Landlord selling the flat - Viewings

pyueck

kiddy_guy wrote: »

I'm of the same view. Dont allow any more viewings and change the locks.


There's an ongoing debate on this forum whether the rights of the tenant for quiet enjoyment trump the right to viewings but it's safe to assume your tenancy would be up prior to this ever being tested.

Therefore no viewings should be allowed unless you want to be nice to the landlord.

Yes especially as their tenancy doesn't end until May. Quite frankly this is ridiculous. I would also remind the agency that if they plan on 'blacklisting' your name for future rentals' based on you in no way breaching your contract you will be suing them for defamation of character.

misspickle_2

kiddy_guy wrote: »

I'm of the same view. Dont allow any more viewings and change the locks.


There's an ongoing debate on this forum whether the rights of the tenant for quiet enjoyment trump the right to viewings but it's safe to assume your tenancy would be up prior to this ever being tested.

Therefore no viewings should be allowed unless you want to be nice to the landlord.

Always accommodate the landlords. Then come up with a bostin reason to leave
References in this day and age are crucial. Stuff the law! In my book its about doing whatever you have to do to survive.
Once you start burning bridges in this game your stuffed if your a long term renter.
And the law wont be there to wipe your backside when your out on your ear.
It depends on the market but if you've got several people going for a good property then
I'm pretty sure the LL won't be wasting time on someone who is a risk in any way shape or form.
Good tenants attract good landlords. And vice versa.
NEVER rock the boat. Unless you have shed loads of money

mrginge

misspickle wrote: »

Always accommodate the landlords. Then come up with a bostin reason to leave
References in this day and age are crucial. Stuff the law! In my book its about doing whatever you have to do to survive.
Once you start burning bridges in this game your stuffed if your a long term renter.
And the law wont be there to wipe your backside when your out on your ear.
It depends on the market but if you've got several people going for a good property then
I'm pretty sure the LL won't be wasting time on someone who is a risk in any way shape or form.
Good tenants attract good landlords. And vice versa.
NEVER rock the boat. Unless you have shed loads of money

How refreshingly honest.

Utter bobbins of course but never mind.

misspickle_2

mrginge wrote: »

How refreshingly honest.

Utter bobbins of course but never mind.

I speak from experience. Its why I always get the best houses and the best landlords

Bobbins haven't heard that in a while. Makes me all nostalgic gramps used to say that.

Thanks for the memories x

barbiedoll

Well yesterday we received a letter from the agency basically saying we've got a black mark against our name now for the state of the place.

What a bloody cheek...it's not your responsibility to keep the place tidy so that they can impress potential buyers!

Is the agent part of a larger group? If so, get the address of their head office and send a copy of your letter to them, naming the extremely rude and unprofessional staff that you are having to deal with.

You're being too nice about this,that's why they're bullying you. I'd definitely be refusing any more viewings, what are they going to do, throw you out? By the time they are legally able to do so, you'll be long gone. And yes, do change the lock barrel. The only way they'll know is if they try to enter your home without your permission. Which you're not going to give any longer.

Make sure that you keep copies of any letters that you send. Don't communicate by text or email.

And take photos of everywhere when you leave!

kiss_me_now9

I am more than happy to accommodate viewings but I will not be bullied into agreeing to evenings - I have reiterated in my letter that we will only be accepting evening viewings one day a week (we initially said two but stuff it, I don't want to be disrupted again). Have also asked for all future viewings to be confirmed by email and phone.

I also want them to explain exactly what they felt was wrong abut the flat. I have photos - so that should be interesting to see what they say.

I'll be sending the landlord a copy as well.

pyueck

kiss_me_now9 wrote: »

I am more than happy to accommodate viewings but I will not be bullied into agreeing to evenings - I have reiterated in my letter that we will only be accepting evening viewings one day a week (we initially said two but stuff it, I don't want to be disrupted again). Have also asked for all future viewings to be confirmed by email and phone.

I also want them to explain exactly what they felt was wrong abut the flat. I have photos - so that should be interesting to see what they say.

I'll be sending the landlord a copy as well.

You are being too nice, as the previous poster said they know they can bully you and do what they want.

ViolaLass

kiss_me_now9 wrote: »

I am more than happy to accommodate viewings but I will not be bullied into agreeing to evenings - I have reiterated in my letter that we will only be accepting evening viewings one day a week (we initially said two but stuff it, I don't want to be disrupted again). Have also asked for all future viewings to be confirmed by email and phone.

I also want them to explain exactly what they felt was wrong abut the flat. I have photos - so that should be interesting to see what they say.

