help please with renting situation

debndot

hi all, in hoping someone could help me with what to do about the situation in in.
i went to look at a house to rent on 24th feb, it was listed on the web with one pic and not too much info, through a local letting agent. The price per month was listed as £725 and we told the agent on viewing we wanted it as there were another couple outside waiting to view, he told us he would have to put everyone through to the landlord to choose. The house itself had been trashed by the previous tenants, leaving holes in the walls and even taking the skirting boards off, even so we still wanted it as you could see past it all. The next day the agent rang me and said the landlord had chosen us as we said we wanted long term and were quite flexible on moving dates as were moving from a shared family house, but in the next breath said would we pay £740 a month as others had offered more than that but the landlord liked us. We agreed as it was still within budget but was a little annoyed as we'd agreed to a longer tenancy.
we were told when we viewed that it would be around mid march it should be ready. The thing is we still have no moving in date or even an idea even though we keep asking as the builders are still on another project and haven't even started our house yet. Also just to top it off we told the agent we have a cat and the landlord now wants another £350 on top of the deposit to cover damage the cat may cause. Has anyone ever had these kinds of problems or have an idea what to do? Thanks

pmlindyloo

debndot wrote: »

hi all, in hoping someone could help me with what to do about the situation in in.
i went to look at a house to rent on 24th feb, it was listed on the web with one pic and not too much info, through a local letting agent. The price per month was listed as £725 and we told the agent on viewing we wanted it as there were another couple outside waiting to view, he told us he would have to put everyone through to the landlord to choose. The house itself had been trashed by the previous tenants, leaving holes in the walls and even taking the skirting boards off, even so we still wanted it as you could see past it all. The next day the agent rang me and said the landlord had chosen us as we said we wanted long term and were quite flexible on moving dates as were moving from a shared family house, but in the next breath said would we pay £740 a month as others had offered more than that but the landlord liked us. We agreed as it was still within budget but was a little annoyed as we'd agreed to a longer tenancy.
we were told when we viewed that it would be around mid march it should be ready. The thing is we still have no moving in date or even an idea even though we keep asking as the builders are still on another project and haven't even started our house yet. Also just to top it off we told the agent we have a cat and the landlord now wants another £350 on top of the deposit to cover damage the cat may cause. Has anyone ever had these kinds of problems or have an idea what to do? Thanks

I am presuming that you haven't signed the tenancy agreement yet nor given the deposit.

Hoping so anyway! Please don't do either of these things until you have seen the house after it has been repaired. If you move in before everything has been rectified you could find that it never gets finished.

Paying extra for a cat is fairly standard.

As to what to do - bearing in my mind my previous comments you can do whatever you like as long as you haven't signed the tenancy agreement or paid the first month's rent.

Withdraw your offer or wait until they're ready.

debndot

thanks for the quick reply pmlinyloo, we haven't paid the deposit yet bit have paid the agent and referencing fees, guess we'll just have to wait, its annoying as were ready and want to go