Agent hasn't carried out my wishes.... help!

Fire_Fox

Hopejack wrote: »

There is a proper inventory - at least that was done correctly. I hope to be out of the 'business' once I sell the property - never going down the rental route again. I hope to own and live in my own home - it's only due to DH's work that we haven't been able to do so for the last few years

In fairness, when you live 100+ miles away and employ an agent to look after things for you, you do expect them to do so - that is why you employ them. I'm not talking legalities here as ultimately that is the LL responsibility but telling the LL the truth about the condition of the property (when you cannot access yourself) and ensuring your wishes are carried out in contracts etc is simple really.

I wish more tenants were like ourselves and looked after the place they live in!

If there is a proper inventory (including the condition of the garden, carpets etc.) then you should have no problem getting the cost of any damage taken out of the deposit! When I was a landlady I lived in Cambridgeshire letting a flat in Yorkshire - my letting agents took on a smoker against my written wishes, got the contract wrong (amount of rent!), and finally went into administration with two months rent and the deposit. My fault as I did not keep on top of them like any good 'employer' would..

Hopejack

I will check out some of the sites above mentioned when I get a mo tonight. Thanks to those who have tried to give me advice specifically about what I was asking

tbs624

Hopejack wrote: »

I will check out some of the sites above mentioned when I get a mo tonight. Thanks to those who have tried to give me advice specifically about what I was asking

That will be *all* posters that you're thanking then Hopejack;). Don't misconstrue what others are saying to you. The only poster who didn't answer your questions as such was Bramble1 but s/he was still trying to be helpful : perhaps some of the responses were blunter than you'd like but that's often the way with forum responses so don't be so quick to take offence.

Hopejack wrote:

What really annoys me is that tenants seem to have so many rights these days and LLs hardly any even if the tenant does wreck your property! Once you mention you are a LL, you are given scorned advice and are treated like some scumbag!!

Whichever side of the fence a poster is on they feel that the other party holds all the cards but it can sometimes be helpful to learn from your own errors. Most posters on here are equally candid to both LLs and Ts.

If you can't sell the property and have to let it again, bear in mind the mantra: training, qualifications, expertise, common sense or common courtesy are not pre-requisites for anyone one to set up in business as an LA. *Anyone* can set up an office and call themselves an LA, so unfortunately it means keeping up to date on rules and regs yourself and keeping an eye on what the LAs do or don't do on your behalf. See here :notice that this LA was actually signed up to a voluntary code of practice but it didn't seem to have been of much use.

PasturesNew

If you're putting the house up for sale, surely you'd have wanted to refresh the carpets at your own expense anyway.

As for the chippings, does it really matter if you're selling it whether the garden has chippings or grass, so long as it's tidy?

Hopejack

PN - I am going to replace the stair carpet but the bedroom carpets are not that bad (in partic two which have hardly been used apart from by the dog clearly!! lol). If they do not clean up then of course I will replace. I have already replaced the heavier tread areas like kitchen, lounge, downstairs hallway anyway. I also plan to refloor the bathrooms too so I am doing quite a bit of it.

Re the chippings, I do think it matters tbh. Chippings are cheap and look cheap and as it has been used as a dog's toilet, not v nice all round and not tidy for selling imo. The nice green lawn we had down before looked much better and obviously would have cost a lot more in the beginning too than a few bags of chippings from B&Q. I think it is only fair that the character of the garden is reinstated as per the contract and tenant's written note. We do have proof that the garden was lawn when they moved in and the condition of it too.

Thanks for all your advice - I believe Landlordzone is down but I will definately have a look at it.

tomstickland

If the garden thing gets complicated then I'd suggest that you simply sort it out yourself. I assume that you want to sell the house, so it won't take more than a day to dig out the chippings, rake it over and then seed it or stick some turf down.
Regarding the carpets, again, I don't see that it will cost too much to hire a carpet cleaner and sort it out.