Issue with letting agency

TH88

I have recently let out my property through an agency due to relocation to another city. Unfortunately I have had a few issues with the agency in the short time that the tenants have been in the property. This includes a delay of almost a week to send through the first payment & a delay in processing the first full month's rent & issuing the invoice.

The most recent issue is around maintenance. I have opted for the fully maintained contract as I am not in the same city as the property. The tenants reported a couple of issues to the agency to add to the inventory on check in, and the agency contacted me to see if I was happy to get a quote for the minor issues to be resolved by their contractor. These were a loose shower rail & a kitchen worktop that needed resealing. I agreed to the quote for the work & the agency deducted the amount from my rental income.

Unfortunately the tenants do not feel the issues are resolved. I have a good relationship with them and they forwarded an email of complaint that they have sent to the agency. I requested an itemised breakdown of the work done from the agency and feel as though the agent is not being forthcoming with this. The assessment of the work that needed to be done (provided on the quote that I received) does not seem adequate.

I am unsure how to proceed now. I have paid for work which has not resolved the issues that the tenants are concerned about. My instinct is to get it sorted out myself so the tenants are happy in the property. However, I am paying for a fully maintained service and have paid the agency for the issues to be resolved already. As I am already unhappy with the service I have received so far I do not want to set a precedent, but I also do not want to damage my relationship with the tenant or agency at this early stage. A lot of the information I have read does seem to suggest that I am ultimately responsible for the property, so I am unsure how to proceed.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

anselld

Get on the phone to the agent. Tell them you are not happy with the work done and instruct them to resolve it pronto.

The agent works for you and unfortunately in many cases "fully managed" describes what you have to do with the agent! If you leave them to their own devices you will regret it.

csgohan4

I wonder if you have a get out clause regarding poor performance in your agency contract

kinger101

Well, you shouldn't have paid a penny for any work until you were satisfied that it was completed to specification. But it's a bit difficult here given you're not there to see the work is complete, or specify what the work is.

As a first point, you need to find out what hasn't been completed. Facts are more useful than a tenant's feelings. Once you have something concrete, you're in a better position to demand repairs are completed to a satisfactory standard (or dismiss the tenant's complaints).

csgohan4

Perhaps get to know some plumbers, joiners, guttering, electrician e.t.c in that area who you can trust to fix staff and not be ripped off by the Agency.

G_M

What are the exact terms of your contract?


* Letting agents: how should a landlord select or sack?

TH88

Thanks all. The tenants have taken photos as part of their complaint & I agree that the 'work' is inadequate. Unfortunately I was unable to withold payment as they deducted the amount from my most recent rental income.
I agree that having my own contractors would be useful, this is the case for plumbing & electrical work, but a friend used to do my handyman style work for free.
The contract states that once the tenant has teported an issue they let me know & get a quote. The issue in this case is that the work quoted for & carried out has not fixed the problem. Instead of a new shower rail being fitted, a chain has been attached to the ceiling. It is difficult for me to assess whether the summary of work quoted for is correct, as I'm not around to see it for myself (hence paying for the fully maintained service).
I have decided to allow a few days for the agency to respond to my tenant's complaint (as they have not yet done this) and then follow up by pushing for an itemised quote & escalating the issue to a manager.

princeofpounds

Don't bother waiting a few days. Get onto them, at least informally with a formal follow up in a couple of days. They will probably ignore the tenant, they are less likely to ignore their customer.


Be totally assertive; that you think the work done was substandard/improperly specified (there is a difference!) and give them an opportunity to resolve it.


The question then is, why was the correct thing not done? If the workman bodged the job as specified, the work should be done properly. If the job wasn't specified right, the agent has mucked up. If you approved the wrong specification, you should share some blame (depending on whether the agency gave you the right information or not).


Personally, I'd be looking to get rid of the agents at the earliest opportunity. Anyone can make a mistake, but they have made at least three (and delaying with your money is a bad sign as it's sloppy management at best, an indicator of cashflow problems at worst).

melstar11

I used to work for a commercial property management company and we just couldn't physically be at every property every time work was needed. We always insisted on photos of the work carried out and would have 'before photos' before instructing work - whether it was one of our staff doing the work or a contractor. I think you need to make it clear to the agents that you aren't happy with the quality of the work carried out.

I understand you pay them to do the work, but I would supervise more closely, insist on detailed quotes with a breakdown of work to be carried out before it goes ahead.

elverson

In our last rented place our landlords didn't live nearby but when we (as tenants) needed repairs they just instructed a local plumber/electrician etc. We paid them, sent the invoice to the landlords and they repaid us by bank transfer. The arrangement worked well and no need to involve the agents.

G_M

elverson wrote: »

In our last rented place our landlords didn't live nearby but when we (as tenants) needed repairs they just instructed a local plumber/electrician etc. We paid them, sent the invoice to the landlords and they repaid us by bank transfer. The arrangement worked well and no need to involve the agents.

That's fine but has different risks.

The bottom line is that as a landlord who is not local, you have to rely on someone else to

* specify correctly what the problem is
* identify correctly what work is needed to correct the problem
* ensure the work is done professionally, at the right price

Either you (as LL) rely on an agent, and/or your tenant, and/or your contractor. Any one of those could make a mistake or.... rip you off.