COMPLAINT - Estate agents entering our house without our permission

Blackpool_Saver

cheeky baaaah stads I would raise hell

alyxzandra

I want to add that every council has a tenancy relations officer. This officer has certain powers to enforce the law. You may want to make contact with the council on this.

ruggedtoast

ag19lfc wrote: »

Two weeks ago we handed in our notice to end our tenancy at the property we currently rent. Earlier this week, the letting agents contacted us as they had arranged a viewing for potential new tenants to view the property this morning.

I called them yesterday to postpone the viewing as my partner and I are currently in the process of moving out of the property.

This morning however, the letting agents arrived with the potential new tenants and let themselves in to our house.

I'd like to raise a complaint, as this is against the law for them to enter without permission.

Who do I raise the complaint with?

I would complain to the EA and the landlord in writing, cc'ing one another and the tenancy relations officer in the council in, in the hope they don't do it to someone else.

You are on your way out though so you're unlikely to get anything other than an apology, if that.

At the end of the day they can claim it was an admin error and colleague A didn't get the cancellation of the viewing from Colleague B, and therefore genuinely didn't know you didn't want them there - which may well be what happened anyway.

Not worth raising your blood pressure over now I shouldn't think.

m0bov

You might want to report it to the Police to get a crime number in case you find something missing. If you left anything lying around and found its been taken it will be easier to claim on insurance.

Road_Hog

ag19lfc wrote: »

Two weeks ago we handed in our notice
I'd like to raise a complaint, as this is against the law for them to enter without permission.

Who do I raise the complaint with?

Some entertaining responses to this. Assuming the tenant has given the usual one months notice, they will be gone in two weeks.

What is the purpose of raising a complaint?

Change the locks for two weeks and change them back again? Sure, if you've got money to burn.

Write a letter to the LL and he after a few days writes a letter back, saying there was some misunderstanding, by then you're nearly out the door.

Take it took court? Really? With two weeks to go, the LL having given notice of wanting to show tenants around, I can't see a judge ruling against him. Once you're leaving, it is normally accepted as reasonable for prospective tenants to be shown the property.

What is the objective of complaining here. What will be achieved?

moneyistooshorttomention

hamster2013 wrote: »

see your contract
it will have clauses in there allowing as such as long as reasonable notice is given

When I was in private rented accommodation many moons ago I knew about the "reasonable notice" provision and, as I recall, its "24 hours".

My first landlord had a tendency to break the law too and I would come back to find he had been in (ie emptying the electric meter) and I had to change the locks myself to stop him doing so.

Might as well change the locks and then change them back again when you move and take your (own) new lock with you to change the locks again on your new place.

bouicca21

For once I am in sympathy with the landlord and EA. More than adequate notice was given but op left it to virtually the last minute to cancel and does not say that he/she offered an alternative appointment. Yes, the EA was legally and morally wrong to go ahead, but op was also morally wrong to mess them about.

G_M

alyxzandra wrote: »

I want to add that every council has a tenancy relations officer. This officer has certain powers to enforce the law. You may want to make contact with the council on this.

Tenancy relations officers are hugely overworked/under-staffed. This minor issue is not one to waste their time (and my tax-payer's money) with. It is easily resolved.

Leave the council officer free o deal with real problems.

You might want to report it to the Police to get a crime number in case you find
something missing.

No crime has been committed (unless the agent had no key and broke their way in).
As above, leave the police free to deal with real criminals!

allthingsmustpass

G_M wrote: »

No crime has been committed (unless the agent had no key and broke their way in).
As above, leave the police free to deal with real criminals!

It is illegal to enter someones home without their permission. Unlawful entry. The clue is in the name.

For the duration of a tenancy the property is the tenants home.

The landlord is a caretaker for the banks property and ought not to let their misplaced self importance confuse them into breaking the law.

allthingsmustpass

G_M wrote: »

The tenant's right to quiet enjoyment is not absolute. A court MIGHT overrule it to permit a LL to implement a viewing clause in the contract.

Yes. So the default assumed position is that the statutory right has not been signed away by a dodgy term drawn up by tracy at the lettings agents. Rather sensible when you think about it.

So the assumption should be made by both parties in the absence of a court case that quiet enjoyment overrules.

Therefore a person entering the tenants home without permission is wrong to do so, and it would be prudent to inform the authorities and protect yourself further from such criminal and immoral acts by changing the locks.