need some advice

princeofpounds

Hi Brian,

OK, here are some further things for you to find out:

- Does the property require and have a gas safety certificate?
- Was the deposit protected within 14 days of being received (NOT 14 days of the tenancy starting) and did she receive the information concerning what scheme it was protected under? What sum was protected?
- Are there any non-functional fittings in the house which require repair?
- Do you have the full name and address of the landlord?

tbs624

brianjones wrote:

sorry for the confusion, i was rounding up in my post because i was in a rush. the rent is £695 and she transferred £4243.50 into their bank account for 6 months. as £695 x 6 makes £4170, i have no idea what the difference went towards.

The £73.50 difference will probably be for “admin fees| , for “drawing up the tenancy agreement” etc

brianjones wrote:

she received no receipt for this transaction but she still has the bank transfer paperwork. she also transferred a seperate amount of £1042.50 to them for the deposit. in the lease, it states that £1042.50 is the deposit and the rest of the lease should be paid monthly.

If the property is in Eng or Wales then this tenancy deposit should be scheme registered and the scheme’s prescribed information provided to your mother within 14 days.


If they haven’t provided the information check with each of 3 schemes yourself and get written confirmation of whether the deposit has been registered (mydeposits.co.uk, TDS and DPS)

brianjones wrote:

mum spoke to them on the phone a little while ago and they said the person who leased made a mistake renting for 6 months fee in advance and that they really want the whole rent in advance. as she had to give them her bank balance information when she rented the place, they said that because she has more than enough money to pay for the whole lease she has to pay the whole amount now or they will go to court to remove her.

You and your mother need to know that anyone, absolutely anyone, can set up in business as a letting agent. They don’t have to have any formal qualifications, training or registration to do so, despite the fact that they hand ££££’s worth of rent , deposit monies and property belonging to other people. If the LA made a mistake that is their problem, not your mother’s. She paid what they asked for and has legal possession of the property.

All future dealings should be in writing, with copies kept. If the LA is signed up to ARLa , NALs, NAEA etc (check their headed note paper, look on their windows for the logos etc) then make a formal complaint there.

Your mother should make a written request to the LA for the name and address of the LL : she does not have to give a reason, merely state that she is making the request under S1 of the LL and T Act 1985. The LA then has 21 days to supply the info or they will be committing a criminal offence.

She should also make a formal request for information on whether the LA is holding the advance rent in a dedicated client account to be paid across monthly to the LL or has handed it over in total to the LL ( minus their costs).

The local Council has a TRO (tenancy relations officer) who deals solely with private tenancies and they can help deal with LAs who act in a bullying manner. As you mention that your mum is disabled, it may be worth checking out local advocacy groups as another source of support.



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