Does this mean they're kicking me out?

QuantumSuccess

I've been living in my current rented flat for coming up three years. Each tenancy has been for a year and has gotten renewed each time. My current lease is due to expire in June. 3 weeks ago I emailed my letting agent to ask what the landlord's intentions are for the coming year. No reply. I sent a reminder to my contact at the letting agent and to the manager there last week, asking again, politely, if they'd let me know the landlord's plans for continuing the tenancy. No reply. Not even an acknowledgment that I've emailed them. Is it unreasonable for a tenant in my position to ask whether the tenancy is being renewed or not?

To give some background my letting agents are extremely unpleasant rude people usually.

What would you advise doing? If I need to move I would need to start getting my skates on in finding another place...

By the way there've been no problems with the tenancy in that I've never had rent arrears or any other issues.

bris

You will just need to wait and see. The tenancy will move onto a periodic tenancy at the end of the contract, so will still be valid although it runs monthly instead of a new fixed term.
If they want you out they need to serve you a valid s21 which will give you two months notice to find some where else.

RAS

Assuming you aRE IN eNGLAND AND wALES, until the LL gives you 2 months notice, in writing, I suggest you stay put, if that is what you want. It becomes a rolling tenancy, 2 months from the LL and one month's notice from you.

If you want to leave, as long as you are out on the day the contract ends, you need give no notice.

anselld

The tenancy automatically continues on the same terms in the absence of any renewal. (Statutory Periodic Tenancy). LL/LA must give you 2 months notice from a rent day. You can give one months notice from a rent day.

The only reason to renew is if you want the security of another year fixed term.

QuantumSuccess

Thanks for your replies everybody!

It seems extremely rude to me for the letting agent to simply not bother to reply to this enquiry from a trouble-free tenant of 3 years standing. How long does it take to just send a quick email saying, "I'm looking into it and will get back to you?" It's really putting me off continuing to deal with them in future..

PasturesNew

If there's no new contract to sign, that's a set of fees you save.

As has been said, to get you out they'd have to issue you with a proper/legal/written Section 21 notice, giving you two months' notice (from a rent date). So you've no worries.

On the other hand, if you do want to leave, as you have a current/signed AST, you could simply leave on the last day and hand the keys back, without giving any notice... giving notice is just the proper/polite thing to do. If, however, you stayed (say) 2-3 days OVER the end of your AST date, you'd be required to give one month's notice, but that's not just a month, it's a month from the next rent date - and you'd have just missed a rent date by 2-3 days so would, in effect, be having to give 2 months' notice.

So now's a good time to work out what YOU want.

QuantumSuccess

Am I being unrealistic in expecting the letting agents to actually reply to my question??

Gwhiz

QuantumSuccess wrote: »

Am I being unrealistic in expecting the letting agents to actually reply to my question??

Depends if they normally monitor their email daily or whether you have the correct email address.

TBH - if it were me I would at least phone and not rely on a form of communication that you have no guarantee reaches it's intended receiver (assuming you do not always communicate with them over email successfully)

QuantumSuccess

Gwhiz wrote: »

Depends if they normally monitor their email daily or whether you have the correct email address.

TBH - if it were me I would at least phone and not rely on a form of communication that you have no guarantee reaches it's intended receiver (assuming you do not always communicate with them over email successfully)

I always communicate with them successfully over email. That's why I find it weird. I first contacted them with this question 3 weeks ago.

Gwhiz

QuantumSuccess wrote: »

I always communicate with them successfully over email. That's why I find it weird. I first contacted them with this question 3 weeks ago.

Have you tried calling them too?

mynameisclare

Do you have an address for the landlord? I'd write to him/her directly just to say you'd like to stay for another year.