Landlord asking for 3 Months rent in advance plus 1 month Deposit.

LAEllis

most definitely walk away.

We've rented a few places now so have some experience with it. This sounds like a pain in the !!! LL to me, it reminds me of a similar property we went to view and the tenant informed us that the LL was picky about noise, condensation etc etc then as we were leaving the EA told us that the LL said we could have "no guests"....at all.
I laughed at first thinking he was joking but my partner was concerned and asked the EA, they said that the LL specifically instructed them to tell all prospective tenants that their son lived in the flat below and that should we know if we had someone round, made noise and mess, came in late etc etc.
When the EA followed up on our visit we told them that we loved it but asked them to removed the microwave, hoover and landlord then we would have a deal.

In short; dont tie yourself into this, it could turn into a nightmare.

Ultrasonic

As others have said, if you haven't signed a contract yet, walk/run away now! The dehumidifier nonsense makes the landlord sound like an absolute nightmare.

Oh, and for what it's worth sticking money from and interest free overdraft into a savings account seems like a perfectly sensible plan to me. I've done it in the past.

martindow

Is your interest free overdraft on an account with monthly fees? If so it is not free and G_M's point about clearing the overdraft from savings could be valid.

poppysarah

saayinla wrote: »

Overdraft are meant to be used and are there for a reason..

I believe overdrafts are there to protect you on the odd month you spend a bit more than you planned, or didn't move money from a savings account quickly enough.

I've had an overdraft facility since 1993 that has not been used.

saayinla

martindow wrote: »

Is your interest free overdraft on an account with monthly fees? If so it is not free and G_M's point about clearing the overdraft from savings could be valid.

yes it is on an account with monthly fees with several other benefits that I do make use of like insurance, extended warranty , roadside recovery etc. Even without the interest free overdraft I am quite happy paying the monthly fees for the account.

And I have a savings of at least £750 every month so practically I have the money that I overdrawn on just decide not to take from my savings account.

Hump

I assume that the 3 months rent in advance means the landlady doesn't expect another penny until 3 months after you move in? If yes then it would be OK - apart from the bit about the dehumidifier - if the lettings agent is for example ARLA bonded and agrees to hold the funds and pay the landlord monthly. If the landlord wants all 3 months in one go then it does suggest a greater chance that she is in financial difficulties herself.

If you were inclined to take the property then it might be worth negotiating whether the landlord would install a heat recovery extractor fan in the kitchen rather than expecting you to run a dehumidifier (or an extractor fan fitted with a humidistat)

saayinla

Hi All,

Updates:

I agreed to take the Flat based on the 3+1 rents upfront as stated in the opening post and did express my concern regarding the dehumidifier business, and then the Landlord changed the arrangement and came back that is no longer taking 3 Months rents upfront + 1 Month deposit but RATHER she wants 2 months Deposit + 1 month in advance as she explicitly mention she can use part of my Deposit to repair the flat should there be any "mould/condensation" problem after my tenancy, the alarm bell in my head started ringing non stop.

Then I said that's it, I am not willing to proceed on these new terms as I agreed to the Initial terms from the landlady and thereby withdrawing my interest in the flat.

Now the Agent is telling me I will loose my holding deposit as I pulled out, is this right? It is the landlord changing the goal post and not me. DO I have to agree to all terms by the landlord and if it is not suitable with me, does that constitute me pulling out as against the landlady changing the terms.?

Please advice.

Thanks in advance..

Exact email from agent below:

"I can clearly understand your concerns with regard to the terms the landlady is proposing and tried to explain that you have good references etc, but due to her previous experiences with past tenants she is concerned for her property.

Unfortunately, as you have pulled out from the letting you will lose your holding deposit of £100 as it explains in the reference sheet is non-refundable."

casper_g

Personally, having lived in a property that had a damp problem (due to structural defects, acknowledged by the landlord who undertook works to fix it after we moved out), I would see forfeiting a £100 holding deposit as a price worth paying to avoid living with all that mould again!

saayinla

casper_g wrote: »

Personally, having lived in a property that had a damp problem (due to structural defects, acknowledged by the landlord who undertook works to fix it after we moved out), I would see forfeiting a £100 holding deposit as a price worth paying to avoid living with all that mould again!

Thanks for your comment, I just wanted to know if it is right and are the agents allowed to do this? It was the landlord who changed the terms and not me, and the terms were changed 5 Days after the initial condition of 3+1 rents was proposed..

robpw2

saayinla wrote: »

Thanks for your comment, I just wanted to know if it is right and are the agents allowed to do this? It was the landlord who changed the terms and not me, and the terms were changed 5 Days after the initial condition of 3+1 rents was proposed..

did the letting agent let you know the terms regarding retaining of your fee before you gave them the money ?