disrespectful current tennants

wnoktnwbr

edit post now out of date, updated here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/50562053#Comment_50562053

This serves no real purpose beyond venting, but I'm really quite annoyed right now.

I'm relocating to another city for work purposes, it's just over 200 miles away and I've found the perfect flat. I called up a week ago to arrange a viewing, I made the letting agent aware that I will be travelling over 200 miles specifically to view this one flat. I was told that the current tenants were adamant the only way they'd let a viewing happen was if they were present and the only time they could be present was Wednesday the 25th of January between 1pm and 3pm. That's not an ideal time for me, but I understand they're taking time out of their day to let the viewing happen so whatever, I'll work around them and deal with it.

I booked train tickets which ended up costing £160 / £90 because it's peak times I'd be travelling at (to fit what is a convenient viewing time for them) and now, just over 24 hours before the viewing is due I get a phone call from the letting agent, the tenants have decided they can no longer be there for the viewing and are not going to let it happen, but it's okay because they can do it thursday or friday!

Now I'm out almost £100 (only £150 can be refunded because I stupidly picked a non-refundable ticket type for the return journey) and I have to rework my schedule to make it down another time.

Who on earth waits 24 hours before a viewing to cancel like that? Why insist on being there for a viewing, claim you're available at a specific time and then wait until the day before to pull out?!?!?! I can fully understand if they gave me reasonable notice, but 24 hours?!

All credit to the letting agent, she seemed to understand how ridiculous this is and told me it was a hassle for the landlord getting a hold of the tenants in the first place.

sooz

As annoyed as you are now, I do rather like the sound of that agent :eek:. The tenant has a right not to let anyone on at all, & the agent hasn't turned round and said, it's ok, I have keys....

Something you might well appreciate if you do end up living there. See all the threads on here saying " help, LA entered unannounced, says they can come in anytime etc"

wnoktnwbr

oh it gets better, they called me back they can now make the viewing! So now I have to somehow uncancel these tickets, maybe I can race to the station and collect them in time...

it seems the tenant had no idea I was coming from 200 miles away and is very sorry for being a nuisance. I did think about it and in hindsight their tenancy doesn't end for another 5 weeks so me wanting to view this early on is pretty unreasonable. The problem seems to be that the landlord was very very proactive about listing the property haha.

fun.

sooz wrote: »

As annoyed as you are now, I do rather like the sound of that agent :eek:. The tenant has a right not to let anyone on at all, & the agent hasn't turned round and said, it's ok, I have keys....

Something you might well appreciate if you do end up living there. See all the threads on here saying " help, LA entered unannounced, says they can come in anytime etc"

oh definitely, I'd much rather be messed around like this than have the current tenants residence accessed without their consent. I would be very annoyed if my current landlord were to let himself into the flat I rent at the moment. Still annoyed though but definitely rather it be this than that ;-) It would feel strange to walk around someones home without their consent or knowledge.

sooz

5 weeks early is about right if you don't want too long a void. You do need a bit of time for minor repairs, further cleaning etc between tenants, but don't want it to drag on.

LA obviously didn't pass message on properly about how far you were coming. TBH it is odd for someone to be travelling to far for just one day for a viewing. If this doesn't work out, can you arrange a weekend visit & to view all the available properties in the area over the course of 2 days?

Call the train ticket co & beg.

HappyMJ

I would have stayed in a B+B for the first week or two of employment and found a flat in that time rather than spend a day travelling and £250 on train tickets. Who else would travel 400 miles round trip to have a look at a flat? When I moved to this town I stayed in a B+B for 2 nights before I found a flat and moved in the next day.

wnoktnwbr

I think an up to date and accurate timeline is:

viewing booked -> train tickets booked -> viewing cancelled -> train tickets cancelled -> viewing uncancelled -> train tickets into the void -> more train tickets bought -> ???

I'll keep you updated tomorrow, maybe for my next act I'll miss the train, or the new apartment building will burn down or the letting agent will have a heart attack.

HappyMJ wrote: »

I would have stayed in a B+B for the first week or two of employment and found a flat in that time rather than spend a day travelling and £250 on train tickets. Who else would travel 400 miles round trip to have a look at a flat? When I moved to this town I stayed in a B+B for 2 nights before I found a flat and moved in the next day.

I would have been happy to do that as a last resort, but I found the absolute perfect place that I have been waiting my entire (albeit short) life to live in, there's no way I want to pass up the opportunity to have this place.

sooz wrote: »

Call the train ticket co & beg.

Turns out they had removed the tickets before I had a chance to go and get them and cancel the refund, so alas I am now re-booking more tickets. Another £250...

sooz

Ouch. Hope the place is nice & you get it after all that.

19lottie82

£250 for a return 200 mile journey?! Jeezo. That seems steep. But in all fairness I am rather iggnorant to the price of train journeys.

BUT would it not be a lot cheaper to get the bus / coach? Or fly even?!

HappyMJ

wnoktnwbr wrote: »

I think an up to date and accurate timeline is:

viewing booked -> train tickets booked -> viewing cancelled -> train tickets cancelled -> viewing uncancelled -> train tickets into the void -> more train tickets bought -> ???

I'll keep you updated tomorrow, maybe for my next act I'll miss the train, or the new apartment building will burn down or the letting agent will have a heart attack.



I would have been happy to do that as a last resort, but I found the absolute perfect place that I have been waiting my entire (albeit short) life to live in, there's no way I want to pass up the opportunity to have this place.



Turns out they had removed the tickets before I had a chance to go and get them and cancel the refund, so alas I am now re-booking more tickets. Another £250...

If this place is so perfect why do you need to see it. If it's rubbish you can just hand in your notice in 6 months.

snozberry

I hope to god that you aren't let down by the flat. Photographs or images online don't always tally up in real life. Can't you just book a week off work and spend a week there in a cheap B&B flat hunting.

wnoktnwbr

19lottie82 wrote: »

£250 for a return 200 mile journey?! Jeezo. That seems steep. But in all fairness I am rather iggnorant to the price of train journeys.

BUT would it not be a lot cheaper to get the bus / coach? Or fly even?!

Turns out that I was looking at the "wrong" websites, they were all suggesting going through London. If I avoid London and went at off-peak times it would cost £30 and if I go at peak times via the crappy places it's £70. woops.

HappyMJ wrote: »

If this place is so perfect why do you need to see it. If it's rubbish you can just hand in your notice in 6 months.

The 6 months will cost me over £10,000 I don't want to spend that kind of money without being sure, there are also nice places (but not as nice as I believe this one to be) that I'll take if it isn't as nice in person.