Parking advertised potentially falsely?

SeaVixen

Hi all,

I've literally tonight just signed a 1yr contract on a flat. It was an agency managing the advertising process and we'll be dealing with the landlord from now on.

On the advert it said "secure residents parking with allocated parking space", when speaking to the agent who showed us around he said there were no additional fees other than the rent, and the current tennant who was there chipped in that the allocated parking space was in a secure underground car park.

So, a few weeks later, we've signed the contract, and were given keys including a fob which I thought was for the parking, and sent on our merry way.

It turns out the fob is to gain pedestrian entrance to the gated community as a whole and i can't figure out how to get into the car park. The rest of the gated community is full of parking spaces on a pay and display basis, and there is a sign on a community notice board saying that parking can be bought for £100 a month.

Parking wasn't mentioned in the contract we signed, it was a standard contract referring to the property as a whole. We'll be dealing with the landlord going forward but have left her details in the flat so can't call her now, and it's obviously out of hours for the agency and the car park regulator.

Will make a few calls in the morning and hope this is just a mistake.

However, Where do you all think I stand if the parking really is additional? I realise I'm tied into the flat for a year, and I wouldn't want to fight that really as parking is not essential for me at all, just a luxury as I share a car with my mum and could just pay the £4 for 24 hours in the gated community.

Do I have any recourse at all? Random bit of the agency fee back?

Cheers!

robatwork

Forget what the tenant said, and a sad but typical fact of life is agents lie. Unless it's written that parking is free, then I wouldn't believe anything they say.

From what you have said here and without seeing any paperwork, it looks like you are entitled to an allocated parking space. But nothing to stop the land owner charging you for that - you should have specifically asked about that up front.....

SeaVixen

I did specifically ask, and that was when I was told there were no other fees other than the rent.

As you say though, it's not in writing so it may as well have not happened. Though I couldn't have got that in writing before paying the agency fee, so surely there's been some misrepresentation?

Riggyman

How much did THEY say the garden wouldn't take to maintain?

SeaVixen

I'm sorry riggyman, I can't figure out what on earth that means. Care to explain it for the more dense among us?

glasgowdan

He means the parking is a living expense, not a "fee". So they maybe didn't lie, just avoided answering your question.

moneyistooshorttomention

Riggyman is referring to a thread he has running currently on this board - in which he is complaining that vendor of house told him garden maintenance would consist of mowing the lawn once a fortnight and everything else would take care of itself - ahem....

We're all presuming it's a spoof thread......

In answer to your question - I think most of us would have assumed an "allocated parking space" is an "allocated parking space", ie a specific space that was just ours and included in the rent (ie in the same vein as a rented place I had one time had "allocated storage space" - and I was duly told "That one is yours and here is the key for it" and it was included in the rent).

So - yep = they've lied to you if things are any different to that.

davidmcn

robatwork wrote: »

From what you have said here and without seeing any paperwork, it looks like you are entitled to an allocated parking space. But nothing to stop the land owner charging you for that - you should have specifically asked about that up front.....

I've never heard of properties being advertised as having an allocated parking space but secretly involving a supplementary charge (unless that's clearly mentioned upfront).

Bit like saying "ah, but you didn't ask whether we would be charging you 50p every time you flushed the ensuite loo..."

But then again, I would have clarified the parking space was included in the tenancy agreement etc rather than just relying on the original advert.

pinkteapot

Are you sure it's not just that they've forgotten to give you one of the keys.

First step is to phone the agent and ask for it - say you don't have a key for the car park and want to use the allocated space. See what they say. If they say you don't have a space, say the advert said "allocated parking space". Agree with davidmcn that if the ad says that, you'd expect it to be included.

SeaVixen

Thanks everyone

Having a few phonecalls thrown into moving day wasn't part of my plan. But as an update - it seems the agent forgot to give me details about the parking permit. I'm sorting it out now and nobody has mentioned paying extra but it all remains to be seen!

nubbins

SeaVixen wrote: »

I'm sorry riggyman, I can't figure out what on earth that means. Care to explain it for the more dense among us?

Have a look at the posters history, hilarious.