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Agent asking me to show prospective tenants the property?

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Gilbretto
Gilbretto Posts: 4 Newbie
in House buying, renting & selling
Good evening all,


We are currently in private rented accommodation and have handed our notice to the landlord, we will be leaving the property at the end of June.

His agent has contacted me this afternoon asking if I can show some prospective tenants around the property tomorrow afternoon. I reluctantly agreed however ideally i'd rather not have to get up first thing on a Saturday morning to clean the house from top to bottom and then show some strangers around.

I then received another message asking me to show another couple around the property at 4pm.

Is it normal for the agent to request the tenant to show prospective tenants around their property? Seems a little odd to me.

Shouldn't the agent be showing them around?
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Comments

  • Tixy
    Tixy Posts: 31,455 Forumite
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    Its not unusual for them to request it, some prefer to do the viewings themselves. You don't have to agree. In fact you don't have allow any viewings if you didn't want to.

    I shouldn't put yourself out a lot. You may want to suggest a couple of times a week when you would be prepared to allow viewings and let the agent work around that.

    I also wouldn't worry about it being spotless.
    A smile enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give
    or "It costs nowt to be nice"
  • mrginge
    mrginge Posts: 4,843 Forumite
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    What's normal is for you to say one of two things.
    1. Sod off.
    2. Yes mr agent i'd be more than happy to comply. My fee is £50 per viewing.
  • ViolaLass
    ViolaLass Posts: 5,764 Forumite
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    Don't clean specially for the viewings (if you decide to allow them), no need. It's your home.
  • terryw
    terryw Posts: 4,396 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
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    I doubt very much if the agents have asked you to clean the house from top to bottom.

    If indeed they have perhaps ask for cleaning expenses.

    If not just refuse the request........your choice.
    "If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools"
    Extract from "If" by Rudyard Kipling
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
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    It's up to you.

    I imagine (though this is a personal matter) that the main inconvenience is the viewing by the prospects of your home, rather than the question of who conducts the viewing.

    Assuming you are happy for the viewings to take place, then why not agree to do them yourself.

    Unless of course you are happy to go out and let the agents conduct the viewings in your absence.

    But is all down to your preference, and then negotiation with the agents. A degree of reasonableness is required on both sides.
  • dancingfairy
    dancingfairy Posts: 9,069 Forumite
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    Whilst you are paying rent and in a tenancy it is your home. You don't have to allow anyone into your home if you don't want and you don't have to tidy up if you don't want to.
    Now it's nice if you can be flexible and helpful to the agents, by either letting them look around or by being there for viewings/doing the viewings yourself as it can smooth the relationship and help in terms of getting a good reference, building up a favourable relationship so they are less likely to take your deposit etc but at the end of the day it's your home and they should respect that.
    As GM says it's about reasonableness and co-operation from both sides.

    df
    Making my money go further with MSE :j
    How much can I save in 2012 challenge
    75/1200 :eek:
  • ViolaLass
    ViolaLass Posts: 5,764 Forumite
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    dancingfairy wrote: »
    Whilst you are paying rent and in a tenancy it is your home. You don't have to allow anyone into your home if you don't want and you don't have to tidy up if you don't want to.
    Now it's nice if you can be flexible and helpful to the agents, by either letting them look around or by being there for viewings/doing the viewings yourself as it can smooth the relationship and help in terms of getting a good reference, building up a favourable relationship so they are less likely to take your deposit etc but at the end of the day it's your home and they should respect that.
    As GM says it's about reasonableness and co-operation from both sides.

    df

    Since the deposit has (I'm sure) been correctly protected, its return and the allowing of viewings will not be connected.
  • Mallotum_X
    Mallotum_X Posts: 2,589 Forumite
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    ViolaLass wrote: »
    Since the deposit has (I'm sure) been correctly protected, its return and the allowing of viewings will not be connected.

    Meanwhile back in the real world....
  • ViolaLass
    ViolaLass Posts: 5,764 Forumite
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    Mallotum_X wrote: »
    Meanwhile back in the real world....

    If it's been protected, they'll be fine. If it hasn't been, the tenant can make trouble for the agent/LL. Provided the tenant knows their rights, they'll be fine.
  • olly300
    olly300 Posts: 14,736 Forumite
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    The advantage of you showing the prospective tenants around is that you don't have a letting agent, who are unregulated anyway, snooping in your stuff even if they aren't suppose to.

    Plus the more people you show around now the quicker you can get it rented out, so you don't have to show others around.
    I'm not cynical I'm realistic :p

    (If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)
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