Great property and wonderful owner, but terrible experience with Flat Manager
Great property and wonderful owner, but terrible experience with Flat Manager
I rarely leave negative reviews, but our experience with Flat Manager during a recent stay in Sofia was so frustrating that I felt I had to share.
We booked a 6-night stay to enjoy Bulgaria’s culture and sights. The apartment itself was lovely, well-located, and owned by a genuinely kind landlord. In fact, the landlord and property itself are a rare find on the market—I would happily stay in this exact apartment again on a return trip to Bulgaria, as long as it is no longer managed by Flat Manager. Unfortunately, the management company completely ruined our experience this time.
On our second night, a bad pipe leak started in the hallway, running down the wall. Instead of getting it fixed quickly, Flat Manager left us dealing with it for almost our entire stay:
* Managing the leak ourselves: The water dripped fast enough that small buckets filled up in no time, so we had to use the main trash bin to catch it. We had to set alarms during the night to wake up, empty buckets, and mop floors so the hallway didn't flood.
* Safety hazards: The tiles were constantly wet and slippery, and the constant dripping outside our door made it really hard to sleep. We ended up having to use our shower towels to wrap the dripping pipes.
* Poor communication: When we asked for updates or key details so we wouldn't get locked out during technician visits, we were met with long silences. When we expressed how much this was impacting our trip, their initial response was a 10% refund offer, which felt really dismissive given the situation. After we said that wasn't fair, they increased it to 20%, still treating an active flood like a minor inconvenience.
The most frustrating part? On our final day, the actual property owner came by. It turned out Flat Manager hadn't even informed him about the leak. As soon as he found out, he was upset, brought a technician, got it fixed within hours, and even left us a sweet thank-you gift for managing it.
The owner was fantastic, but Flat Manager’s total lack of communication and care turned what should have been a relaxing trip into days of stress and lost sleep. I highly recommend this owner's home, but I strongly advise travellers to avoid booking through Flat Manager.
To fellow travellers: Run away. Do not book any property managed by Flat Manager unless you want your precious vacation ruined by cold indifference, insulting gestures, and dangerous neglect.
To property owners: Flat Manager will hide emergencies from you, neglect your home, and abuse your guests. Save your property and your reputation by staying far, far away from them.