Documentation charge ...

expat_jo

Hi

We have been happily renting a house for 2 years (on a yearly contract) and wish to continue. We are good tenants and get on well with our landlord.

However, it is time to renew and we now have the new contract. We have also been given a letter by the agency sent to the ll telling them that there is a fee of £88 to draw up the new agreement. The ll is telling us that we need to pay this charge.

I always thought that the charge should be borne by the ll - who is correct?

Many thanks in advance.

stevetodd

expat_jo wrote: »

Hi

We have been happily renting a house for 2 years (on a yearly contract) and wish to continue. We are good tenants and get on well with our landlord.

However, it is time to renew and we now have the new contract. We have also been given a letter by the agency sent to the ll telling them that there is a fee of £88 to draw up the new agreement. The ll is telling us that we need to pay this charge.

I always thought that the charge should be borne by the ll - who is correct?

Many thanks in advance.

Ask if you can stay on a periodic contract (the terms and condions of your original contract remain but there is no fixed period you have to give amonths notice and your LL 2 months notice to you, to end the periodic contract. Ask the LL not the agent (they will just want the fee and say no)

theartfullodger

Correct: If you are happy to carry on on the existing tenancy (it automatically rolls on unless someone (LL or tenant) wants a change then fine. You could even agree to a change of rent, I think.

Once the fixed-term has ended the tenancy automatically becomes a periodic one. Here, the landlord is required to give 2 months' notice, and the tenant gives one months' notice in writing (when rent is paid monthly) or 4 weeks' notice (28 days) when the rent is paid weekly.

If the Landlord wants a new tenancy signed then I'd suggest he should pay. (Whereas if you wanted to make some change then you'd pay..). £88 to print off a standard document and fill in a few fields seems excessive, albeit probably the going rate from agents.)

Good luck!

Artful

expat_jo

Thanks for the responses.

I have just spoken to my husband and he said we paid the same last year! The only reason I queried it this year is that the ll gave us the letter from the estate agent - addressed to the ll - asking for the money and I know that there are various costs involved with being a ll so perhaps that was one.

Many thanks again.

Charney