Oh No! Countrywide have taken over my Letting Agents !!

NoNoDrama

Countrywide who will be operating under Fran Innes in this instance have taken over my letting agency and the landlord is playing along with them! Every review I've read about Countrywide and it's sub-brands has been bad!

They've already sent me a letter about a future visit threatening to charge me £25 if the visit is missed! My old letting agent I would just let them go in with the managment keys. Not sure I'm so keen with this shower.

Also £125 for a tenancy renewal? !!!!!!? I usually renew for 6 month at a time at £35 (a fair price). Are you with Countrywide? Any bad experiences? Below are a list of the Countrywide brands:-

Abbotts
Accord Lets
Alan de Maid
Andrew Reeves
Andrews Butler
Ashton Burkinshaw
Austin & Wyatt
Bairstow Eves
Beresford Adams
Bridgfords
Buckell & Ballard
Carsons
Chappell & Matthews
Countrywide
Dixons
Entwistle Green
Faron Sutaria
Frank Innes
Freeman Foreman
Fulfords
Gascoigne-Pees
Gerring & Colyer
Hamptons International
Hetheringtons Countrywide
John D Wood & Co.
King & Chasemore
Locke & England
Mann Countrywide
Miller Countrywide
Morris Dibben
Palmer Snell
PKL
R.A. Bennett & Partners
Rentons Countrywide
Slater Hogg & Howinson
SLM
Sotheby's Realty
Spencers
Stratton Creber
Taylors
Watson Bull Porter
Wilson Peacock

I urge Landlords and Tenants alike to avoid the above agents as they all the same company (Countrywide) and they are known ripoff merchants.

ognum

NoNoDrama wrote: »

Countrywide who will be operating under Fran Innes in this instance have taken over my letting agency and the landlord is playing along with them! Every review I've read about Countrywide and it's sub-brands has been bad!

They've already sent me a letter about a future visit threatening to charge me £25 if the visit is missed! My old letting agent I would just let them go in with the managment keys. Not sure I'm so keen with this shower.

Also £125 for a tenancy renewal? !!!!!!? I usually renew for 6 month at a time at £35 (a fair price). Are you with Countrywide? Any bad experiences? Below are a list of the Countrywide brands:-



I urge people not to use Landlords and Tenants alike to avoid the above agents as they all the same company (Countrywide) and they are known genuine ripoff merchants.

It am a LL and I abandoned a letting agent after they were taken over by Countrywide and gave me very poor service.

It would advise any tenant or LL to use a small independent firm.

maddermanblue1_2

NoNoDrama wrote: »

Countrywide who will be operating under Fran Innes in this instance have taken over my letting agency and the landlord is playing along with them! Every review I've read about Countrywide and it's sub-brands has been bad!

They've already sent me a letter about a future visit threatening to charge me £25 if the visit is missed! My old letting agent I would just let them go in with the managment keys. Not sure I'm so keen with this shower.

Also £125 for a tenancy renewal? !!!!!!? I usually renew for 6 month at a time at £35 (a fair price). Are you with Countrywide? Any bad experiences? Below are a list of the Countrywide brands:-



I urge Landlords and Tenants alike to avoid the above agents as they all the same company (Countrywide) and they are known ripoff merchants.

I believe you don't need to pay a tenancy renewal, you will just go on a rolling monthly Periodic tenancy. Ignore the demands, correct me if I'm wrong.
Also you have the right to live at the property in peace and right to enjoyment.

Never heard of tenants being charged for missed visits (I assume they are checking on whether you are looking after the property), they need to work around you not the other way round. Normally the tenants like to be in when agents visits, can be difficult if you are working 9-5 weekdays. I myself would never ever let a stranger have a poke around while I'm not there, if you refuse them permission to enter the property and they enter (unless in an emergency, plumbing, fire etc), they will be breaking the law, probaly best to put that in writing for the agents and keep a copy.

