email from letting agency re our dirty house!!!

cord123

Hi all,

I am after some advise... i received the rudest email yesterday from the letting agents regarding our house...

long story short, the put the rent up (without telling us) we disagreed with it, then got served two months notice. we are now doing viewings. Both my husband and I work full time.

I received an email saying that someone had said our house is unclean, that all items for our dog have to be put outside the house during viewings, anything we dont use has to be put in the garage etc.

Our house is not dirty at all and we have always scored the top on the inspections that have taken place - the last one being about a month ago!

When we had a viewing the other day it was arranged last minute as a favor to them and we had explained that we were beginning to sort the house out and pack etc, they said that was fine.

Then I get this snotty email, which also said that we should be using the 4th bedroom not as a storage room but as a bedroom to maximise selling potential...

can they do this?

I cant understand how they expect us to work all week, pack a house up and do viewings without none of them overlapping!

There was basically a veiled threat saying that if they feel we are not selling the house to its potential they can charge us for loss of rental income.

we have reported things like missing tiles in the bathroom and the drawer front that has fallen off in the kitchen but this has all gone ignored and i think that this is the reason that people arent interested. The letting agents themselves have also told us that the rental increase is unrealistic!

I just would like to know where we stand on things like viewings etc and if they can dictate what is in our house?

Many thanks

Z

theartfullodger

Cheeky clowns!! It's your home, your property - even if you don;t pay the rent (see...
http://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2010/08/31/urban-myth-when-a-landlord-lets-a-property-its-still-his/
- written by a solicitor...

)

You do not have to permit viewings: Or inspections: on any visits (Landlord can get court order if he really cares..).

You can live in complete squalor if you wish, as long as when you hand the place back it is in the same state it was when you moved in, less fair-wear-'n-tear.

I'd simply ignore their email, change the locks & refuse all future visits... but you might not get a very good reference...

bluedrop

Why are you putting up with this? You are doing a favour by allowing viewings. Instead of being grateful, they are being nasty. Tell them where to go. Does your landlord know about this? Write to him enclosing a copy of the EAs letter. Change your locks and refuse further viewings. If you want references, you may want to negotiate the EAs code of conduct with the landlord. Like allowing viewing with a certian notice or only on certain days at certian times.

chappers

Tell them to go to sea in a bucket and that you are not allowing any more viewings as part of exercising your right to quiet enjoyment.

Just a couple of points I feel you are going to have problems at checkout, so start getting your ducks lined up.
Did you have a duel signed inventory at check in, do you have records of inspections etc .
Has your LL protected your deposit etc.

cord123

The deposit is in a scheme so happy about that.
We sent the inventory back with amendments on and they sent it back to us to sign but I dont think i ever signed it, so I dont believe they do have a signed inventory.

We have rented for almost 8 years and have always treated it like our home and our last 2 landlords have actually given us our deposit back before we moved out to put down on our next house as they were so confident about us as tenants.

I just feel so angry at the cheek of it... it even says that we must clean and disinfect our bathroom....! !!!!!!!

It is nice to hear that we are in the right - I just cant wait to get out of here now!

Luckily I gto a voucher for a deep clean from groupon so we are getting this done the week before moving out date and we will take photos of everything!

You may see me back with a battle on my hands getting teh deposit back!!

Thanks all, much happier....perhaps i should go and clean now ;-P

theartfullodger

Don't clean now: Wait until any viewings have happened (if you are going to allow them..) - and were it me I'd make sure the place was a right old tip..

ValHaller

Dear <Agent>

We acknowledge receipt of your email of <yesterday>. We note your complaints, but would observe that they are based on a viewing which we permitted at the last moment as a favour to yourselves.

You are advised that as we are paying to rent the 4th bedroom, we will continue to use it as a storage area. Indeed as we are renting the whole house, we will continue to use it as our residence and we do not accept instruction relating to where our household chattels are placed. You have no option other than to accept this.

We are understanding of the Landlord's desire to maximise selling potential and to this end we will continue to permit viewings. In turn, we expect you to respect our need to pack in accordance with your Section 21 notice. However, we cannot resist observing that neglect of the various necessary repairs we have reported during our tenancy causes us to question your commitment to maximise the selling potential.

Should this not be acceptable to you, we suggest you postpone further marketing of the property until after <leaving date>, when there will be no constraints on maximising selling potential.

Yours sincerely

<cord123>

jonewer

Tell them that as a result of their behaviour you're not allowing any further access for viewings or otherwise and remind them that harrassment is criminal offence so nerrr.

cord123

Thanks very much for the letter ValHaller and also I will be using the sign off 'so nerr' in everything i write to them now Jonewer.... I feel it sums up how I feel about them!!

hahaha

ValHaller

jonewer wrote: »

Tell them that as a result of their behaviour you're not allowing any further access for viewings

It is tempting. But better to stick to the objective of living in the house without interference and let the agent make the choice whether to do viewings.

theartfullodger

Just one other point.. re..

then got served two months notice.

Presumably that was a "Section 21" notice. Even if the notice is valid (apparently 30% are invalid - wording wrong, deposit protection not complied with etc ..) the notice does not end the tenancy & the tenant does not have to leave when the notice expires..

It simply permits the landlord to apply to the court for possession.. There's probably 2-3 months from expiry before LL would get property back (if notice wrong add another 2-3 months...)

Downside of not leaving?? You may not (but may...**) get a decent reference and you may end up paying court fees - £175 I think...

That the LL/agent has signed up another, new, tenant or sold the place - that's their problem, not yours.. If the place is sold the new owner becomes the new landlord, on same terms as before, and will need to start eviction process again...

Cheers!

** May get good reference?? Well if at some point you tell LL/agent you can leave if they give you a good reference guess what 90%+ of landlords will do?? Yes, glowing reference!