Should I be able to see contract in advance?

ACG

My contract did have 14 days cooling off - im surprised that isnt standard. I stand corrected.

To the OP i would personally leave it until moving in day and not turn up and find somewhere else. Then let the landlord know why.

concrete_kid

Update.

Our move in date was set to be 12th July, so this Friday. They have come back to us and said we can't move on this day as the carpets are being fitted! We are all really busy at the moment so said the next date we are all available to move is the 2nd of August (It also gives us another pay day!). They have flat out refused (again). They didn't even bother contacting the landlord.

We have managed to negotiate to move on 20th, but this is massively inconvenient for all of us. I don't I've met such stubborn people!

Should we push to move on the 2nd August, or are we pushing trying to wait another 2 weeks?

I'm seriously considering finding somewhere else and saying goodbye tote £100 each we have paid.

spacey2012

If you have no choice, put V.C before your signature and see if they pick up on it.

concrete_kid

What does V.C mean?

G_M

And I bet the landlord knows nothing about what is going on. Does not realise

* his agents are p*ssing off his tenants before they even move in
* are fouling up moving in days, and hence date his rent receipts start
* are more interested in the fees they charge the tenant applicants than in the interestsof the LL whois their client

If landlords would only vet their agents better, before appointing them, and thenmonitor what they do better, then both LL & tenants would be happier.

And just possibly, agents would become more professional.

mark?_3

concrete_kid wrote: »

What does V.C mean?

implies the contract was signed under duress (ah, the wonders on latin). i've never heard of any property case where this has been argued and won so wouldn't rely on this (someone will probably prove me wrong now!).
It's more for 16th century kings signing confessions rather that sitting in a letting agents office where you could walk out of the door at any point.

concrete_kid

I totally agree. They have just sent me a tenants checklist

Number 11- "Upon request, we can provide you with a draft copy of the tenancy agreement for you to take away and read through. This enables us to answer any questions you may have relating to the agreement itself before signing"

Interesting, so they are not even standing by there own checklist.

Smith_007

concrete_kid wrote: »

Our move in date was set to be 12th July, so this Friday. They have come back to us and said we can't move on this day as the carpets are being fitted!

Yup.....
I'm not surprised :mad:

If you had been able to sign a contract in advance, this could not have happened. By making you sign on the day, the agency is deliberately holding all the cards.

HOWEVER
Check your pre-tenancy agreement carefully. By changing the moving date, you might be able to pull out and get your £300 back. Don't count on it though.

They have just sent me a tenants checklist
Number 11- "Upon request, we can provide you with a draft copy of the tenancy agreement

I'd be sat in their office quoting this to them.
Try bluffing the office kid. Tell them you either want a copy of the agreement or your £300 back and won't take no for an answer. Be prepared for a fight though. Because with this agency, you are going to have one sooner or later.

Also, I fully agree with G_M's post above.
Tell the landlord exactly what is going on (along with written proof). Tell him that the agency’s unprofessionalism is causing you to look elsewhere. Chances are the landlord is having problems with the agency also.

concrete_kid

Quoting their own literature did the trick. They sent the tenancy agreement this morning, no explanation as why they refused the first time though.

They also overcharged us for application fee, the correct fee was on the tenants checklist also. They said it was old literature,but will refund us.

I've got a viewing on another place as a plan B. This time direct with landlord.

Great advice from everyone on here.

ging84

if it is such a standard contract then it should be very easy for them to give you a copy of it in advanced