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Landlords watch your letting agents!
6feet
Posts: 83 Forumite
I want to have a moan and also warn landlords...
We are currently tenants but also landlords of a property.
I have given 1 months notice on our rental property as we have finally exchanged on a house purchase.
Our landlord uses a letting agent that first word begins with B and is two syllables and the second word rhymes with thieves ;>)
The day after we served notice I get a call from the letting agent asking to allow a viewing for future tenant. I was getting my car picked up the next day anyway, so said they could come at 9.30am.
The potential tenants arrived with no letting agent to show them around!! I had to do the viewing! My Landlord is lucky they had me as the people are going to take the property. I really talked up the property as I didn't want to do anymore viewings LOL!
I received an email this morning from British gas and Electric that my supply has been switched from the 17th of June and they were sorry to see us go.
I called BG only to find that the letting agent had switched it without my permission, when we are paying rent and living here for another month. I had to call "spark energy" to tell them that it was an erroneous transfer and they had to switch it back for free. Look at the company they are lumbering the next poor tenants with!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/11416590/Spark-Energy-fined-after-blocking-29000-customer-requests-to-quit.html
I have found them to be terrible agents from a tenants point of view and as a landlord myself if you want to keep your tenants happy I would make sure you put yourself in your tenants shoes to see how they are treated by your agent.
Fees etc are horrendous and I am so happy my tenants do not have to deal with these "middle men"
Moan over!
We are currently tenants but also landlords of a property.
I have given 1 months notice on our rental property as we have finally exchanged on a house purchase.
Our landlord uses a letting agent that first word begins with B and is two syllables and the second word rhymes with thieves ;>)
The day after we served notice I get a call from the letting agent asking to allow a viewing for future tenant. I was getting my car picked up the next day anyway, so said they could come at 9.30am.
The potential tenants arrived with no letting agent to show them around!! I had to do the viewing! My Landlord is lucky they had me as the people are going to take the property. I really talked up the property as I didn't want to do anymore viewings LOL!
I received an email this morning from British gas and Electric that my supply has been switched from the 17th of June and they were sorry to see us go.
I called BG only to find that the letting agent had switched it without my permission, when we are paying rent and living here for another month. I had to call "spark energy" to tell them that it was an erroneous transfer and they had to switch it back for free. Look at the company they are lumbering the next poor tenants with!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/11416590/Spark-Energy-fined-after-blocking-29000-customer-requests-to-quit.html
I have found them to be terrible agents from a tenants point of view and as a landlord myself if you want to keep your tenants happy I would make sure you put yourself in your tenants shoes to see how they are treated by your agent.
Fees etc are horrendous and I am so happy my tenants do not have to deal with these "middle men"
Moan over!
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Comments
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Are you trying to give up smoking?Well life is harsh, hug me don't reject me.0
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I want to have a moan and also warn landlords...
We are currently tenants but also landlords of a property.
I have given 1 months notice on our rental property as we have finally exchanged on a house purchase.
Our landlord uses a letting agent that first word begins with B and is two syllables and the second word rhymes with thieves ;>)
The day after we served notice I get a call from the letting agent asking to allow a viewing for future tenant. I was getting my car picked up the next day anyway, so said they could come at 9.30am.
The potential tenants arrived with no letting agent to show them around!! I had to do the viewing! My Landlord is lucky they had me as the people are going to take the property. I really talked up the property as I didn't want to do anymore viewings LOL!
I received an email this morning from British gas and Electric that my supply has been switched from the 17th of June and they were sorry to see us go.
I called BG only to find that the letting agent had switched it without my permission, when we are paying rent and living here for another month. I had to call "spark energy" to tell them that it was an erroneous transfer and they had to switch it back for free. Look at the company they are lumbering the next poor tenants with!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/11416590/Spark-Energy-fined-after-blocking-29000-customer-requests-to-quit.html
I have found them to be terrible agents from a tenants point of view and as a landlord myself if you want to keep your tenants happy I would make sure you put yourself in your tenants shoes to see how they are treated by your agent.
Fees etc are horrendous and I am so happy my tenants do not have to deal with these "middle men"
Moan over!
You should contact british gas and ask them why they are discussing your account with an unknown 3rd party?!0 -
Had the same happen to me on a Bthieves tenancy. Electric got switched at the end of the contract... which we'd renewed anyway. The landlord signs a form to say they can take control of the utilities without permission from LL at end of tenancy. They switch it to one of their preferred suppliers for kickbacks, always something really expensive with high standing charges.
I wasn't able to switch it back as a tenant!!! LL had to do it. Complete pain in the bum, ruined my fixed tariff deal. LL definitely beware what you are signing when you ask this company to 'manage' a tenancy.
As an aside - me and LL could never figure out what they were actually paying for. £100 a month for 2 years, but any queries, maintenance etc I went direct to the landlord. We even paid rent direct into LL bank account. So what on earth was costing £100 a month?!0 -
Had the same happen to me on a Bthieves tenancy. Electric got switched at the end of the contract... which we'd renewed anyway. The landlord signs a form to say they can take control of the utilities without permission from LL at end of tenancy. They switch it to one of their preferred suppliers for kickbacks, always something really expensive with high standing charges.
I wasn't able to switch it back as a tenant!!! LL had to do it. Complete pain in the bum, ruined my fixed tariff deal. LL definitely beware what you are signing when you ask this company to 'manage' a tenancy.
As an aside - me and LL could never figure out what they were actually paying for. £100 a month for 2 years, but any queries, maintenance etc I went direct to the landlord. We even paid rent direct into LL bank account. So what on earth was costing £100 a month?!
Yes, we were stuck with EON to start with and it took 8 weeks to switch it. That must have been the company they were receiving kickbacks from previously LOL!0 -
Had the same happen to me on a Bthieves tenancy. Electric got switched at the end of the contract... which we'd renewed anyway. The landlord signs a form to say they can take control of the utilities without permission from LL at end of tenancy. They switch it to one of their preferred suppliers for kickbacks, always something really expensive with high standing charges.
I wasn't able to switch it back as a tenant!!! LL had to do it. Complete pain in the bum, ruined my fixed tariff deal. LL definitely beware what you are signing when you ask this company to 'manage' a tenancy.
As an aside - me and LL could never figure out what they were actually paying for. £100 a month for 2 years, but any queries, maintenance etc I went direct to the landlord. We even paid rent direct into LL bank account. So what on earth was costing £100 a month?!
If you were the person paying the utility bill, it is your account. So you can do whatever you like with it.
The LL and LA are nothing to do with it.
If the supplier wouldnt change it back, you should've gone to the ombudsman (and the ICO for DPA breaches)0 -
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Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »What are you talking about? BG haven't discussed the OP's account with anyone?
I called BG only to find that the letting agent had switched it without my permission, when we are paying rent and living here for another month. I had to call "spark energy" to tell them that it was an erroneous transfer and they had to switch it back for free. Look at the company they are lumbering the next poor tenants with!
- The suggestion there is British Gas took instruction from the Letting Agent to authorise a change of provider.0 -
Sounds like you could have got free energy for the last month......
But yes, we all know that many letting agents are either ignorant, unprofessional, unscrupulous. Not all, but many. You only have to read the threads here.
Hence:
* Letting agents: how should a landlord select or sack?0
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