Student let - agents letting themselves in.

angela110660

The flat my son is currently renting from one letting agent is also up for sale with another agent. The selling agent has sent a letter to say they are showing people round next week and they will let themselves in as they have the key. My son has phoned to say that he is not happy with this as he will be out and all his possessions will be there. They have now agreed to come at a time when he is at home but he says that in recent visits, the agent arrives with the viewers but does not accompany them round.

Question - have they the right to walk in using a key when he is not there? what if anything disappears? Is his student insurance invalidated?

lynzpower

They DONT have the right to enter without consent. that consent could be"we only will allow you to bring people in when we are there"

Yes, Its a hassle for the EA, Ive been an EA when Ive had to liasse with tenants, and it can be inconveneint, but hey, thats the law.

If they are letting themselves in, i would make a complaint in writing to the head of the EA pronto. Also discuss with the helpline at NAEA too

Guy_Montag

Answer: He has the right to quiet enjoyment of his property - no-one should be entering his flat without his permission.

However, I think he is, if not obliged, he certainly should, allow people to view the flat, at a time convenient to him. So if they want to view it while he & his flatmates our out, they can whistle for it. If one of them is there, there is no reason why they can't hover annoyingly (& slightly sinisterly) over anyone viewing to make sure they don't nick anything.

angela110660

Thank you both for your replies. He and flatmates are fine about it when they are in but not if they are out. What is slightly worrying of course is how many keys there are floating around to their flat eg the letting agency, the selling agency etc.

pinkshoes

I rented a flat in Liverpool 8 years ago, and a month before the tenancy ended (work was relocating me), the landlady started showing people round. I only knew this because not only did she not tell me, she then had the nerve to phone me at work and yell at me for the mess in the flat!! it wasn't dirty, but i'd left my washing to dry all over the place, hadn't washed up from the day before, not made my bed, and had put The Simpsons posters up over the floral minging things she had hanging!!

If you can lock your bedroom doors during periods when you're out, then i'd do it!!

olly300

Due to the number of keys floating around and the actions of the selling agent your son and his flatmates have a right to change the locks.

However they should first make a written complaint to the landlord (not the letting agent) informing him/her of the actions of their selling agent and ask for the behaviour to cease within 14 days as it is a breach of their tenancy agreement. The letter should be sent recorded delivery and copies kept.

Then if the behaviour continues after 20 days, change one of the locks (without destroying or damaging the door) and don't provide the selling agent with a key. That way they have to be in if the selling agent wants to show someone round.

BTW if they have a yale type lock on the door it is very easy to change themselves as you don't have to change the full lock just the cylinder.

STOTTYCAKE_2

We recently viewed a house with a tenant who had been given 2 months notice. The EA had not informed her we were going, nor had anyone from the EA turned up to show us round. The tenant was lovely but I have to say, from the tenant's view, it's not safe to be showing people round without the EA-it's putting her/him at risk. We said this and she is not going to allow viewings without the EA being present. I think she is quite right to do this.

thesaint

olly300 wrote: »

Due to the number of keys floating around and the actions of the selling agent your son and his flatmates have a right to change the locks.
As far as anyone knows, there is 1 key "Floating around" it is in the hands of the agent who has stated that they will not use it when the tenants are not there..

However they should first make a written complaint to the landlord (not the letting agent) informing him/her of the actions of their selling agent and ask for the behaviour to cease within 14 days as it is a breach of their tenancy agreement. The letter should be sent recorded delivery and copies kept.
Is it in breach of their tenancy agreement?
Better to ask to cease immediaitely. I choose not to use recorded delivery (Only bad news come delivery so some companies don't accept them) and send two letters with proof of posting from 2 seperate post offices.

Then if the behaviour continues after 20 days, change one of the locks (without destroying or damaging the door) and don't provide the selling agent with a key. That way they have to be in if the selling agent wants to show someone round.
If the agent does come around and let themselves in despite their promise not to, I would replace the lock, and make sure it is replaced on my leaving the property.
I understand that the courts may not support my action

BTW if they have a yale type lock on the door it is very easy to change themselves as you don't have to change the full lock just the cylinder.

Just adding my view on the situation.