Unprofessional estate agent

19lottie82

yiamas85 wrote: »

I cannot get in touch with the owners.

Did you write to the address on the contract that you signed?

yiamas85 wrote: »

I get the idea that it was her company financially responsible for fixing things

Your idea is wrong.

19lottie82

yiamas85 wrote: »

My parents are now sorting a solicitor because she has not followed the correct procedures,

What have your parents got to do with this? What do you expect a lawyer to do? Your parents will be wasting their money.

yiamas85 wrote: »

It got to the point where I was sticking things in holes to stop mice coming through because she said it was normal! Yes, I clearly need to do something!

Yes! WRITE to the landlord, NOT the letting agent, it isn't their responsibility! #Facepalm

Penelopa.Pitstop

You clearly don't know your rights as a tenant and don't know the obligations of the landlord. You were ignored by agent and you duly stopped bothering her instead forcing her to sort out the issues and execute your rights.

Shelter website regarding repairs - http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/disrepair_in_rented_accommodation/repairs_in_private_lets

If your kids marked the walls it's your fault really. Why did you let them write on the walls? It's up to you to remove it now. Even if the walls wern't freshly painted when you moved it, you have to remove crayon marks because they weren't there.

Wear and tear would be dust on the wall from the pictures, greyed out paint, etc. You can try to match paint colour and paint just a few walls. I repainted one bedroom because it had marks on the wall and it was my responsibility to remove them.

giddypenguin

If this place was so terrible, the LA was a nightmare, and it was full of mice and slugs... why did you sign another years contract?

More to the point, why have you come onto a forum to get advice then duly ignore it?

The first thing you need to do is calm down. Shouting and ranting will get you nowhere. Stay calm and start trying to get hold of the LL. Listen to the advice in the thread.

yiamas85

Penelopa.Pitstop wrote: »

You clearly don't know your rights as a tenant and don't know the obligations of the landlord. You were ignored by agent and you duly stopped bothering her instead forcing her to sort out the issues and execute your rights.



If your kids marked the walls it's your fault really. Why did you let them write on the walls? It's up to you to remove it now. Even if the walls wern't freshly painted when you moved it, you have to remove crayon marks because they weren't there.

Wear and tear would be dust on the wall from the pictures, greyed out paint, etc. You can try to match paint colour and paint just a few walls. I repainted one bedroom because it had marks on the wall and it was my responsibility to remove them.

Why did I let them write on walls?! Lol! Do you have kids?! The place was bad when I moved in, she wants me to do the whole of downstairs and upstairs because a small, yes, small area of paint has come away. Reasonable, I don't think so. Reasonable for me to fix an outside door, no. She told me to get a ladder and fix the damage on the roof myself.

yiamas85

giddypenguin wrote: »

If this place was so terrible, the LA was a nightmare, and it was full of mice and slugs... why did you sign another years contract?

More to the point, why have you come onto a forum to get advice then duly ignore it?

The first thing you need to do is calm down. Shouting and ranting will get you nowhere. Stay calm and start trying to get hold of the LL. Listen to the advice in the thread.

Because when I moved in she verbally told me I had to give a months notice. It was not full of mice and slugs but there was a problem with the skirting board. The problem was solved by sticking a latex glove in the hole and she was happy. Nice house, kids in school. Yes I should have fought harder but after several emails and how many calls trying to get her to do things I did it myself. And I stayed because it had a lovely log cabin, minus the protruding nails, a massive garden, in a nice area near my kids school and I didn't fancy the move with three kids. That's why I stayed.

yiamas85

19lottie82 wrote: »

What have your parents got to do with this? What do you expect a lawyer to do? Your parents will be wasting their money.


Yes! WRITE to the landlord, NOT the letting agent, it isn't their responsibility! #Facepalm

The landlord's name was on the contract, not the address. She would not give me their details! I have now asked the neighbours to ask the owners to call me which they have. They are not aware of any maintenance which needed doing and have been told I have just upped and left. According to them, everything has been fine and they had little contact with estate agent, whereas I have probably emailed her approx. once a month trying to get her to fix things. So it seems she has been unprofessional towards both parties. Now I am definitely seeing a solicitor, for advice on what I can do, who to complain to, e.t.c. She is keeping my deposit not only because of the paint but other issues such as the swollen utility room door which won't shut, peeling paint (wrong paint had been used) and other things that I don't think I am responsible for or is wear and tear. I can roll over and say yes I will fix everything but surely I need legal advice if I believe it is not my responsibility to do so?! I am now hoping that the owner can ditch the estate agent early as she has not been doing her job, and I can sort it out with her. Feeling far more optimistic now I can prove she has breached the contract :-)

yiamas85

For all those who think I sat there and did nothing, I have a copy of an email sent during tenancy in which I tried to lodge a complaint. I did not realise the estate agent was the owner of the office so of course, this was ignored. At no point did estate agent point out to me she was the head of her own office, instead allowing me to send complaints regarding her conduct about her to her!

ognum

yiamas85 wrote: »

Because when I moved in she verbally told me I had to give a months notice. It was not full of mice and slugs but there was a problem with the skirting board. The problem was solved by sticking a latex glove in the hole and she was happy. Nice house, kids in school. Yes I should have fought harder but after several emails and how many calls trying to get her to do things I did it myself. And I stayed because it had a lovely log cabin, minus the protruding nails, a massive garden, in a nice area near my kids school and I didn't fancy the move with three kids. That's why I stayed.

It seems from the way you write that you actually quite like the house, you have stayed longer than you need and the other issues may now be coming out because things have not gone your way.

You could have made the landlord fix the problems, called out the Environmental Health Depatrment or made a big fuss to the letting agent, you made the choice not too.

You need to return the house in the state it was given or there will be a charge, the landlady cannot claim betterment but they can ask for it to be the same.

Your answer to why your children wrote on the walls is bizarre, most children do not write on walls! I do not know what the solicitor will do for you.

Just wondering, do you know that the deposit was protected? If not that could be your get out of jail card!

yiamas85

ognum wrote: »

It seems from the way you write that you actually quite like the house, you have stayed longer than you need and the other issues may now be coming out because things have not gone your way.

You could have made the landlord fix the problems, called out the Environmental Health Depatrment or made a big fuss to the letting agent, you made the choice not too.

You need to return the house in the state it was given or there will be a charge, the landlady cannot claim betterment but they can ask for it to be the same.

Your answer to why your children wrote on the walls is bizarre, most children do not write on walls! I do not know what the solicitor will do for you.

Just wondering, do you know that the deposit was protected? If not that could be your get out of jail card!

There was several holes in the skirting board. Like now, I had her telling me everything was my responsibility. I did sort the holes out and this stopped the mice and the slugs. The damaged slate was not urgent, not causing me any discomfort, the hot water was a problem but I managed by running the water very slow which solved the problem, the protruding nails were knocked down, the oven falling out was fixed by a friend, the wobbly kitchen door was left and not used, the swollen utility door was left. Not great but manageable. However, I don't like the fact that she will attempt to keep mydeposit. That is not manageable. Sadly kids do draw on walls, they also !!!! on carpet. God, mine even try to put things in their mouths. What is the world coming to?