Akelius GmbH Reviews 92

Dear Akelius,



Since September we callyou, we wite to you and we have no answer back. The beautiful kitchen that you provide to us has a broken fridge and it is still not fix.
You let me the all Automn without the possibilty to frige my Kubis soup for the srping.

Where I will put my cheese? How can i make a tiramisu? How can freeze my ice for Aperol Spritz?
Make my vodka super fresh?

I hope that for Christmas you will finaly do you job and provid me fridge has I can save a plate from our Christmas diner!



I hope that your reperair service is not imaginary like Santa Close.

Best regards,

One of the most expensive and unprofessional company ever dealt with, I never get an apartment for more than 2 years, and super unfriendly customer service

AVOID!!!! The most horrible place I have ever come across. Joshua, the estate agent we dealt with, was the most unprofessional, vile person I have ever met. We literally had to beg him for a viewing after he had cancelled on us so many times and it was always excuses like “ I have a flat tire” or “ I’m too busy” it was like he didn’t even want us rent this property. However because we liked it so much we kept on giving him a chance even after the rude, disrespectful messages we would always get. Finally we got a viewing which only my boyfriend attended and he really liked it and we said we will accept it and if we can get a second viewing, after that he didn’t text or call us for 2 days after saying he will call us in 10 minutes to let us if we have been accepted for the property. After 2 days of not contacting, he sent very unprofessional messages such as “ you have to pay by 12pm today ASAP” and “ I am too busy right to be honest to get you a second viewing”. Now we have finally decided we are not going this unprofessional, rude estate agent! The most horrific experience ever. Thank

Update: The day after I wrote this, an appointment was arranged with a repairs company and within a week it was fixed. However, it is now June and I still don't have any answers about a rent reduction or information about who is going to pay for the very increased electricity spending for drying the walls. But of course I was given 14 days to pay back for the Berlin rent cap, for that they were quick. Therefore I maintain that you should avoid Akelius, communication is beyond appalling and they do not care about the tenant in the slightest.

When I started my contract with Akelius more than two years ago, I thought that for the high rent price, well above the current Berlin rent cap, I would be getting a good service. It turns out, as soon as there is an issue to be repaired, all I get is horrible service.

In November last year there was a water leak in my building. At the start of January, my shower was completely removed as part of the investigation into the leak cause. I find myself now, over eight weeks later, still without a working shower. I don’t have a bathtub in the flat, or any other means of washing apart from a sink. I keep calling or emailing Akelius and being told to call different repair companies, or that they will call me. Every time I call, these companies have no further information from Akelius and cannot give me a date for the shower to be fixed. The call centre people unfortunately don't have more information than what they see in the file and I already know, they can only forward my requests. During this whole time, nobody from Akelius has called me once explaining why it is taking so long. I received a two line email saying a rent reduction will be processed at the end of this, after I enquired about it. You would think that after two months, a call or email longer than two lines with a timeline for repairs wouldn’t be too much to expect and would at least show some consideration and respect for the tenant. Meanwhile, I continue to pay full rent for a flat that doesn’t currently have a proper bathroom and for this reason have had to be away from Berlin for two months.

I know it is hard when you don’t even speak German yet to find a flat when you first move to Berlin, but avoid this company as much as possible.

Simply disastrous!

I don’t even know where to begin…This is literally THE WORST service that I’ve ever had in my entire life!

I would probably bore everyone to death if I start describing all the misfortunes that I had to deal with over the past nearly two years, so I’ll just try to briefly put here the most shocking ones, just so everyone who reads this review can be saved from the endless misery that this company caused me.

Let’s start with the fact that if there is anything that is not quite right in the property (like for example your heating can not be turned off, because the electronic device that controls it is out of order, or your shower is constantly leaking, or the door of the building is broken, or your washing machine is not properly connected) you just CATN’T rely on them to fix it. You will call multiple times, in a month or two they will eventually send someone, who is everything but competent to fix it, that someone is just going to lie that the issue is solved, although you can see it is not, and this will be end of the story. You will then have to take it from there.

Then, in case that something unpredictable happens (like COVID-19), and you can’t stay in the country for another 5 months until the end of the fixed 24-month contract, even though you inform them 3 months in advance, that you will need to leave the country, and you want to end the contract due to extraordinary reasons (and you will be unable to pay your monthly rent), they will still not cooperate.

