Property firm grilled for 'charging £150 for light bulbs'

Residents of some new-build estates across the West said service charges - the bill for the upkeep of communal areas - set by property management company FirstPort have surged

Bosses of a property management firm FirstPort have been grilled in Parliament over allegations of misselling services.

MPs raised accounts of residents being charged £150 for light bulbs that had never been fitted, with others charged hundreds of pounds for replacement letterboxes.

FirstPort agreed to implement a point of contact specifically for MPs to engage with the company, and to return to Westminster in 12 months.

The company's spokesperson said: "We are committed to promptly addressing specific issues brought to our attention."

'Significant change of culture'

To an assertion from FirstPort that only one in 2,000 customers had raised a complaint, it was pointed out by Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding that customers had "given up trying" to find a point of contact at the company.

Residents have previously told the BBC that of some new-build estates across the West said service charges - the bill for the upkeep of communal areas - set by property management company FirstPort have surged.

Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas was among the Liberal Democrat MPs who pressed FirstPort's managing director Martin King and department heads on their constituents' concerns, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Thomas has now called for a "significant change of culture".

"As representatives for thousands of FirstPort customers, Lib Dem MPs demand a better service for our residents.

"Many customers do not fully understand the terms, nor the charges related to their estate management contracts, and find FirstPort particularly opaque, unavailable, and even threatening in their communication," Mr Thomas said.

A spokesperson from The FirstPort Group said the meeting with MPs allowed for meaningful discussions about the changes and challenges affecting our industry.

"It also provided an opportunity to highlight the improvements we are making to better serve our customers.

"We would like to thank all the MPs who attended for their time and valuable contributions," they said.