Letting Agent Help!!!

SingleSue

steve909 wrote: »

i thought as much, should i take this on the chin and accept that with me and my girlfriend being so young we should expect "cheap tricks" upon us?

No, you do your research and find out what is correct and what is incorrect and then assert yourself with that information, they soon work out they cannot try the cheap tricks.

Some EA's will try cheap tricks no matter what age a person is...if they think they can get away with it.

For what it is worth, early 20's to me is not that young nor an excuse for not knowing information....at high school, I knew perfectly well my rights and pulled the teachers up constantly on it when they were infringing on them. By my very early 20's, I had risen to the status of manager, was a high rate tax payer, married and owned my own home. Anything I was not sure of, I researched...and no begger got the better of me!

Brb

Firstly you may be paying the rent but you are most certainly not the boss. The LA do not give 2 hoots about you whatsoever I can assure you of that. Ts are 2 a penny to most LA so please don't think they will ever care for you nor the property. Be forewarned though. A bad LA will serve a S21 to a T that's !!!!ed them off personally without having even told the LL. The LL just gets told you're moving out at the end of your fixed term and would the LL like them to find another T.

Charging a rental on each white good though is a first one on me! You say though that they stopped this when you threatened to walk ?

It's worth knowing Steve that you need ZIP qualifications to be a LA, it's an unregulated industry so they get away with loads. Unfortunately accidental/new LLs will go to LAs thinking that they know what is needed and in my experience LAs know less about housing laws etc than the accidental LL!

Read the contract carefully. Ensure your deposit is protected and you receive the prescribed information. You should have already seen an EPC. Do NOT sign the inventory unless you completely agree with it and ensure it's back with them promptly (do yourself your own copy).

BitterAndTwisted

steve909 wrote: »

no not admin fees, we payed that, the landlord left kitchen whites (fridges etc) and the LL said it was included. then the LA said we needed to pay a rental fee for each item

WHAT? That's a new one on me, too. And you can bet your bottom dollar that those charges would not have been passed on to the landlord either so they would have been making a decent sum every single month for doing naff-all.

If your landlord is not aware of quite how unscrupulous this agent is they need to be told asap.

If these complete shysters are members of ARLA or any other body I'd report them in a trice. Got anything in writing about these charges? Then, off to Trading Standards I would merrily go. In fact, I'd probably go anyway.

moromir

steve909 wrote: »

if you spent time reading my post you will see i asked the question if i was being immature you will also read that me and my girlfriend are in our early 20s and just starting out in life, and this guy is trying to take advantage of our situation. ive had to sort ALL this out my self!! but unlike you we cant afford a solicitor to fight our battles so in our world we have to do everything our self, hence why i am on here asking for advice not to have some jumped up !!!!! telling me what i already know! im quite sure if i go through your posts i will find you asking for help or advice along the way and i imagine you got it, so stop being a !!!!!!!

I suggest you take your own advice then and read my answer to your post, but for clarity, I will reiterate - yes, you are being extremely immature.

I am 24 and I organised my first rental property by myself aged 18, I have subsequently arranged 2 further property lets since then.
I am unsure as to why you believe I would a) need a solicitor and b) could afford a solicitor to organise a rented property for me?

You are over the age of 18, in the eyes of the law you are entirely responsible for your own conduct and business dealings and your 'age' is no defence should you sign something without reading it properly because you're too busy playing silly !!!!!!s in the LA's office so you can 'get one up', you'd be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I assure you I lack the necessary equipment to fufill your insults and I also assure you I haven't made any posts asking what the best way to act like an idiot is.

In any event, might I respectfully refer you to the Shelter website for lots of basic information for new tenants. I wager this will be a better use of your time (and more karma proof).

Have you properly discussed the matter of the white goods with the Landlord? Is it possible he has them on loan? (you can still hire white goods) and hadn't realised the agent had included them in the advert? And these extra 'charges' were simply the rental prices if you wanted to keep them? I agree this is unlikely, and at very best, bad practice, but it is something to consider before we burn the agent at the stake.

steve909

moromir wrote: »

I suggest you take your own advice then and read my answer to your post, but for clarity, I will reiterate - yes, you are being extremely immature.

I am 24 and I organised my first rental property by myself aged 18, I have subsequently arranged 2 further property lets since then.
I am unsure as to why you believe I would a) need a solicitor and b) could afford a solicitor to organise a rented property for me?

You are over the age of 18, in the eyes of the law you are entirely responsible for your own conduct and business dealings and your 'age' is no defence should you sign something without reading it properly because you're too busy playing silly !!!!!!s in the LA's office so you can 'get one up', you'd be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I assure you I lack the necessary equipment to fufill your insults and I also assure you I haven't made any posts asking what the best way to act like an idiot is.

In any event, might I respectfully refer you to the Shelter website for lots of basic information for new tenants. I wager this will be a better use of your time (and more karma proof).

Have you properly discussed the matter of the white goods with the Landlord? Is it possible he has them on loan? (you can still hire white goods) and hadn't realised the agent had included them in the advert? And these extra 'charges' were simply the rental prices if you wanted to keep them? I agree this is unlikely, and at very best, bad practice, but it is something to consider before we burn the agent at the stake.

you know what i apoligise for what i said, didnt mean to come accross like an idiot, just feel a little bit lost! i apreciate the help from everyone and i will take it on board, and do some more research.

in regards to the white goods etc, the EA/LA tried to say i need to pay the agent a rental fee for each item.

my friends dad is an estate agent and he is going to help me out, when i go to sign the contract i have asked him to come with me and sit aside to make sure i dont get talked (or tricked) into something i shouldnt. i dont trust this guy nor do i like him! as in the letting agent.

its just really got me down and makes me grind my teeth, like i said earlier my gf has got her heart set on this place and he keeps trying to work her