaint, yet still I wait for any productive response. As mentioned, this is the most basic of queries - hazard to think how those with a more complex issue fair and have to cope. If my experience is anything to go by, merging with Southern has led to marked deterioration in customer care

Had a viewing booked in for 11am on Saturday 6th November at Waterways in Wandsworth but no one showed up, waited an hour and no one available to speak to. Also left voicemails on contacts but no one bothered to return the call. Really poor operational setup.

This company even not worth the 1 ZERO they only after your money. Service, repair, maintenance, cleaning ZERO. your health and safety??? they not really care, we all need to report to the local MP.

Really terrible service. They take it upon themselves to fix things that don't need fixing and drag their heels about the things that do. For example, a door to an unused external storage space. This perfectly functioning door was replaced with an ill-fitting one. It cannot close properly and is now banging away in windy weather, making a terrible racket for the neighbours and myself. Someone even came to paint it, at a later date, even though it was obvious it was faulty. Waste of time, energy and money. They replaced the front lawn with pebbles, which was unnecessary, a waste of time, energy and money. Yet when I request they do something about the back garden, which is more urgent.....i.e. a jungle of briars from the railway tracks and an old, OLD worn out and nearly invisible garden path, I am told by a surveyor, that it is actually my responsibility to replace the garden path and put a fence up at the back, to prevent the brambles coming in from the railway track. Also they will only replace loose paving if there is a health and safety issue. Unbelievable !!!! With Amicus Horizon, at least we would get housing officers to come and visit occassionally. Now a member of the housing team eventually and condescendingly, tells me they will issue a purchase order for a garden clearance and that they will do it as a good will gesture. I haven't asked for anything cosmetic, just a way to make the overwhelming growth more manageable for myself to do single handedly, as neither of the other tenants are physically capable. No one has come to inspect the garden to see what needs doing and yet they will (eventually) issue a PO to do some sort of task and probably a short term solution at that, for which I should be so grateful for, as a paying tenant. I also reported that my back door needs replacing, because it won't close properly anymore and when it is inspected, am told that it is not due for renewal. I report it again and someone comes, only to confirm that it is faulty and needs replacing and that was about 3 months ago, absolutely appalling. I have had countless surveys over the years, flagging what needs doing in the property and nothing is done. One even laughed at the 1980s lino in the communal hallway, but this is yet to be replaced and I don't have the energy to pursue this one, just yet. The pandemic, is not an excuse. During the peak of it, they repainted the exterior of the house, when it didn't need it. More wasted money! I am seeing that people are writing to their MPs and the ombudsman and I am considering the same course of action. Like a previous review, I begrudge having to enter one star, in order to post this. So update!! I've been told relaying my roughly 40 yr old garden path and putting up a fence at the back is my own responsibility.

After reading these reviews I thought I'd leave one. My experience with Optivo has be really good, I have never had anybody from there speak to me rudely, my repairs have always been done some may have taken a little longer to be sorted especially since covid.