Rental agreement cooling off period

Springles01

Hi

After many hours of searching, I've just moved in to a new rental property and signed a 12 month contract - a licence agreement (not a lease) with the letting agency at a fixed monthly rental, which I had negotiated down the monthly rent by £60. A few days after I moved into the flat the letting agency called to say there had been a mistake and the contract I signed should only have been for 3 months as they were only willing to rent it at the reduced rent for 3 months and after 3 months they wanted to make me pay a higher rate or I'd have to move out. They're saying by law they have a 14 day cooling off period so have cancelled the current contract and sent me a new contract now for only 3 months. Is this legal? I've paid out money in agency fees and removal costs and really don;t want to have to move again in 3 months or suffer a rental increase. Can anyone advise on contract law?

Thanks

G_M

No, you have a contract. There is no cooling off period.

1. Do not sign/return the new one (unless you want to!).

2. After 3 months, continue to pay the rent stated on the contract you signed.

3. You can continue to pay that rent for 12 months (unless the contract allows for a rent increase. Read it. Does it?

4. You cannot be evicted until the 12 months is up unless the contract contains a 'Break Clause'. Read the contract. Does it?

a licence agreement (not a lease)

Whether you have a 'licence' or a 'lease' does not depend on what is written on the contract. It depends on the circumstances:

Are you
* renting a whole property?
* a room in a property?
* does the landlord also live in the property?
* do you share facilities (bathroom? kitchen? etc) with others? with the landlord?

saajan_12

There's no statutory cooling off period (that applies to a consumer where there is some form of distance selling and you are a company!) The ONLY possibility is if there is a cooling off period / break clause written explicitly in the contract. However even then, there is little the LL / agent can do as you can't be evicted for the first 6 months as long as you fulfill your obligations.

Don't sign any new agreements as you have a binding one in force, and continue to pay your rent in full. You can remain for atleast 12 months, and then the rental would go to periodic if you still don't sign anything new (though they can then evict via a Section 21 notice and court)