Rental agency undertook work without permission

bucski

eddddy wrote: »

... and you should have read it before signing. Checking that you're happy with the agent's expenditure limit is fairly important - because it's a bit like signing a blank cheque.

Good point, thanks.

marksoton

bucski wrote: »

They must have a copy of the contract that I have signed. They can't just send me anything.

Um, what. Like the copy you [STRIKE]don't [/STRIKE]have.....

Not having a go, just saying...

bucski

marksoton wrote: »

Um, what. Like the copy you [STRIKE]don't [/STRIKE]have.....

Not having a go, just saying...

But if they don't have a contract signed by me, then they don't have a contract with me, surely?

davidmcn

bucski wrote: »

But if they don't have a contract signed by me, then they don't have a contract with me, surely?

No, it just means you've both lost your copies of the contract. Which didn't need to be in writing in the first place.

booksurr

argument: I cannot produce a signed copy of my contract with you, but neither can you

facts: you pay them £x per month. That corresponds with their scale of charges relating to "fully managed" or "tenants finder" or "nothing" services per their tariff.

QED you have a contract for the services you pay for, see you in court.

Miss_Samantha

In any case, you should ask them for a copy of the contractor's invoice for your records. This will also allow you to check that they didn't charge you a commission.

LEJC

A managed agreement is great when it works....you as the LL dont have much input and someone else makes the desisions usually based on limits you have previously agreed or are written in to your contract....where things sometimes get a bit sticky is when as a LL you are charged more than you think is fair.....

you have been with this agency you say for 10 years...how have they dealt with maintenance issues previously...you must have had a few that you were happy for them to resolve and bill you....

I agree that perhaps you could have picked up the detectors for around £10 and fitted them yourself,but thats what you pay the management company to deal with ....presumably you didnt need to source the detectors,arrange a time for fitting with the tenant,potentially take time off work to do it...that all adds up in my mind and actually may have cost you much the same if not in actual money but the arranging of than you are being asked to pay now.

sadly you cant pick and choose what elements of a managed tenancy you have and if you want to be more of a hands on LL and make more of the decisions then you should be considering leaving the managed contract you have and starting self managing.

Its worth considering as it can save you money if you are able to invest a little of your own time into organising everything...otherwise if thats not an option,there are times that unfortunately you have to just suck up the costs passed on by the managing agent.

Miss_Samantha

LEJC wrote: »

sadly you cant pick and choose what elements of a managed tenancy you have and if you want to be more of a hands on LL and make more of the decisions then you should be considering leaving the managed contract you have and starting self managing.

Of course you can. You need to negotiate the management contract before signing it.

bucski

Good points everybody, thank you.

LEJC

Miss_Samantha wrote: »

Of course you can. You need to negotiate the management contract before signing it.

...which is exactly what I said in the opening sentence of my post

what I was trying to convey was that you can't sign up to a managed agreement and let them manage for 10 years or until you find a deduction not agreeable...to me it seems that the OP might be suggesting that he would have done the job cheaper...presumably if the management company had only charged £50 for the supply and fitting he may have been more in agreement than what the final bill came to...

my point is perhaps with the benefit of hind sight you cant pick and choose ....you're either managed or not.

I was on a managed agreement for the first 18 months or so of being a LL...and I will fully admit it was good in some respects in as much as they had a huge database of trusted trades people who could be called on quickly to do work....great because sometimes I didn't have the knowledge or time to do things...it did on the flip side also become frustrating at times when we were presented with a bill for something which perhaps I did have a knowledge of or could have done cheaper....but again sometimes it was easier to just pay the total as it had meant that someone else other than me had sorted it out.

3 years on from that and I now self manage having a few trusted workmen contacts....sometimes I do have to lose a weekend at short notice but yep there are times I can get things done quicker or cheaper than employing a management company...its swings and roundabouts and you take your choice ....