Estate agent marketing property for rent WITHOUT my permission.

pid2004

Hi I rented a property out with an Estate agent over two years ago (contract finished over a year ago with the estate agent) and they have have now started to my market my property for rent without any discussion/conversation/agreement/ anything from us! I found the property on rightmove being advertised for rent! :mad:

Is this illegal? Thank you x

Davesnave

pid2004 wrote: »

Is this illegal? Thank you x

In a word, no.

It's probably a mistake.

Last year, one of the minions in my local agent's office somehow uploaded their entire database of property, past and present, to Rightmove. You have no idea how overjoyed I was to see my troublesome neighbour's property 'up for sale.' Sadly, it was not to be.

That error probably put well over 100 people in much the same position as you, but nothing came of it, and the only person who suffered was the agent.

I was displeased, and so may you be, but as you've suffered no loss, there is nothing to be done, beyond making a complaint.

duchy

I'd ring up and ask to view the property - and see what they say.

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm not quite sure how to interpret your post.

I assume what you are saying is that you are renting the property concerned from someone else?

I'm not quite sure whether you are saying that OR saying you own a property you let out to other people?

Am I correct in interpreting your post as reading:

"We started renting a property that I found through an EA. The rental term was fixed as being for one year initially, but has now run on continuously since then. I have now seen the property we are renting advertised on RightMove as being available for rent. We were totally unaware of this, as neither the landlord or his agent discussed this with this."

***************

If I have interpreted your post correctly, then I would second the suggestion to try and arrange a viewing on your home. Ask a friend to ring up the EA and try to arrange a viewing and see what response they get.

******************

Of course, the other possibility is that someone (be it landlord or EA said something or other to you in casual conversation that they are now trying to interpret, in their own minds, as "We did notify pid2004 that we were planning to re-let their home and they didn't state they wished to continue renting it". There are people who will (deliberately or otherwise) put in a throwaway comment in casual conversation and then try and "spin it around" later into making out that they did officially consult/notify the other person concerned.

So, have there been any casual conversations with either the landlord or his EA at all recently that might have been interpreted/misinterpreted by them as "pid does know" - even though you don't (at least not officially)?

pid2004

I've seemed to have posted a confusing post!
I am a landlord who let out a property through an EA in 2012. When the tenancy agreement finished in 2013, the EA was not used for the next letting. However they are now advertising my property for rent. I could think it's an error however, they have added another £200 to the price it was let at in 2012. So they haven't just "accidentally" uploaded the property, it has been reviewed and an increase put on. I have asked to review the property and waiting a callback.

Surely you can't just advertised a property without permission.

theartfullodger

As he thinks it's clearly OK to bung up an erroneous advert, put the estate agent up for sale on eBay, carefully being cautious about the description. Like "inventive use of advertising.."

Expecting all letting agents to be prudent, correct & ethical may lead to disappointment or tears. Labour were going to regulate them, Dave decided not to. Go figure, as the merkins say.

kinger101

pid2004 wrote: »

I've seemed to have posted a confusing post!
I am a landlord who let out a property through an EA in 2012. When the tenancy agreement finished in 2013, the EA was not used for the next letting. However they are now advertising my property for rent. I could think it's an error however, they have added another £200 to the price it was let at in 2012. So they haven't just "accidentally" uploaded the property, it has been reviewed and an increase put on. I have asked to review the property and waiting a callback.

Surely you can't just advertised a property without permission.

Just ask them to take it down immediately. And that you'll never deal with them again. I assume they no longer have keys.

Davesnave

pid2004 wrote: »

I've seemed to have posted a confusing post!

I could think it's an error however, they have added another £200 to the price it was let at in 2012. So they haven't just "accidentally" uploaded the property..

Your post wasn't confusing, but this additional info could usefully have been included in it.

specialboy

They are probably trying to generate interest in other property's that they have on their books that are much cheaper.

jjlandlord

Send them a nice letter that if the ad is not taken down within 48 hours, you will notify Rightmove, the Advertising Standard Authority, and whatever scheme they are member of.

moneyistooshorttomention

jjlandlord wrote: »

Send them a nice letter that if the ad is not taken down within 48 hours, you will notify Rightmove, the Advertising Standard Authority, and whatever scheme they are member of.

I'd go for this suggestion. Only it wouldn't be a "nice" letter. It would be a "firm" letter and hinting at me charging them for assisting them to look as if they had more properties on their books than they actually had.