Property let through agent?

jonwa

If I rent a property through an agent and an agreement is signed up for a year and I want to continue renting for a second year. Do I have to sign up for another year with the same agent or can I legally form a Private agreement with the owner of the property?
Many thanks for answering.
Anna
Property is in UK and two miles from landlord.

theartfullodger

You do not have to sign any new agreement with anyone: tenancy will continue, rolling on, usually month by month.

Regarding signing a direct deal with Landlord : you can do this but you may have agree to penalty charges if doing this in your initial form-filling with agent and/or Landlord may have agreed to terms where he still has to pay agent a percentage.

You would of course not be tempted to lie about what is happening as it is very easy for agent to check & they expect people to try & cheat them.

Cheers!!

dancingfairy

It also depends on what contract the landlord has with the letting agents - do the manage the property/collect rent if outstanding? the landlord might want to distance himself from any tenants so might want the security of going through an agency, then again he/she might want to save themselves the fees and be quite happy to pay the agency off and do things privately - you need to have a word with the lanlord on this one.
Best of Luck
df

G_M

The landlord is.... your landlord. That is who you have a tenancy agreement with. The agent simply works for him. It is entirely up tot the LL to decide whether he wants to manage his property himself or employ someone to do it for him.

Just as, if the roof leaks, he can decide either to climb a ladder himself and fix it, or employ a builder.

As for whether you need to sign a new 12 month contract - no, you don't. You can choose to sign a new 12 month contract, and that gives you 12 months security. The LL cannot evict you within 12 months (unless you stop paying rent etc). But equally, you lose flexibility as you cannot leave for 12 months.

If you'd prefer a 6 month contract, ask if the LL is willing to agree to this.

Or, as Artful says, you need sign no new contract. Provided you stay one day beyond the current 12 months, AND continue paying rent, you will automatically have a 'Periodic' (rolling) contract. This will continue for ever, or until you give one months notice, or the LL gives you two months notice.

jonwa

Thank you very much

theartfullodger

As GM says for England : Scotland is a bit more complex.