It has been 6 months of stress, misguidance, miscommunication, one very rude email, stating that an Abmeldung is not is not enough as a proof for moving abroad, that I need to send MY PLAIN TICKETS, CONTRACT WITH MY NEW EPLOYER IN MY HOME COUNTRY, and I need to send it by the END OF THE NEXT WORKING DAY, otherwise I need to keep paying for the property in a country where I no longer live. After a mysterious disappearance of a physical letter that they claim they sent me (and I never got), in October 2020, I decided to ask them (GDPR based) what kind of information they hold under my name. I got a reply a month later, and alongside with the document requested they also (LITERALLY IN THE SAME EMAIL) sent me the bill for the Nebenkosten for 2019, which was ridiculously high, considering the fact that a third of the time no one lived in this apartment. And that was the first time I saw this bill. After asking about how my personal information is being handled.

So far it has been more than 30 emails, more than 10 calls, more than 20 attempts for calls since mid-July this year, a lot of nerves, a lot of time and my situation is still unresolved. I have a security deposit of nearly 2000 EUR blocked with them, asked multiple times for information on what is happening, and did not get any support nor information from them.

Just please, think twice before getting involved with these guys. I never believed that such thing is possible to happen in 21st century in one of the major EU capitals.

Stay safe!

I had only good experience with Akelius. Beautiful apartments with all the equipment set and working. Their support is always fast replying my emails. Although, it seems like their apartments are a bit overpriced, for me it was nothing, compared to all the headache, that I would have renting other way. It was extremely easy for me to rent with them: they can speak English, they didn't mind I was ukrainian, they didn't mind my cat. I'm totally thankful to them.

SCHEIßE SERVICE!!!! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!! WORST SERVICE EVER !!!!!
I rent a flat with Akelius which has electrical issues so the internet provider is unable to make the connection. After missing work for 3 days due to Arkelius poor service, last Friday I spent 4 hours on the phone with their employees until I got ANOTHER appointment with an electrician for the end of the month (!!!). I was told to pass by their office today so I would receive a mobile internet router until the problem was solved at my flat. Today I missed work AGAIN to pick up the internet device with them just to be told to come back AGAIN tomorrow because they didn't get the device ready yet.
THIS COMPANY IS A JOKE AND HAS ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT TOWARDS THEIR CUSTOMERS

Search for these article titles and go read them!

United Nations, 29/4/20:

“Corporate landlord is abusing tenants’ human rights, says UN housing expert”

- - - - - Media reaction - - - - -

“UN accuses Toronto apartment owner of human rights abuses” - CBC News (Canada), 11/5/20

“City councillor backs up the UN’s claim that Toronto landlord abusing rights of tenants” - Trnto.com (Canada), 12/5/20

“UN accuses Montreal and Toronto building manager of abusive renovations” - Here Toronto (Canada, in French), 12/5/20

“UN accuses corporate landlord with buildings in Toronto of human rights abuses” - Toronto Storeys (Canada), 11/5/20

“The UN denounces a transnational housing company to commit abuses in Canada” - Radio Canadá International (Canada, in Spanish), 12/5/20

“Akelius denies UN allegations of wrongful renovictions” - Canadian Apartment (Canada), 11/5/20

“Corporate landlord accused of abusing tenants’ human rights by UN” - Metro (UK), 4/5/20

“Corporate landlord is abusing human rights, says UN expert” - Inside Housing (UK), 4/5/20

“UN points finger at corporate landlord for abusing human rights” - Property Wire (UK), 7/5/20

“Akelius is investigating a lawsuit against the United Nations” - Neues Deutchland (Germany, in German), 5/5/20

“Corporate landlord accused of abusing tenants' human rights by UN” - Hong Kong News (China, in English)

“UN rapporteur: Akelius violates the human right to have a secure home” - Sydsvenskan (Sweden, in Swedish), 30/4/20

“UN reporter strongly criticizes Swedish housing giant Akelius” - Göteborgs-Posten (Sweden, in Swedish), 30/4/20

“UN Reporter gives Akelius stinging criticism” - Hem & Hyra (Sweden, in Swedish), 30/4/20

- - - - - Additional negative coverage - - - - -

“Disruptive renovations intended to push us out, Outremont tenants say” - Montreal Gazette (Canada), 19/10/18

“Parkdale tenants accuse firm of ignoring repairs in bid to push them out” - The Star (Canada), 23/7/14

“Tenants accuse landlord of trying to force them out” - Toronto Sun (Canada), 23/3/15

“Tenants taking Akelius Canada to Landlord and Tenant Board” - The Star (Canada), 28/8/14

“New rent monster: Sweden-based realty giant plots gentrification through the back door in neighbourhoods across the city” - Toronto Now (Canada), 31/7/14

“Upgrading, displacing, cashing in “Akelius”: The attack of the rental sharks” - Hamburger Morgenpost (Germany, in German), 18/9/18

“Akelius heels: Swedish property giant accused of pushing out poorer tenants loses bid for significant rent increases, but complaints about preferential treatment for newer tenants persist” - Toronto Now (Canada), 4/5/15

“Residents at home due to COVID-19 said construction noise was 'unbearable'” - Toronto.com (Canada), 17/3/20

