GARAGE CHAMPENOIS SARL

Sarah P - 4 months ago

EXPATS BEWARE. Do not rent with this company. PLEASE NOTE the consistent bad reviews here, look at the 4 & 5 star reviews, which are not reviews...no comments and all around the same time! Bots trying to hide the truth... Quick summary: -Unprofessional to No communication -Constant broken HVAC system -Recurring maintenance issues open for months -Late to all appointments -Ignorant of building/apartment operations -Never fixed things they said they would -Rude/Unkind to the point that it felt like harassment I was tricked into renting with them as I made the mistake of hiring Lyon Expat Services/Expat Services France. I was told this agency would be professional, responsive, and helpful. What I got was a nightmare. When I moved in (winter time) the heat was out of order: multiple weeks to get a technician and only fixed the main apartment heat, the heat in my bedroom was out for my entire first winter. The heat/clim were continuously out of order/leaking. They want you to be so frustrated about the communication that you give up. The owner of the apartment even -yelled- at me that I wasn't a technician that could operate the main HVAC computer system. An old pipe burst connected to my shower. The insurance claim process in France is nonsensical. The apartment below me was devastated by water damage. After many inspections it was the apartment owner who was responsible but he fought it for 7+ MONTHS before any work. They always played dumb. It was clear they were not tracking any maintenance issues of my apartment. I complained to them and my employer that they were purposely making me miss work for these appointments. There were issues of cigarette smoke, which the owner said was fumes from the decaying building. Building elevator/doors were constantly broken. Key fobs were replaced for external doors and they refused to give me replacements for all the ones I was initially provided. They just harassed me into dropping the issue. It's such a big issue to retain the status level of the apartment as you moved in but it was ok for them to not provide the tenant with the same level of apartment functionality as detailed in the contract. Clesev treated me like I was not a human. They didn't even wish me well when I informed them, with a letter from my doctor, that I was ill and couldn't exit the apartment on time. They wouldn't let me delay my exit, forcing me to sign a new lease even though it was only a 30 day extension. I should have been properly convalescing but instead I was stressed, dealing with this cruelty. Despite my doctor letter and being on bedrest, they forced an apartment viewing. They ARRIVED LATE with -NO TENANT- to the apartment. (Their office is outside of the city and they have no concept of how to operate in the city.) It felt like harassment to take a video and violate my privacy. I would have gotten help to arrange the apartment for a video viewing but they couldn't be bothered to professionally communicate their intentions in advance. At the exit inspection they were late and gave the wrong address to the independent inspector. Why didn't I move sooner? This was my 2nd apartment in Lyon. I had to leave the previous one for the same problems. A major problem being that the apartment had a demolition/remodel going on underneath for a year. I asked specifically if there was any possibility of this occurring in the new apartment and they said no. Of course a major demolition starts under this new apartment. They are just here to take your money. They will say anything to get you to sign a contract and ignore you after that. It is evident why their renters are typically EXPATS. They know what their reputation is and that the French would see their deceptions faster. It was visually a very nice looking apartment, right downtown. It seemed like a dream at first but it was a nightmare. It's over a month and they have still not returned my deposit, the independent inspector stating the apartment was returned in great condition. I have lived all over the world. This place is the worst. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Romain JOBERT - 2 months ago

This agency is extremely unprofessional. They are clearly trying to keep as much of the security deposit as possible. Upon arrival at the apartment, I pointed out that the bed frame was in very poor condition and didn't even allow for a comfortable night's sleep. The landlord reportedly refused to replace it. Despite this, the agency still charged me for the same bed frame during the move-out inspection, deeming it "in poor condition"... even though it was already in that condition when I moved in. This is just one example among many that demonstrates a serious lack of professionalism.

Nabil MANSERI - 5 months ago

I'm now a former tenant. I've had mixed experiences with this agency. I was billed €144 for a technician to come out to fix a heating problem. However, my interactions with Mr. Mekaoui were excellent, very friendly and professional.

Frédéric CHAPRON - 3 months ago

I deeply deplore the poor management and abusive practices of CLÉSEV in its role as property management company. This company is distinguished by a blatant lack of transparency, almost non-existent communication with co-owners, and an authoritarian attitude that sometimes amounts to an abuse of power. Legitimate requests for explanations or documents remain unanswered, even after several reminders, which is contrary to the legal obligations of a professional property management company. Decisions are often made without prior consultation or information, and some expenses appear to be incurred without justification or approval from the general meeting, in violation of the co-ownership statutes. A property management company is supposed to serve the co-owners, not the other way around. However, CLÉSEV too often acts as if the co-ownership belongs to it, to the detriment of the trust and mutual respect necessary for sound management. I therefore do not recommend this company, whose behavior seriously harms the good administration and peace of mind of the co-ownership.

Maxime Bernard - 7 months ago

I strongly advise against using this agency, which proved to be both unprofessional and completely lacking in transparency. During our phone calls to obtain information about the move-out inspection process, the answers given verbally were subsequently denied by their employees. Furthermore, the tone of the conversations was often unpleasant, with the recurring response to every request being: "Have the inspection done by a bailiff." The move-out inspection was carried out without any direct comparison with the move-in inspection, under the pretext that this verification would be done "internally," without us having any visibility whatsoever into the issues raised against us. We received no feedback within the legally mandated one-month period. After several follow-ups, we were simply told to wait. Finally, we received a final statement with deductions from our security deposit that we consider clearly excessive. Avoid at all costs!!!