Why aren't we letting LAs just die out?

Newlyboughthouse

I haven't met or heard of a single person who has had nothing but good experiences with letting agents. They are unscrupulous entities ready to screw over any landlord or tenant in my opinion.

So why oh why do so many renters go to them first?? I found all of my rented properties, when I was renting, through Spareroom.co.uk. Thousands of properties always on there, in all areas. The one tenancy I had through a LA made me ill with stress. I had some dodgy landlords too but no extortionate fees at least.

Is it just lack of awareness of such sites as spareroom or newspaper ads etc?

Lets just let LAs die a death please...

stator

Mainly because there are a lot of scam artists about and a landlord you meet through free websites might not even own the house.

AlexMac

Be generous; think of it as a form of 'outdoor relief'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_relief
If there were no agencies, the country would be awash with marauding gangs of guys in tight suits and gelled hair....

Newlyboughthouse

stator wrote: »

Mainly because there are a lot of scam artists about and a landlord you meet through free websites might not even own the house.

Well then we just tighten up law and enforcement around this... Harsh penalties for fake landlords and the like. I just regard LAs with utter contempt - horrible things

PasturesNew

Because their properties are on rightmove/similar, so easily findable - and they've offices so you can get in touch ... and you don't end up hearing nothing after contacting 1001 private individuals that woke up one morning and decided to put their property onto some random site and never return

Newlyboughthouse

PasturesNew wrote: »

Because their properties are on rightmove/similar, so easily findable - and they've offices so you can get in touch ... and you don't end up hearing nothing after contacting 1001 private individuals that woke up one morning and decided to put their property onto some random site and never return

Nup can't say I ever had that problem - it was pretty blooming easy to find my private rentals

Pixie5740

Newlyboughthouse wrote: »

Well then we just tighten up law and enforcement around this... Harsh penalties for fake landlords and the like. I just regard LAs with utter contempt - horrible things

The LA my current LL uses are absolutely fine and since my LL lives in Oman he needs someone to oversee the letting of the property. The LA, two properties ago were also decent. It was the LL with the property I rented before this one that was a right piece of work and best avoided by all renters in Aberdeen. She has broken, and continues to break the law as a LL and despite being reported to the council still hasn't been investigated or charged for her criminal activity.

Harsh penalties exist but firstly you'd need to find an authority that gives a damn (police, council) and secondly you'd need to track the fraudster down.

Newlyboughthouse

Pixie5740 wrote: »

The LA my current LL uses are absolutely fine and since my LL lives in Oman he needs someone to oversea the letting of the property. The LA, two properties ago were also decent. It was the LL with the property I rented before this one that was a right piece of work and best avoided by all renters in Aberdeen. She has broken, and continues to break the law as a LL and despite being reported to the council still hasn't been investigated or charged for her criminal activity.

Harsh penalties exist but firstly you'd need to find an authority that gives a damn (police, council) and secondly you'd need to track the fraudster down.

You're the first person I've come across with a good word to say about a LA I have to say! (I bet they're all gonna come out of the woodwork now undermining me :rotfl:)

Pixie5740

Newlyboughthouse wrote: »

You're the first person I've come across with a good word to say about a LA I have to say! (I bet they're all gonna come out of the woodwork now undermining me :rotfl:)

It's a bit different in Scotland though. Firstly, LL and LA must be registered with the local council who have deemed them to be fit and proper. Secondly it's unlawful for LA to charge T any fees. This means that they're not pestering T every 6/12 months trying to get them to sign a new TA or threatening eviction.

Time rUK caught up.

ognum

Newlyboughthouse wrote: »

I haven't met or heard of a single person who has had nothing but good experiences with letting agents. They are unscrupulous entities ready to screw over any landlord or tenant in my opinion.

So why oh why do so many renters go to them first?? I found all of my rented properties, when I was renting, through Spareroom.co.uk. Thousands of properties always on there, in all areas. The one tenancy I had through a LA made me ill with stress. I had some dodgy landlords too but no extortionate fees at least.

Is it just lack of awareness of such sites as spareroom or newspaper ads etc?

Lets just let LAs die a death please...

I am a LL and use a letting agent, I have read reviews from my tenants on impartial sites that have praised my LA. I can recognise the reviews from the time they are written and the user names.

I talk with my tenants they have my mobile number and my email, none of them are unhappy with the service my letting agents give.

My agents are a small independent, they know all the tenants they have personally and all their LLs well.

Not all agents are bad, some are, I have sacked those in the past!