need advice quick

faerielight

I've been with my housing agency 5 years and it has gone bust so I've been switched to a different agency.. they switched me a month ago, I didn't receive any paperwork or phone calls or emails from the old agency , only from the new one, initially they wanted me to pay rent of £700 to them for the moth of June, but my standing order had already gone out to the old agency. I set up a standing order to the new agency to go out tomorrow, but I got an email from them today saying that I have to pay them 2 months rent today, £1400 in total, but I don't understand what the extra month is.. I'm on a continuous rolling contract from my old agency, this one hasn't mentioned another months rent as a deposit or rent in advance.. the email said if I didn't pay it today/tomorrow I will be in breach of my contract.. I have dyscalculia and am terrible with numbers, I'm so panicked as I'm on benefits and don't have the extra money.. they gave th3e dates as: " we need two months’ rent I put the wrong dates. You were paid up to the 19/06/2016 from your last agency's records so we need from the 19/06/2016 to the 18/07/2016 and then 19/07//2016 to the 18/08/2016. "

I paid my rent to my old agency on the 14th june 2016, so I presumed I was up to date in turn with the rent in advance, ..does that make sense? I'm worried as I lost my tenancy agreement from 5 years ago, my mother paid him directly the deposit and I think a month in advance, as my bank says the 1st payment to them was 14th sept 2011 but I moved in 14th aug 2011. I am estranged from my mother so I can't ask her, and because she paid him directly, it didn't go into my bank account.. I am so stressed and panicked and it doesn't maker sense, but as I said I'm crap with dates and numbers and have mental health issues.

This agency is really strict.. they don't like people on benefits, they are putting pressure on my to get contents insurance which I can't afford, and I think it's awful that they sent me this email today at 6.30 tonight, demanding the £1400 today, while I can't contact them til tomorrow, and I cant contact my ex agency as they have folded. and the line is dead. . I am really scared that I will get evicted if I don't pay the\ extra £700 today/tomorrow, ad I can't get money from anywhere as I went bankrupt last year so no overdraft or loan allowed, and no one to get the money off..
They have told me that once they fix the sewage problem they will evict me at some point, but I don't want to accelerate it or jeopardise the roof over my head, as I have noone to live with and I can't cope with homelessness and being socially cleansed away from my home town. I'm trying to keep this roof until I get a council flat suitible for my disabilities and that is proving so hard, as you have to be "positively contributing to society" i.e working or doing voluntary work for 6 months continuously , as it stands, I am not allowed to bid on half the housing stock and they are giving ground floor flats to workers most of the time, even though I have a mobility rating. I'm on band B and all the(very few) disabled flats go to band A.

This is really freaking me out!!I have never defaulted on my rent. can anyone shed some light? Most agencies make you pay in advance so if I was a month in arrears, the last agency would have asked for it back.. I'm so confused and addled.

Winter_Phoenix

I'm guessing that the reason you are being asked for a double payment is that New Agency did not receive the payment you made to Old Agency in June.

Check with your bank tomorrow - the June payment you made by standing order MAY have been returned to your account (or might be being held in limbo by the bank if they cannot pay it to Old Agency).

If the June payment DID go through to Old Agency, call New Agency tomorrow and tell them this, clearly and without panic. Repeat it politely and firmly, several times if necessary. Meanwhile, make your July payment to New Agency on time.

Then write a letter (not an e-mail) to New Agency confirming this:

Dear Sirs,
With reference to our telephone conversation of (date), I confirm that the payment for my rent due in June 2016, was paid to Old Agency by standing order on 14th June 2016.
Yours sincerely,
Faerylight.

Get proof of posting for this letter.

skintandfat

Remember they are not your landlord- unless they own the property


You should have had your deposit protected (even if the previous agency failed it is your landlords responsibility)


Have you received a new contract for this property?


I suggest you call shelter tomorrow


They cant evict you overnight- it can take up-to 6 months sometimes longer if they mess up their paperwork


If you paid the deposit (or even if your mum did) and it isn't protected then they must return it before they issue an eviction notice - so keep quiet about the deposit and wait until they get shirty


Keep calm


Do not call them


Email only- or write


Then you can check and double check things before you send- take 2-3 run throughs and 30 mins between email replies. This gives you time to keep calm and retain control

faerielight

thanks guys for the advice.. I signed an online document which they said was just confirming I stay on the preexisting rolling contract.. the attached letter said it was a section 47 and 48 notice. I will contqct my old one first then the new one by email.. I'm too stressy to risk phoning them. Can I ask another question.. is it legal for them to insist I buy contents insurance? as I got an email stating that I have to with new agency.

faerielight

my last payment to old agency via standing order definitely went through on the 14th june 2016. The deposit is with the rent deposit scheme. the emai today, appart from asking for 14oo quid, says they will send me a supliment agreement to sign.. I don't know what that means.

anselld

faerielight wrote: »

thanks guys for the advice.. I signed an online document which they said was just confirming I stay on the preexisting rolling contract.. the attached letter said it was a section 47 and 48 notice. I will contqct my old one first then the new one by email.. I'm too stressy to risk phoning them. Can I ask another question.. is it legal for them to insist I buy contents insurance? as I got an email stating that I have to with new agency.

