First time rental for us.LA wants us to visit office to sign tennancy agreement.help!

mickym

Right, we have found a place we really like, got the LA to knock the price down a bit, and now they want to tie up the deal.

The LA is eager for us to tie up the deal (typical salesman!) and wants us to go down to the office to sign the tenancy agreement. I asked if we could see the tenancy agreement before hand but said they don't allow this due to confidentiality of the documents/details.

Is this normal, or am i just worrying too much.

They are an established estate and letting agent, got 100s of properties in the area and have been around for 25 years.

The landlord is giving us the white goods in the kitchen to use as a gesture of good will, but aren't going to repair or replace them if they go wrong....but they dont expect us to replace them when we leave either. I will make sure we have this in writing.

Also allowing us to paint and lay a carpet in the bedroom if we wish, again i will get this written into the agreement.

All advice will be welcomed!

Thanks

M

pinkshoes

Confidentiality?? But they have to give you a copy after you've signed anyway!!

Point this out to them, and ask them to email you a copy to check, then you'll come in and sign it.

Do make sure you get the bit about the white goods and being allowed to paint in writing!

tbs624

Micky - haven't you already posted a couple of times in other threads about all of this?

The answer is that the LAs office are talking rubbish - you have every right to see a copy of any contract that you are going to sign so that you have time to read through it, getting advice if necessary on its contents.

If you want confirmation on this locally then ring the Tenancy Relations Officer on the Private Sector Rentals Team at the local Council.

Many LAs really do not have a clue and spout the most appalling rubbish. Many of them have no training or qualifications and the sad thing is that currently they don't have to. Don't be intimidated by them - they need tenants every bit as much as you need a home.

Be pleasant but firm and tell them that as you will be a signatory to the contract you need to see it in advance: there is nothing "confidential" in a blank AST agreement ( or indeed a completed one really).

If they are worried about you learning of the LLs name & address in advance of signing then they can just print off a blank. If they are messing you about over things like this before you have even taken up the tenancy, I think I'd ensure that each & every contact you have with themduring your tenancy is kept on record so you have a "paper trail" in the event of a dispute.

Bungarm2001

It's common practice for a LA to do this. In all the years we were tenants, I don't think we ever had sight of the contract before signing day.

However, we were always given all the time we needed to fully take in all that was on the contract b.efore signing

Now we are LL's ourselves for years now, we have never been asked by a prospective tenant to view a contract before the day of signing. If we were ever asked, then I can see no reason why we wouldn't oblige if there was a good reason.

Perhaps other LL's o n here do it differently, but I really don't think you have any worries. As long as all the extras that you have posted about on here are added on, I honestly can't see a problem.

mickym

Ive emailed them asking to see a copy without sensitive information being included.

I said that it would be beneficial to both parties as we would be able to iron out any issues on the day of our meeting at their office.

I await their reply!

SouthCoast

Many LAs really do not have a clue and spout the most appalling rubbish.

Agreed................

mickym

got an email from them.

the LA spoke to his manager and apparently they dont keep blank copies of agreements!

madness!

It may be like Bungarm says, they are funny about this and its common practice!

Notlob

the LA spoke to his manager and apparently they dont keep blank copies of agreements!

Crap excuse!

mickym

hmmm don't know where to go from here really.

Ive arranged a time on Saturday to go into their office

Just so frustrating, when its obvious that someone is taking the !!!!, yet you need to use them to get what you want.

They are quite a popular agent for the area im in, and dont want to mess things up with them and risk jepordising my chances with this property and perhaps if we need to use them in the future.

My better half suffers from a form of learning difficulties (similar to Dyslexia) and didnt want to use this as an excuse to see the documents, but may now need to.

What a pain!

clutton_2

go in 5 minutes before they shut on saturday - sit and start to read the document very slowly, then 15 minutes after they were due to shut just get up walk out with the document in hand and say we'll bring it back in on tuesday after we have had time to read it properly.

mickym

clutton wrote: »

go in 5 minutes before they shut on saturday - sit and start to read the document very slowly, then 15 minutes after they were due to shut just get up walk out with the document in hand and say we'll bring it back in on tuesday after we have had time to read it properly.

Thats what i feel like doing.

I appreciate it that they are salesmen, and trying to tie up a deal, im not stupid.

We are eager to progress and so are they.

I even wrote in my request that a preview of the agreement would speed things up as we could sit down on the day of our appointment and discuss any potential issues we may have noticed beforehand.

Absolute nuts!