Letting Agents taking money from rent payments?!

QTPie

In the past, how have you sent paper work to them? Have you ever had paper work from them? Surely your contract has their company address on it (which will be the same as their home address). Try googling the agency name? I would be VERY loathed to work with a company that I DIDN'T have a registered address for...

Check the contract straight away - see if you are tied in and what the "notice period" is... To a certain extent, you get what you pay for and these guys sound like cowboys. Ok, most letting agents aren't saints, but I hope that you find a MUCH BETTER agency next time...

Good luck and keep us updated

QT

chrispyphillips wrote: »

Thank you QT, great advice (now to try and find out where they live!! :rolleyes: ) I was trying to go down the "Well, it would be a pain for you to source someone to come and undo the work, so...." road, I think I just got there a little ahead of myself!

As far as the contract goes, I'll certainly check the content of the agreement, but at the end of 6 months I dont think I'llo be returning to these. I'll pay a little extra and use a proper agency. I just thought that during these times of credit crunchness, I would help out a smaller business with their follies into the letting world. Turns out they may not be fit for it after all (and before anyone else starts, I do know a few people now who are having problems getting in touch with them!)

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep the thread updated with any new developments.

chrispyphillips

QTPie wrote: »

In the past, how have you sent paper work to them? Have you ever had paper work from them? Surely your contract has their company address on it (which will be the same as their home address). Try googling the agency name? I would be VERY loathed to work with a company that I DIDN'T have a registered address for...

Check the contract straight away - see if you are tied in and what the "notice period" is... To a certain extent, you get what you pay for and these guys sound like cowboys. Ok, most letting agents aren't saints, but I hope that you find a MUCH BETTER agency next time...

Good luck and keep us updated

QT

Hmm, thats the annoying thing QT, as they were recommended by a friend, and are such a new, small business, with a handful of customers and clients, everything was done very basic and at a time where I'd just split up with my partner (who I also own the flat with) and was pretty devastated by that, and I was also panicked about my finances so wanted the flat to be rented as soon as possible, for as cheap a cost to me as possible. I was delighted when they informed me that someone, who was in his 40's, and would only be living at the flat for 4 days a weel could move in almost immediately, but since then they havent been upfront with their demands, and I know about the money they're taking off me a week after its already done. Then I cant get in touch with them to discuss it! These guys hold the keys and money to my flat, so I'm loathe to make enemies of them, but am so annoyed at their apparent contempt for my business, that I dont know if I could keep my cool [strike]when[/strike] if I speak to them!

So theres been no real paperwork between us, no company address, no home address, I've signed nothing (the tenant has, luckily) and nothing to go on...

I do work for the police though, so I could use other means of getting around that problem!!!

barnaby-bear

chrispyphillips wrote: »

Can I just get this straight? This is my fault?

I've never objected for the light being repaired, nor is it my desire to get the work reversed, but the point remains I was informed I would get a quote, I didnt, and work, which I paid for without prior knowledge or consent, was undertaken. Ideally I'd love for the light to remain, and for a full or partial refund to be given, but since I cant speak to the LA, I'm having difficulty in doing that!

To summise

• Light in the Hall - Important, should be fixed
• Would appreciate partial/full refund
• Would appreciate SOMEONE answering the phone to me.
• Tenant not at property on weekends, access not a problem.

You still have to give them proper notice to go in though!

Imagine tenant finally gets light fixed - comes back after weekend to find it not working...... what would you think? LL is a nutter or not....

QTPie

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Oh dear.

If I was you, I would definitely seek advice... (CAB) and start talking to other lettings agents about things: see how they suggest that they could "take-over" your property with your current tenant in-situ.

You want to move to another agent and extrocate (sp?) yourself from the current agent ASAP!

Try googling the company name

QT

Blackpool_Saver

What does it say in your contract with the letting agents? Have they broken their terms with you?

Do you care about your tennants or are they merely a money maker for your mortgage?

