Need some advice on rude landlord

shaven-monkey

Unless you have receipts for the postdated cheques, the failure to cash one is a precursor on the part of the letting agent to saying you haven't paid the rent. Failure to cash 2 cheques means they can start proceedings to evict (i believe)

You've gone and informed the agent that you're aware of your legal rights and that you actually want them to be respected. Next you'll be expecting to get your deposit back...

Unreasonable types like you are putting honest letting agents out of business, how are they going to make money if they can't charge you for services they don't provide?

If the washing machine was in the initial inventory and it has stopped working then you may be able to repair or replace it and withhold rent to cover that expense. The LA saying they're "waiting for a part" sounds reasonable as long as they can show they are taking steps to repair or replace it. Legally, i'm not sure if "we're waiting for a part" counts as reasonable interval. Send a weekly invoice to the LA and landlord for laundry charges at the local laundrette, Nothing motivates like an ever growing bill.

As for getting out of the contract, you're jointly and severally liable for the rent so unless your sharers are willing to use the LA and landlords repeated breaches of contract to all move out you're stuck with it. Sorry.

As a landlord i'm busy taking notes on exactly how i can screw people out of money. The letting agents I read about on these boards really know how to get blood out of a series of stones.

If you like the look of somewhere messy I'd advise requesting a second viewing of any property you are interested in AFTER cleaning has been done before you sign up and if there are any problems AT ALL within the first month then use the phrase "breach of contract" to the LA until they either do the damn job they're getting paid to do or they're prepared to release you from the contract they're unwilling to honor. If enough people did this then the LAs of the world would be the ones who actually work for their fee rather than loafing about trying to catch girls as they come out of the shower.

You may not get the property you initially want because the LA won't clean but you'll get a property where the LA or landlord respect the contract they're signing. In this instance, the LA managed to keep the previous lettors deposit and then charge you to have you clean up the mess. WIN WIN WIN for them and the reason why landlords will use scumbags like this as their agents while maintaining the delusion that they're nice people.