That letter sounded nasty. Also I'd remind them that bullying tactics will be flagged with the relevant authorities and will absolutely not be tolerated.

harrys_dad

You are only responsible for what is in your tenancy agreement. As advised above, you do not need to sign a new one, just go on to a statutory periodic one automatically. Would not put it past the LA in that instance to try and persuade LL to give notice so they can earn a fat fee from finding and fleecing a new tenant. They seem to forget they work for the LL not the other way round.

G_M

1) your contract is with the landlord, not the agent.

2) your contract terms cannot just be changed, and new fees cannot just be introduced. So stop worrying and just don't pay.

3) When your contract fixed term expires... read this for your options. And talk to your landlord.


Ending/Renewing an AST (what happens when the Fixed Term ends?)(What is a Periodic Tenancy?)(How can a LL remove a tenant?)(How can a tenant end a tenancy?)

anselld

NoNoDrama wrote: »

Countrywide who will be operating under Fran Innes in this instance have taken over my letting agency and the landlord is playing along with them! Every review I've read about Countrywide and it's sub-brands has been bad!

They've already sent me a letter about a future visit threatening to charge me £25 if the visit is missed! My old letting agent I would just let them go in with the managment keys. Not sure I'm so keen with this shower.

They are not "your" agents.
They cannot impose random fees outside what is agreed in your tenancy agreement.
You are not obliged to attend inspections.
You are not obliged to renew.

Pandilex

I believe you have to check a notice of 2 months wasn't filed at the start of the tenancy, i.e. 2 months notice to get out so your contract ends after 6 months without going onto a rolling contract.

G_M

Pandilex wrote: »

I believe you have to check a notice of 2 months wasn't filed at the start of the tenancy, i.e. 2 months notice to get out so your contract ends after 6 months without going onto a rolling contract.

Not sure whether you are suggesting this 2 months notice may have come from the LL or tenant, but

* some LLs issue a S21 notice early in the tenancy
* But the S21 cannot be (validly) served before the deposit is registered
* even if served validly, it does not end the tenancy at the end of the fixed tem, and does not mean the tenant must leave - only a court can end the tenancy

Read the link provided earlier.

rexmedorum

maddermanblue1 wrote: »

I believe you don't need to pay a tenancy renewal, you will just go on a rolling monthly Periodic tenancy. Ignore the demands, correct me if I'm wrong.
Also you have the right to live at the property in peace and right to enjoyment.

Never heard of tenants being charged for missed visits (I assume they are checking on whether you are looking after the property), they need to work around you not the other way round. Normally the tenants like to be in when agents visits, can be difficult if you are working 9-5 weekdays. I myself would never ever let a stranger have a poke around while I'm not there, if you refuse them permission to enter the property and they enter (unless in an emergency, plumbing, fire etc), they will be breaking the law, probaly best to put that in writing for the agents and keep a copy.

That letter sounded nasty. Also I'd remind them that bullying tactics will be flagged with the relevant authorities and will absolutely not be tolerated.

We were with accrods for 2 years. Come renewal time we stalled a bit saying 'need to speak to wife' (they then aclled wife 'o I need to speak to my husband') and then very close to the end of contract said we wanted to let it go rolling. They agreed to our surprise.

They did however charge an arm and a leg when taking out the rent initially. I'm talking double the fees of the previous agent. The threatening letter about missing inspection visists always annoyed me. Obviously your contract is with the landlord so I wouldn't have thought that legally they'd have a leg to stand on if you refused to pay.

The other annoying thing was when leaving, they started brining people round and came twice without giving notice. The 2nd time I gave the agent a good telling off and said that I didn't care if their SMS system didn't work I wouldn't let him in if it happened again.

Also when our toilet broke they needed quite a bit of chasing up.

NoNoDrama

Guys, I know all this. But these Countrywide merchants have even been known to charge for a periodic tenancy! I want to give the L/L an assurance I will stay but don't want to pay excessive fee's. I may contact him directly.

I think their business model is aim to fleece both Landlords and tenants out of money which in reality are fee's that aren't valid and cannot be forced but the gullible will pay up.

Also concerned L/L will be taken for a ride. My rent is way below the market rate but I've been the 4 years and still no rise!

Could they lean on the L/L and push for a new tenant at higher rent?