Help! Can I pull out of rental ?

runforest

Hi,

Please can someone advise me, I didn't want to ask my agent just yet so not to worry them if its not possible.

I am due to be renting my flat out as from 1st Nov, I have recieved but not yet signed or sent back the tenancy agreement.

I am having cold feet about renting as my relationship isn't going very well and I'm worried about tying in for 6 months.

Am I too late to pull out, and guilt is getting the better of me too as the man moving in might have no where else to go!

Thanks in advance

BitterAndTwisted

Have you signed a contract with the letting agency? What does it tie you to and what are the penalties for withdrawing at such a late stage?

If you are considering making someone homeless as of this Friday I would not be concerned about worrying the agent!

gayleanne

Plus the people moving in have paid money to the LA to have their credit checks done, and these are not transferable to another property so they have lost money. They haven't a lot of time to find somewhere else to live have they?

But you just concentrate on yourself, you should have thought all of this out before you agreed to let it.

runforest

Thanks for all your opinions.

I just wondered what my options were.

G_M

What have you signed? Have you given the agent authority to let the property on your behalf? Have they done this? Are you committed legally to employing them? On what basis?

Sadly we can't read your agent contract!

But some general points:

* you should be able to instruct your agent to not let the flat, unless they have already done so. Any instruction should be asap and in writing

* You should ensure that any money paid by the prospective tenant is returned (again assuming no contract has been created for the tenancy) eh holding deposit, tenant vetting, admin fees. Remember, some agents charge tenants a lot of money for these (£hundreds).

Whether the agent will return the money to the tenant, or you will have to, is a matter for you and the agent to resolve, but it must be returned!

* depending what the tenant has paid for, and what was signed (holding deposit) it is possible, though unlikely, that the tenant could claim their costs (eg hotel if homeless)

Even if they have no legal claim, they have a moral one, and you might wish to consider an ex gratia payment to compensate/help them.