agency charging me to provide a reference to my new letting agency

cocopops21

Is it legal for my current agency to charge me a fee for providing a reference to the new agency that I'm trying to rent with?

Isn't it just a simple phone call to say we've paid everything on time?

I'm sick of agencies. They charge so much for providing absolutely f*ck all!

TrickyDicky101

There is no legal duty upon your old agency to provide a reference to your new one so yes, they can pretty much charge whatever they like.

Can you instead request a reference from your old landlord who might be more accommodating (and less Scrooge-like)?

theartfullodger

Charming language..

Nobody in the landlord/tenant/agent game HAS to provide a reference for anyone else. Not fair, not reasonable, not sensible but until a government (this one won't) changes the law you are stuffed...

Tenants don't have to give references for landlords or agents ...

So, either cough up or find another solution, sorry.

For the avoidance of doubt I am not a agent, and as a landlord I have never charged a prospective-tenant/tenant/ex-tenant for a reference or credit check, just rent and/or damages.

Cheers!!

note_2

why not just go straight to the landlord and ask him?

cocopops21

Thanks for your help.

No offence intended by my language. I'm just so stressed out. So much money has gone out and we haven't even paid rent or deposit yet.

I believe the agency that I'm with also own this building of flats (or so I've been told) so there is no landlord that I can contact.

G_M

cocopops21 wrote: »

I believe the agency that I'm with also own this building of flats (or so I've been told) so there is no landlord that I can contact.

You mean you've been renting somewhere without knowing who the landlord is?

?

cocopops21

G_M wrote: »

You mean you've been renting somewhere without knowing who the landlord is?

?

Why is that important? All contact is through the agency so what's the point of knowing the landlord?

theartfullodger

cocopops21 wrote: »

Why is that important? All contact is through the agency so what's the point of knowing the landlord?

Because your contract is with landlord, not with the agent: If you ever needed to take legal action you would almost always need to do so against landlord...

Me, I'd always want to know LL name & address & check he owned the place & his lender(mortgage) was OK with him letting it out ....

PasturesNew

When you need somewhere to live, you're already working with a limited timeframe, limited budget, places hard to track down, viewings almost impossible to arrange ...... once you've jumped through those hoops you'll pretty much sign up with Fred West as a LL......

Nobody has all the time in the world to look into everything, find out who the LL is, investigate every avenue for avoiding agents or charges, etc etc. That's airy fairy land.

cocopops21

PasturesNew wrote: »

When you need somewhere to live, you're already working with a limited timeframe, limited budget, places hard to track down, viewings almost impossible to arrange ...... once you've jumped through those hoops you'll pretty much sign up with Fred West as a LL......

Nobody has all the time in the world to look into everything, find out who the LL is, investigate every avenue for avoiding agents or charges, etc etc. That's airy fairy land.

Exactly. I always have a very limited time frame for finding a new place because we can't afford to pay two places at the same time and they're usually eager to get you moved in asap. So whatever comes along is what we have to take. The least of my worries are to know the landlord's name and address and read over every single thing in the lease to make sure I agree.

tbs624

cocopops21 wrote: »

. The least of my worries are to know the landlord's name and address and read over every single thing in the lease to make sure I agree.

In which case you make yourself a very attractive proposition to scammers and chancers........