Letting agent requiring use of overpriced services?

CreepyJim

Hello.

We have recently moved into a new house, signed a tenency and paid deposit and everything so it all seems above board. Now we have moved in though, we are being hit with some strange bills and conditions.

1) The letting agent bills us for electricity and gas. They apparantly have their own supplier who they pay in bulk and then charge us a set rate, which is £120 a month.

2) They have sent us a bill for a TV License, saying they provide the license for the property and we must pay then £200 if we wish to use the television.

3) Phone and broadband are provided by the letting agent at a charge of £40 per month plus call charges.

4) We have been told that we may not add our own furniture to the property. The agent has a list of approved furnishings which we may purchase from then however.

This is all a bit of a surprise, does it happen often? Is there anything we can do?

Owain_Moneysaver

Are these conditions in the tenancy agreement? I suspect 1-3 are all unfair contract terms and unenforceable anyway.

1. The law says they cannot charge you more than they are paying for electricity (not sure about gas) - and you are entitled to see their invoices etc to ascertain what the correct amount is.

2. Ignore. It's irrelevant whether they provide a TV licence. As the occupier using the telly it's your respobsibility to licence directly with TVL. Charging you to use your own TV is completely unreasonable and unenforceable.

3. Requiring you to use their service is unreasonable and unenforceable unless it was explicitly sold to you before taking up the tenancy. Any restriction preventing you from using your choice of supplier (you may have to pay for your own line to be installed) likely to be unreasonable and unenforceable. (An exception might be eg in a tower block where you cannot get access to run a new phone line except over the landlord's cables)

4. Unqualified prohibition on furniture likely to be unfair and enforceable. Requirement to purchase only from them unfair and enforceable. Landlord can make reasonable restrictions eg to require tenant furnishings to comply with fire safety labelling requirement or to be clean and vermin free.

Any problems, email the Shelter advice line.

arcon5

To be honest, if these services and costs are listed in the contract I can't see how it can be deemed "unfair" or unenforceable. It would have formed part of the overall package they are supplying to you.
If though the price wasn't included, they must charge a 'fair' price - otherwise then they would be exposing themselves to unfair terms.

If none of this is included in the contract then tell them where to shove it and deal with it all yourself.

As far as furniture is concerned... them them where to go!

The law says they cannot charge you more than they are paying for electricity (not sure about gas) - and you are entitled to see their invoices etc to ascertain what the correct amount is.

What law are you referring to?

A lot of tenancy agreements will include gas & electricity as part of the contract (HMOs and student lets as an example).. many of which state things like "electricity and gas included up to the sum of £60 per month" - if you are entering in to one of these sorts of deals, i'm not sure what gives you the right to a breakdown of the price or invoices :huh:

agrinnall

Jim, I'm with Owain on this, but you would really be better asking this on the House Buying, Renting and Selling Board where there are many experts, some of whom don't stray far from that board so may well not see this.

CreepyJim

We were not aware of any of these charges up front. None of them are mentioned in the tenancy agreement. They have also asked for a £100 "occupation fee" just to move in!

There is also a weekly "inspection" fee we are to pay, of £10 per week, payable in cash. This apparently is payable whether the agent visits the property or not.

bod1467

Sounds very much like a scam which may well be very easily challenged.

Follow agri's advice and head this over to that board. Maybe PM Squeaky (board guide here) to move this thread?

Ich_2

Gas and Electricity resale prices, see here: -
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Consumers/Pages/Resaleofgasandelectricity.aspx

dacouch

This document should help you http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/unfair_contract_terms/oft356.pdf

ThumbRemote

It sounds like your landlord is trying to extract as much money as possible from you, by legal means or otherwise. Given the multiple ways they've tried to scam you so far, I'd be surprised if this didn't continue...as such I'd be looking for another property as soon as possible.

CoolHotCold

You might want to talk to your landlord to see if they are aware of the extra charges.

I agree that it is best to talk to the other board, but thought I'd just throw this in. The landlord and letting agent are two separate entities.

Talk to the Landlord to see if he is aware of these charges (I doubt many will be happy if the letting agent are making money off tenants and not passing it on) and see if there's anything he is willing to do.

misssarahleigh

Omg I actually thought this was a joke!

I have do doubt that there approved furnishings will be a higher price than bright house lol

Although I can't help you on a legal level, my advice is to right EVERYTHING. Down in case you need it later, and get out of there. There guys are clearly taking the Michael.