GEM Limited Reviews 21

I'm reasonably surprised by the reviews, I think it depends which bloack you are in but our block has been run fantasictally throughout our 7 years here. No noticable surcharge increase and the ongoing comms and support have been sufficient.

Very good experience

Under the guise of professionalism, the company operates with a concerning lack of transparency. Leaseholders are not provided with sufficient detail regarding expenditure, and requests for clarification are frequently ignored unless persistent pressure is applied. Even when information is eventually disclosed, it remains vague and fails to clearly explain how specific costs were incurred, without proof of itemisation.

In addition, the company negotiated what appears to be an exceptionally high energy contract for a block of this size, with little evidence of competitive tendering or cost discipline.

Based on my experience as a leaseholder, I would not recommend them to leaseholders seeking a transparent and cost-conscious estate manager.

I have lived here since 2013 when they were built. Service charge has risen from £2000 to £7000 per year for a 2 bed flat (720m2). Every year they increase costs and ignore all communication. I still haven't bought building insurance because they've ignored my building questions for 2 years only they can answer. Kids break in and smoke weed in the halls, people who do not live in the development break the gates to park illegally. GEM do nothing except charge us for the damage. I received a £600 bill for repair to the gate. We arranged for the police to come round to advise where there should be CCTV and GEM Refuse to put this up. The current cameras do not show clearly peoples faces. They leave the side gate open so anyone can walk in and bikes are always stolen. They haven't changed the carpet or painted the halls in 13 years yet they charge us annually to add to a reserve fund to pay for such works. They make up costs to charge us like gardening fees (there isn't one). They send engineers to check out HIU units and turned down the flow rates. This lowers costs which they haven't passed on to us and it also caps the temperature your hot water can reach leaving numerous flats with water that isn't hot enough. They constantly charge us for HIU repairs. I received an estimate bill for £800 to repair mine so I had an independent company service it who advised it was fine and didn't need any repair. Other issues include stacks in water pipes aren't cleared causing flooding of sewage in flats next to the pipes, bin rooms overfilling with furniture tenants dump (we asked for cctv in halls so this can be traced and charge back to the individual flats), communal boiler frequently breaking down leaving no hot water to residents, balcony doors and windows leaking rain... GEM constantly change their property manager so when one promises to make changes, they shortly leave. I think we've had 4 in the last 2 years all of which have done nothing. Money stealing scam company.

Absolutely horrendous service, unresponsive, awful communication, it's almost like they are trying to get the lowest score possible on Trust Pilot. Can't wait to achieve Right To Manage and run the blocks properly.

Probably the worst management company ever and they will take any penny from you! Their interest is to maxi the money from leaseholders and corrupt the management fees with working with other brotherhood company! Government should really investigate and make law to against crime like this.

We've been at Greenwich estate for a while, there have been a few issues but they have been relevetivly quick fixes, I'm surprised to see some of these remarks as it has not been our experience at all. Friendly, informative and the ground costs and paperwork has been transparent throughout. I guess you just need to get lucky with who you speak to. A hugely improved company over the years and looking forward to the future!

Very poor in overall management and very costly. Mist people can not avoid because they cant be replaced without legal case

The company is very poor at communication, budgeting and general management of NCQ development. They are a poor management company

Where should I start ? Poor management and budgeting. CAPEX was promised 2 years ago …. Still no news … overcharging us …. River walls remedial work was asked to be done by council in 2020.We are in 2026 , fees are claimed but nothing is happening and when you are asking about invoices , they simply don’t answer . If I could put 0 I will

Dealing with GEM has been an ongoing exercise in frustration. Communication is consistently slow, selective, or nonexistent, even on serious and time-sensitive issues. Legitimate queries about service charges, maintenance failures, and compliance are routinely ignored or deflected, while payment demands are pursued aggressively.

Service charges have increased significantly, often with inadequate explanation or supporting documentation. When leaseholders and residents raise reasonable concerns or ask for justification, the response is frequently dismissive, deflective, or framed in a way that makes residents feel they are being unreasonable for even asking. This repeated gaslighting of leaseholders who raise genuine issues is both exhausting and unacceptable.

Basic estate management problems are allowed to drag on for months, sometimes years, with no clear accountability or resolution. Attempts to resolve matters amicably — including mediation — have been mishandled, poorly explained, or seemingly engaged in without genuine intent. Transparency is lacking, documentation is incomplete, and explanations are often only provided after persistent chasing.

What makes this particularly concerning is the imbalance of power: leaseholders are expected to fund decisions they are not properly informed about, while reasonable requests for detail or scrutiny are treated as an inconvenience.

At this point, they are the bane of my existence — not because of one isolated mistake, but because of a repeated pattern of poor communication, weak governance, rising costs, and disregard for leaseholder concerns.

Given that GEM manages many estates developed by Galliard, this experience would seriously make me reconsider buying a property from that company at all.

I would strongly caution any leaseholder or prospective buyer to document everything and be prepared for a long, uphill struggle.

Very bad people management and also they are non responsive to issues.

So I’ve been with the Greenwich nsq development for a long while honestly I haven’t got enough good words to say about this company, joy to communicate with and fantastic and quick fixes!

We live in the Greenwich NCQ development. Great managers so far, few issues but always fixed and friendly!

Horrible.
Poor customer service.

Galliard Homes have put service charges up in the (studio) flat that I own so that they are on a par with 1 or 2 bedroom flats charges across my borough. They have quadrupled since I bought the flat and now the exorbitant fees mean that its virtually impossible to sell as no other building has charges as high as this. There is zero accountability or transparency as to why a 370 Square Foot studio has over £4K of service charges. They are nothing short of criminal.

Abysmally managed company. Bought a flat through Gaillard that’s currently managed via GEM (Gaillard Estate Management), we were promised service charge would reduce given it was already extortionate, surprise surprise, it didn’t. In fact it went up! Zero transparency on the budget, zero accountability from their staff. Charlatan practices within their service charge procedure. I’d be highly embarrassed if I was the chief executive of this racket, yet it appears Stephan Conway holds no shame whatsoever. Overall, Gaillard are a bunch of crooks unfairly squeezing leaseholders for everything they’ve got.

Very poor experience as a new leaseholder - never transparency in terms of anything asked. Couldn’t agree more with the rest Of the reviews. 5k service charge a year for a studio with no windows etc. There is no transparency in terms of the service charge and the rest of the questions asked just nicely designed emails to shut the leaseholders up. And as very well said by another review I do not want your answer advising me to get in touch with the management! I am sick and tired of your diplomatic answers in only a few months of being a leaseholder… worst decision ever

Horrible management of property. Bullies on the phone, ignore building issues and tenants complaints. 5 years unresolved issue and now when I contact them I get shout at and they hang up the phone. Abusive behaviour useless management. Properties are not taken care off. Their contract wity energy firms that have all the power to ripp us off and Galliard don't care about its tenants