“Parkdale residents protest back-to-back rent increases by Akelius” - CBC News (Canada), 23/3/15

“Berlin seniors battle Swedish property giant” - The Local (Germany, in English), 12/8/14

The worst service I ever met.
For two months, Akelius cannot solve a simple doorbell problem. Apparently this is such a difficult problem that it requires a gigantic amount of time. Unfortunately, I have a second problem that seems to stretch for a year. A month and a half ago, workers came to fix the water leak caused by their fault. To do this, they made two huge holes in the wall in the kitchen and in the bathroom. What do you think happened next? That's right - nothing. You pay rent and live with two huge holes in the wall. Welcome, this is Akelius. I called Akelius four times and every time they tell me, call on Wednesday, call on Friday, we will send a request to the company that deals with these problems. I wonder how many times do I need to call to solve problems? 10 or maybe 20?
Customer number 7511001705

UPDATE:
After this message, representatives of the company contacted me and they promptly resolved everything. Akelius also provided compensation for the inconvenience. I changed the review to 4 stars, because they can handle such problematic cases and solve them to the satisfaction of the client.

We are suffering so much with Akelius! We have a heating problem in our flat since November!! We informed Akelius countless times. They sent someone once and he could not fix the problem. Only in March, they realized that the whole heating system is broken and the pipes need to be changed. Our bathroom is under construction since March as they try to change these pipes. Customer service is a joke! I just called them 12 times today and they do not even answer. My emails have no reply for 2 weeks. It almost feels like they have got no respect for us. We are forced to start a legal procedure we do not want to. I feel so disappointed and disrespected by this company.

It has been more than 5 months that I am waiting for Akelius and its repair service to get in touch with me and fix the horrible humidity stains that I have on the ceiling. As far as I understood, some water infiltrated from the balcony above my flat.

A guy passed by in August 2019 to check the stains. I am waiting since then. I contacted several times Akelius and the repair service. I also exchanged emails and pictures, they just ignore my request. This is not the first problem I had with them, unfortunately. I had heating issues in the past.

They don´t schedule the repair and they don´t propose at least a rent reduction for all the inconvenience and time I wasted chasing them.

The same for me, almost one month without a heater, sent emails, called, wrote official letters and they never replied. They keep on saying that they will call back but never do.

Also, they promised to install a water counter TWO years ago and still didn't do it. Even if I live alone and travel a lot, they charge me for much more water than the average consumption per person in Germany. I Also sent emails and a letter about it but never got a reply. Other neighbors in my building form the same company have the same problem.

Despite being rather expensive and having this service, they keep on increasing the rent every year.

I have never seen such a bad company!
We are freezing for over three weeks now without a heater, the coldest nights reached - 2 outside.
My partner is calling everyday, she emailed them, visited them but nothing change. They keep telling her that they will call back but of course so far it never happened.
So akelius, when are we going to have a decent life in our own flat? This is Berlin, in November.
My advice would be to avoid this company.

This company's service is worst that I've ever met in my life, I mean it. We have been renting and paying for our apartment for 3 months already and we still don't have keys from our basement. When we got keys from our apartment the caretaker guy just said that he would give us keys a little bit later, without any further explanations. Then he started to ignore our messages. So we decided to speak to Akelius directly. When you call them by mobile phone they just say they will contact the responsible person and call you back, but they never call back. When you come to their office they tell you same things and never call back. When you try to contact them through email they just answer you that they will forward this message to responsible person and get back to you after that. Of course they never contact you back. It's like vicious circle, you just can do nothing because they ignore you and do not explain anything.
You're just given keys to your apartment (hopefully) and then you're left on your own.

Stay away as much as you can.

1. All day construction in vacated flats so always there is a drilling machine going on setting on a higher rent for the next tenant.

2. Terrible customer service. No heads up for 3 months for my complains about the heating system.

3. They demand you unreasonable living costs without just reasoning. If you complain, then they put you on hold until forever.

4. Very high rents compared to the neighborhood.

5.They always look ways to cost you more and more.

And etc.

We are simply scammed by them. They charged us very very high heating cost, more than 2 times of the rent price for 3 months of usage heating. Then some additional cost for no idea and we got no deposit at the end. They are super slow and 0 customer care. They really don't care about tenants at all and they want to simply get your money. Just don't rent from them if you care about your money. I hope this kind of monster companies never exists.

Very slow when it comes to paying back your deposit (more than 3 months for 2,5 rents!!!!!!!!!), but VERY FAST when asking you for more money. Very expensive rent. Very poor costumer service. + they are blocking the reviews on Google! Brilliant....

Heads up to their agents who allegedly have no "decision making power". We can feel the training behind this and all the negotiation techniques that they have learned.