Tenancy renewal rip off

escapology

our tenancy is up for renewal next month, the letting agency has written to me and they want £117.50 to renew my tenancy for a further 6 months! and will want the same every six months, nothing has changed apart from there will be new dates.. i think this is a complete rip off. I have spoken to a couple of letting agencies and they dont understand it either, has anyone else paid for this? where do i stand if i don't pay? please help!!

Fire_Fox

A fixed term AST rolls over to a periodic tenancy if you do nothing. This means you can give one months notice and the landlord can serve two months notice, coinciding with a rent period.

escapology

this is what we have as far as i am aware, they wanted money from my L/L too but he phoned up and complained and they cancelled his fee but will not give in for us

sequence

Don't do anything.

Fire_Fox

escapology wrote: »

this is what we have as far as i am aware, they wanted money from my L/L too but he phoned up and complained and they cancelled his fee but will not give in for us

The letting agents don't have the option of not giving in, your tenancy WILL become periodic if you do nothing. Don't get into a debate, simply ignore their greedy demands and don't sign anything. What sanctions do they have, serve notice?

mikey72

I dropped my letting agents because they were trying to charge to much, and were just unpleasent to the tenants.
Ignore them, unless you really need another six month agreement.

G_M

As FF says, do NOT sign a new agreement. Then your tenancy will automatically continue as a monthly periodic tenancy.

Or call the LL. It sounds like he is equally unhappy. Ask him if he is happy for the tenancy to continue on a month-by-month basis. He can then 'instruct' the agents, (who are paid by him!) that he does not want a new 6 month agreement but is happy with a periodic tenancy with you. If he says no, or is unsure what this means, then still stick to your guns. Do not respond to the agents. Do not sign anything. Do not DO anything.

The only option they have is to give you 2 months notice and why would the LL do that? He loses rent while re-advertising. He pays new agency fees. No way!

Pitlanepiglet

Is there anything in your existing AST that provides for a renewal fee?

escapology

hi, there is nothing in the tenancy about a renewal fee, but i did sign a form right at the beginning, about £250 credit check fee, £300 for tenancy for 2 applicants and on that piece of paper there was a section for checking out fee and renewal fee which i didn't read, i have talked to my l/l he wants us to stay and tried to get out of his contract with them over this but because he had tenant find.. they found us so we belong to them as long as we stay here so he cant get out of it

Fire_Fox

No you do not belong to the agents, your contract is with the landlord. You cannot legally be charged a renewal fee if you do not renew, regardless of what you have signed.

G_M

Err: The advice is:

As FF says, do NOT sign a new agreement. Then your tenancy will automatically continue as a monthly periodic tenancy.

still stick to your guns. Do not respond to the agents. Do not sign anything. Do not DO anything.

The only option they have is to give you 2 months notice and why would the LL do that? He loses rent while re-advertising. He pays new agency fees. No way!