I'll be sending the landlord a copy as well.

Who cares what they thought was wrong with the flat - it's not their place to comment before you leave.

Rednax

Reading some of these threads I am concerned about the 'militant' nature of some of the 'advice' given so as a lettings agent would like to offering some sort of balance as to what I would feel is fair:

-Whenever a property is due to come on the market (to re-let or sell) I will contact the current tenant to inform them and ask them when is convenient for them to have viewings. Given that most buyers/tenants are at work 9-5 I expect to be allowed 1-2 evenings in the week and a couple of hours slot at the weekend (if a prospective buyer/tenant really wants the property they will make themselves available for one on these times). We have a good working relationship with tenants and all of them appreciate this, hell, nearly all of them are happy to do the viewings for us.

-I will not raise comment with a current tenant that a property is untidy unless I feel that the untidiness is specifically putting off prospective buyers/tenants. If so, I will explain this politely to the current tenant, and expect them to have made some sort of effort within a reasonable time (i.e. allowing a weekend to clean if they work in the week)

In return:

-I will always give current tenants at least 24 hours notice in writing (text is fine) of viewings and never just turn up unannounced.

-I will give the current tenants a good reference.

-I will not be completely ana1 with little things on the check-out

There are plenty of horror stories on these boards about lettings agents we do not do the above, and I completely agree with those who are aggrieved by it. However, I think it is important that those (often inexperienced) reading these threads do not just blindly follow the 'advice' of those who want to start a fight with the 'evil letting agents'. There are consequences to these actions (i.e. changing the locks, obstructing access), as misspickle has quite rightly said, I as an agent can legitimately write a reference that would scare any future landlord off, and there is enough threads on here about agents claiming amounts from tenant's deposits for the most small things...

kiss_me_now9

Rednax wrote: »

Reading some of these threads I am concerned about the 'militant' nature of some of the 'advice' given so as a lettings agent would like to offering some sort of balance as to what I would feel is fair:

-Whenever a property is due to come on the market (to re-let or sell) I will contact the current tenant to inform them and ask them when is convenient for them to have viewings. Given that most buyers/tenants are at work 9-5 I expect to be allowed 1-2 evenings in the week and a couple of hours slot at the weekend (if a prospective buyer/tenant really wants the property they will make themselves available for one on these times). We have a good working relationship with tenants and all of them appreciate this, hell, nearly all of them are happy to do the viewings for us.

-I will not raise comment with a current tenant that a property is untidy unless I feel that the untidiness is specifically putting off prospective buyers/tenants. If so, I will explain this politely to the current tenant, and expect them to have made some sort of effort within a reasonable time (i.e. allowing a weekend to clean if they work in the week)

In return:

-I will always give current tenants at least 24 hours notice in writing (text is fine) of viewings and never just turn up unannounced.

-I will give the current tenants a good reference.

-I will not be completely ana1 with little things on the check-out

There are plenty of horror stories on these boards about lettings agents we do not do the above, and I completely agree with those who are aggrieved by it. However, I think it is important that those (often inexperienced) reading these threads do not just blindly follow the 'advice' of those who want to start a fight with the 'evil letting agents'. There are consequences to these actions (i.e. changing the locks, obstructing access), as misspickle has quite rightly said, I as an agent can legitimately write a reference that would scare any future landlord off, and there is enough threads on here about agents claiming amounts from tenant's deposits for the most small things...

Thank you for your comments.

I really do feel that this is going to come back up at the end of our tenancy - when I spoke to the lady on the phone she kept repeating that one of the fittings (the bathroom sink) wasn't clean and we live in a hard water area and she wouldn't want our taps to become unusable because we're not cleaning them? I fail to see how taps can become unusable in the two months we have left on the tenancy but the tone and subtext of what she was saying was basically "Smarten up for the viewings or you won't see your deposit again".

I do want a good relationship with them because I don't believe in creating agro for the sake of it but from the start this lady has been rude and obnoxious to us. She's younger than me but was giving me a nice lecture about how to clean my sink!

I don't mind doing one evening a week but being told that I "surely must have a gym class or something to do out of the house" isn't really the best way to get me to do what you want.

In all seriousness, it's highly unlikely that I'll be able to afford another place to rent by myself now, as I moved in with my partner and we've since split up. I can't afford to rent in my area on my own - and I've spent a lot of my savings on getting us into this place; having to buy new furniture, white goods and of course the letting agents fees. I am very concerned that having a bit of washing up on the side and some washing out to dry is going to affect my reference when I do go back into the rental market and I don't think that's fair.