Letting Agent - 'Property Visit' Letter???

daphne_descends

Hello all,

Received a letter this morning from my letting agent, as follows:

Dear XXX

RE: Property Visit

We write to advise you that we have arranged your visit for Thursday 17th May 2007 between 10.30am and 1.00pm. Please find enclosed a copy of the Property Visit Report form should you wish to bring any matters to our attention.

If you are unable to attend we will use keys for access. If you have any issues you would like to bring to our attention in your absence please leave a copy of the completed report form.

Please make your notes on the Property Visit Report Form that we shall collect on the day of our visit.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Yours sincerely
etc


Can they come into my house without prior permission when I'm not here? I am not happy about this - I let my last landlord have access on one occasion when I wasn't there and she ended up losing one of my (then new) kittens!

On the one hand there are a million issues (with the house) I could raise with them, but I can't help but think this letter is a bit cheeky - clearly it's an 'inspection' but they don't say that, as above you can see it's rather vague. They are not even asking for permission, but TELLING me they will come in! I do NOT want someone coming in here without my permission when I am not here - are they allowed to??

What should I do??

EDIT: we moved at the end of Feb.

Thanks

snails's_pace

with regards to them coming when your not there...then have a look at your tenancy agreement and see what it says

Doozergirl

Entry has to be with your permission at a time that is suitable to you.

Call them back and tell them it is not acceptable and reschedule for a time that it is!

rizla01

And you cannot refuse them permision.

They are acting on behalf of the person that OWNS the property remember.

Ask yourself - If you owned a property costing you a hundred thousand pounds or so, and let people live in it, wouldn't you want to occassionally check and make sure that your investment was being cared for?

daphne_descends

The letter makes no mention of checking that the investment is being cared for (as an aside, it certainly has not been cared for by the owner).

I don't object to an inspection, but SAY it's an inspection. What I object to is being TOLD 'we are coming over whether you're in or not'.

snails's_pace

well,dig out your tenancy agreement and see what you signed up for. When I rented ,it was called a property visit but its also common for it to be worded as inspection.
Ring them up and ask them that you dont understand the meaning of the letter and as I said before...have a read through the tenancy agreement that you signed to see what it says regarding rights of access by the agent/owner. When I rented property visits by the agent were carried out once every 3 months, which I think is quite common.
If you can't be there when they want to visit, tell them you have some issues you'd like to bring up regarding the property and ask for a Saturday/evening visit when your home

daphne_descends

Thanks SP , the tenancy only mentions access for maintenance and repairs, viewings for potentials purchasers/tenants, and access to put up For Sale/To Let signs.

I just don't want them coming in when I'm not here - and I don't think that is being unreasonable.

Melissa177

This is quite common I believe - I felt exactly the same when I had a similar letter about an inspection when I was renting last year.

My housemate took the view that it was as much to protect us as it was to protect the landlord - you should then get a report afterwards stating any wear and tear. You can compare it with the original report when you moved in to see if they are blaming you for any damage over the past three months. It's much easier to do this, than wait until the end of your tennancy and find the agent wants to take half of your deposit. We received all of our deposit back at the end from the LL.

If you really don't want anyone in your house when you're not there, (and you're perfectly entitled not to let them in, within reason), ask that they come around a time suitable to you.

Good luck!

thesaint

rizla01 wrote: »

And you cannot refuse them permision.

They are acting on behalf of the person that OWNS the property remember.

Ask yourself - If you owned a property costing you a hundred thousand pounds or so, and let people live in it, wouldn't you want to occassionally check and make sure that your investment was being cared for?

You are right about them wanting to check their investment, but the tenant can refuse permission. Doing this would not bode well for any further extension wanted after the fixed term though.

Guy_Montag

Call them up, say the time isn't suitable for you, but they can come round at x,y or z time.

In reply to thesaint this is why we need decent tenancy laws, the OP is just exercising his/her legal rights, yet that could lead to them losing their abode at the end of the fixed term part of their tenancy.

devils_advocate

And you cannot refuse them permision.

They are acting on behalf of the person that OWNS the property remember.

Ask yourself - If you owned a property costing you a hundred thousand pounds or so, and let people live in it, wouldn't you want to occassionally check and make sure that your investment was being cared for?

This is completely wrong. You have no duty in law to care for the property, whatever that might be.