You don't need a new agreement.
You don't need to sign any supplementary agreement.
You don't need contents insurance if you don't want it.
The terms of the old agreement continue unchanged (unless you agree to change).

Your contract is with the Landlord, not the agency. However, the above would still be true even if the Landlord changed.

Pixie5740

Your contract is with your landlord (the person named in your TA) not the letting agency. Neither agency is your agency, you have no contract with them but your landlord does.

As anselld says, just because your LL has changed LA this does not require you to sign a new TA or any new terms. Your contract continues just the same as before.

I doubt you are in arrears because your LL should have written to you informing you of the new payment details. If your payment had already gone before you received any such instruction then that's the LL's hard cheese and it's for him/her to take up with the old LA.

Guest101

faerielight wrote: »

I've been with my housing agency 5 years and it has gone bust so I've been switched to a different agency.. they switched me a month ago, I didn't receive any paperwork or phone calls or emails from the old agency , only from the new one, initially they wanted me to pay rent of £700 to them for the moth of June, but my standing order had already gone out to the old agency. I set up a standing order to the new agency to go out tomorrow, but I got an email from them today saying that I have to pay them 2 months rent today, £1400 in total, but I don't understand what the extra month is.. I'm on a continuous rolling contract from my old agency, this one hasn't mentioned another months rent as a deposit or rent in advance.. the email said if I didn't pay it today/tomorrow I will be in breach of my contract.. I have dyscalculia and am terrible with numbers, I'm so panicked as I'm on benefits and don't have the extra money.. they gave th3e dates as: " we need two months’ rent I put the wrong dates. You were paid up to the 19/06/2016 from your last agency's records so we need from the 19/06/2016 to the 18/07/2016 and then 19/07//2016 to the 18/08/2016. "

I paid my rent to my old agency on the 14th june 2016, so I presumed I was up to date in turn with the rent in advance, ..does that make sense? I'm worried as I lost my tenancy agreement from 5 years ago, my mother paid him directly the deposit and I think a month in advance, as my bank says the 1st payment to them was 14th sept 2011 but I moved in 14th aug 2011. I am estranged from my mother so I can't ask her, and because she paid him directly, it didn't go into my bank account.. I am so stressed and panicked and it doesn't maker sense, but as I said I'm crap with dates and numbers and have mental health issues.

This agency is really strict.. they don't like people on benefits, they are putting pressure on my to get contents insurance which I can't afford, and I think it's awful that they sent me this email today at 6.30 tonight, demanding the £1400 today, while I can't contact them til tomorrow, and I cant contact my ex agency as they have folded. and the line is dead. . I am really scared that I will get evicted if I don't pay the\ extra £700 today/tomorrow, ad I can't get money from anywhere as I went bankrupt last year so no overdraft or loan allowed, and no one to get the money off..
They have told me that once they fix the sewage problem they will evict me at some point, but I don't want to accelerate it or jeopardise the roof over my head, as I have noone to live with and I can't cope with homelessness and being socially cleansed away from my home town. I'm trying to keep this roof until I get a council flat suitible for my disabilities and that is proving so hard, as you have to be "positively contributing to society" i.e working or doing voluntary work for 6 months continuously , as it stands, I am not allowed to bid on half the housing stock and they are giving ground floor flats to workers most of the time, even though I have a mobility rating. I'm on band B and all the(very few) disabled flats go to band A.

This is really freaking me out!!I have never defaulted on my rent. can anyone shed some light? Most agencies make you pay in advance so if I was a month in arrears, the last agency would have asked for it back.. I'm so confused and addled.

Relax.


You aren't getting evicted. in fact until your LL tells you otherwise you shouldn't pay the new agent anything.

faerielight

thanks guys.. it looks like my old agency is trying to get out of paying the landlord the rent for june I paid him, but I have proof that I did pay.. I got another supplementary contract to sign again saying my rolling contract ends on 18th dec., got the email today and they want it signed today. But a cruel twist of fate was that my bank made a mistake and took out the £1400 today anyway. which will take 5 working days to go bach in. And today the agency have told me I'm getting a flat inspection next friday, I have no idea how I'm going to clean and declutter. And I'm getting really fed up of the daily correspondence demanding everything to do done yesterday. it's exasperating m,y mental health.

Pixie5740

Your rolling (periodic) contract ends 18th December? Do you mean that your current fixed term ends 18th December? As we've said you do not need to sign anything they are asking you to and if you have a fixed term contract I think it would be unwise to sign a new contracts at this time.

If an inspection on Friday isn't convenient for you then tell the LA that it's not convenient. Ask them to re-arrange for a day next week which would give you the weekend to straighten the place out. However, you don't have to have the place looking immaculate for an inspection. In fact you can use the inspection as an opportunity to point out any repairs and maintenance that require attention.

As for the bank making an error how did that happen? Do you not pay your rent by standing order? Did you not cancel the standing order or amend the details?

Have you heard anything from your landlord or just this new letting agency?

faerielight

thanks pixie.. I'm not on an assured shorthold fixed tenancy, just a rolling contract that thhe landlord can issue a section 21 sny time with 2 months notice.I pay rent via standing order so it's outrageous how my bank mistakenly took double rent.. it was nothing I did wrong,they admitted an error. I've never had any correspndance with my landlord, always through a letting agency, but he died recently and all these changes have been since then.