Renting - Letting agent demanding we sign a new Tenancy Agreement

itchyfeet123

EchoW wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your quick reply's.

We don't unfortunately have any contact with the LL, everything is done through the letting agent. I could potentially ask the letting agent to have the LL's details if you think its worth trying to contact them directly?

Apart from that, it was a 12 month agreement and mentions no provision on it for a contractual periodic tenancy (also checked the terms and conditions too just to make sure).

Once again, thanks everyone.

G_M wrote: »

In this case I suspect you'd simply stir up a hornets nest.

Better to keep your head down and wait till the fixed term ends and a SPT arises automaticalky.

Yes, I agree with G_M. My suggestion to contact the LL was *if* you already had some kind of relationship with her.

EchoW

Thanks everyone, I'll leave things to expire and will post back once it does.

DoaM

itchyfeet123 wrote: »

Are you in touch with the LL at all, or are all your interactions with the agent?.

EchoW wrote: »

We don't unfortunately have any contact with the LL, everything is done through the letting agent

But you do have contact details for the landlord, yes? (Isn't this a legal requirement?)

EchoW

DoaM wrote: »

But you do have contact details for the landlord, yes? (Isn't this a legal requirement?)

Just the surname of the LL's, everything else references the letting agent. Not sure on the legal requirement though unless anyone else knows...

Pixie5740

It's a requirement for a tenant to be provided an address for the serving of notices which is based in either England or Wales. The address doesn't have to be the landlord's home address and it is perfectly acceptable for the letting agency's address to be used.

However, if the tenant writes to the letting agent requesting the landlord's contact details then legally, under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, the letting agent must provide those details within 21 days.

G_M

As pixie says above.

I refrained from saying that earlier since, in this case, I believe writing to the agent to request the LL's address under the 85 Act would stir up a hornets nest.

Let sleeping dogs lie and wait for the tenancy to go periodic automatically.

EchoW

No worries, going to wait for it to expire and see what happens...

Out,_Vile_Jelly

EchoW wrote: »

No worries, going to wait for it to expire and see what happens...

Be prepared to be bombarded with "urgent" emails and voicemails using vaguely legal-sounding words and making wild claims such as your tenancy is no longer valid etc etc. If you're buying your own place shortly you can happily ignore.

SouthLondonUser

Do they want to increase the rent? If they do, then it means the landlord is on board and agrees with the agent.
If not, there's a strong chance the agents are doing this only to get their renewal fee. Have you signed anything committing to paying a renewal fee? Most likely not.

The only risk I see here is if the landlord wants to increase the rent, then he may threaten you with eviction unless you agree to the higher rent. It's nasty, but it happens, and there's nothing you can do about it.

If instead the agents are simply trying to get their hands on the renewal fee, tell them where they can stuff this fee, and, as other commented, get the landlord's contact details and let him know what the agent is up to. If you have been a good tenant, most landlords shouldn't want to risk losing you and having a vacant period just because the agents are greedy. Most, but not all, of course.

I had a similar issue 9 years ago with an agent who bombarded me with demands for payment for the "renewal fee" and even threatened legal action. I told them I had never agreed to any renewal fee, told them in which part of their bodies they could stuff their fees, and threatened a formal complaint + legal action for harassment unless they stopped. The cheeky !!!!!!!s never admitted they weren't entitled to the fee, but sent me a letter informing me they decided to waive it out of the sheer kindness of their heart. How touching!

G_M

There's nothing to stop the LL increasing the rent, if that's what he wants, in a periodic tenancy.

Whether a new fixed term contract is signed, or the tenancy goes periodic, makes no difference so far as rent is concerned.

(other than that the process is different)