Renting admin fee fiasco

Coppt003

Hi everyone. I wonder if anyone can help me.

I recently viewed a property with right move estate agents ( or is it your move, I forget). I saw a property I really liked. Quite a spacious studio flat. The same day I made a rather rash move and decided to go for it. I went to the estate agents. They told me I would have to pay a £300 admin fee and it would be taken off the market for me so that they could do referencing etc. this was last Wednesday.

Now it's Tuesday morning and I've been working a lot so I've been hard to get a hold of. I received an email of the estate agent telling me that because of how long it's taking to get referencing back apparently the land lord has decided to go with someone else as they are looking for some one to move in asap!

Now is it just me or does less than a week seem like it's taking too long! I don't think so. I've had conversations with the estate agent a few times via txt, phone and Facebook. So I haven't been completely absent from contact!

Also it's worth baring in mind that for them it's barely been 4 working days since I put the admin fee down so that's not long at all. Also if I've been told that the admin fee will be taken off the market then surely it should be taken off the market.

I just think I've been treated unfairly and wonder if anyone else would agree that I would be entitled to my £300 back

ViolaLass

If the referencing is just a credit check, they should be able to get that done same day. If it's a reference from previous/current LL, that's more variable. Maybe they feel it will drag on and want to cut their losses.

G_M

It does seem unreasonable, but at the end of the day it is the LL's choice who to let to.

However, I trust they are returning your full deposit...........

Bowes100

As a LL we are having a right carry on with Your Move. We paid for the gold service so they basically do everything. Tnt has attemtped to return the keys berfore the end of the 6 months and they have asked if they can give our number to the tnt to sort out payment?!

I'm sure they get their £100 a month for that...very poor Id stay clear

Guest101

Definitely entitled to your money back. Demand it straight away.

Marktheshark

They can only keep any actual losses, a simple credit check can be bought for 80 Pence if you know where to go.

Guest101

Marktheshark wrote: »

They can only keep any actual losses, a simple credit check can be bought for 80 Pence if you know where to go.

I doubt they could even keep that. Depending on what information they gave to the tenant when he paid it.

For example its a holding deposit - all back.

All fees now need to be broken down (the various scheme give clear examples) and explained.

jjlandlord

The price it costs is not relevant. What is relevant is the price agreed and the conditions attached.

I would argue that an all-inclusive admin fee includes things that were not carried out (e.g. preparing tenancy agreement) if the landlord decided not to progress the application even before references were obtained.
As such they should refund you something, but not necessarily all of it.

stator

Since they have clearly failed to reserve the property and accepted another offer you should demand the whole thing back and later write a letter of complaint to the manager.