My landlord thinks he is an electrician, a plumber, you name it, I cannot wait to get out of this dangerous house.....................

clutton_2

i hae been a professional landlady for many years as many on this site know - and i cannot decide if this thread is a wind up or written by someone who has absolutely no common sense whatsoever - but then we learn the LL works for the police - mmm heaven help us all

first of all, as a landlord, you have a duty of care under H&SAW (health and safety at work acts - in case you have not come across this before) to provide a safe environment for your tenants - ESPECIALLY with regard to the electrics - if an electrical item was working when the tenants moved in - it must be maintained BY YOU and must be repaired by you up to Part P standards - as already mentioned.

Even if the agent screws up - it is YOUR responsibility as LL under L&T law - so - yes this is your fault/responsibility - it is you who will be in the dock if your tenants are injured - not your agent.

To decide not to repair one small light is bad enough (if they were in the dark and fell and injured themselves, guess who would be in the dock - y es YOU - not your agent) - but then to attempt to penalise the Tenants by "undoing" the repair (because you dont like your ill-chosen, agreement-less, incompetent agents) simply beggars belief -

how on earth can you even think about treating your tenants like this ? what a silly and childish response to your assumption that you have been ripped off for £20

did you get a Periodic Electrical Inspection done on your property by the way before you rented out ?

Did you get a CORGI gas safety landlords certificate done ?

Did you get your lenders permission ?

Did you get ANYthing in writing for your tenants protection ?

Has your tenants deposit been protected under one of the Schemes ?

Do you have proper insurance ? - they wont pay if there is a fire and your electrics are not certificated......

god preserve us from amateur nit-picking landlords

if you dont like your agents, give them a months written notice, find another one and move on - and for gods sake find an agent who is a member of a professional body - you clearly have no idea how to be a landlord and need all the help you can get - entering into a contract with a person who has not given you their proper address is just utterly stupid - it really is

may i most respectfully suggest that you

join National Landlords Association immediately and read all their website, buy some books and learn your business

read www.singingpig.co.uk and www.landlordzone.co.uk from front to back and learn to be a proper landlord - instead of trying to blame others for your own lack of knowledge and expertise

Your saying "it wasn't down to me guv" will not wash in this business as any kind of excuse for incompetence either

it is also standard practise in this business for agents to effect repairs under a mutually agreed sum without discussion with the landlord (and then deduct the cost from the rent and provide a receipt)-

IF this was not the case, then agents would spend all day on the phone asking for permissions for tiny jobs like this - if you are soo bothered by £40 - how will you cope when the boiler dies ?

and yes - it is annoying that they did not ask you - THAT is not the issue here - your tenant's well-being is - you dont appear to care two hoots about that

stop wasting your energy on this tiny issue, spend your time reading and learning how to be a proper landlord

best of luck

JFC_2

poppysarah wrote: »

If you're not happy with the LA then get a new one or manage the property yourself.

PS: If they don't answer the phone to you, imagine how frustrating that might be for a tenant with a serious emergency!

Can she do this though and carry on with the current tennant? I mean if the agency introduced him to the property isnt it a bit like using an employment agency to recruit someone on a temp basis and then saying you dont want to use them anymore but yet still keep the new employee...without paying commision to the agent that introduced them?

Do you have to sign a contract for a period of time before you can change?

QTPie

Apparently the OP HAS no contract with the LA... so should be ok, but needs to get some advice on that (from someone like CAB) and look for a new LA (ro whatever) to trasfer the in-situ tenant to...

QT

clutton_2

if she has not got a written contract with the agents what can they do if she suddenly leaves them and instructs the tenant that she has employed a different agent and to stop paying them rent ?

QTPie

clutton wrote: »

if she has not got a written contract with the agents what can they do if she suddenly leaves them and instructs the tenant that she has employed a different agent and to stop paying them rent ?

Not much, I think... but it would be best to confirm that with someone like CAB.

It sounds as though the OP doesn't want to manage the rental themselves, in which case, would be great to line up a good, new agent to take it over.

QT