Letting agent has given a false reference on homelet

Ebroho85

Hi
This is my first post on here so hello!

The problem I am having is my current letting agent has given a false reference on home let and I have failed the ref check.
They have said that I don't pay my rent on time. I have paid on time? So I'm unsure why they have said that? The only time it could have been classed as "late" I paid the rent on time but it was lost In their system but I provided a bank receipt to say it was paid ? So was their error
What can I do about this? I'm feeling so stressed about it! Has anyone else had a problem like this and did you manage to rectify it?

Cakeguts

When exactly do you pay your rent? For example if you have pay your rent on 18th of the month you would need to pay it a few days before so that it arrived in the letting agents account on the 18th? You wouldn't actually pay it on the 18th to arrive on 19th would you?

Ebroho85

Thankyou for your reply.

No I have always paid early as it happens. My rent is due on the 8th of the month but I get paid on the 28th. I always pay it then. So essentially 10 days early (bar a couple of months when it may have been paid a couple of days later)
It has also always been paid by bank transfer or directly into the bank account of the letting agent.

JoJo1978

Hi ebroho85

I think that you need to confirm that it's definitely the letting agent who had done this (may it also have been the landlord who owns the property?)

Once you have established that I would probably write a letter or email to the letting agent/landlord explaining that you think their statement of you being a late-payer is unfair, provide the documents that show this was a one off and not in your control. Explain the consequences it has had for you (failed reference.)

They perhaps don't realise that their act of being truthful has the consequence of you being classified as failing the check. (if the question to them was 'has the tenant always paid on time?' a truthful answer for them to have given would have been 'no'. They may not have had the option to explain it was a one-time issue.)

At the same time, if you haven't already, liaise with Homelet and ask if they are able to confirm that the late payment issue is the only reason you failed the ref check. They may not be able to give you that information due to data protection but it's worth asking.

This sounds like it might be holding up a new tenancy that you wish to apply for? I which case I would appeal, again using the documentation you have that proves you are not a regular late payer.

Ebroho85

But the letting agent hadn't been truthful? I had paid my rent on time every month? The one month that it was late it was sitting in the letting agents account and wasn't applied to the rent account?
The landlady of the property is willing to give a ref to say that the rent has always been paid on time (as the one time there was an issue I contacted her to tell her I paid and it wasn't sorted between the landlady and letting agent) and in full but Homelet are saying They couldn't accept the landladys ref.
Homecheck have confirmed that it's this that is the only issue.

[Deleted User]

Why not bypass homelet and give the Landlord reference and rent payment records directly to the LL? Its Homelet that is making this difficult.

Ebroho85

The letting agent wants the 'pass' from homelet.
I can supply all the evidence to them but they are saying they can't proceed at present because of the 'fail' on the letting agent check.
I don't know who the landlord is of the new property , only the letting agent.

bouicca21

Is there any chance that they think you are paying 20 days late rather than early for the following 8th?

JoJo1978

It sounds like you’re getting somewhere and I agree best next step is to bypass Homelet. Have you asked the letting agent if they will give you the landlord’s contact details? I think that you have a legal right as a tenant to know who your landlord is (but I’m not sure if this applies to potential tenants seeking information about a new tenancy)

[Deleted User]

The Letting Agents have their criteria. Its a tick box criteria sometimes (computer says no etc). What you need is to ask the LA to talk to the LL, present your evidence that you have in fact paid rent on time so the Homelet fail is false. Hopefully the LL will understand this.

My ex is finding a place through Openrent - usually dealing directly with LL's. No LA would take him on. He's been offered two properties through Openrent the LL's who use this tenant finding service don't seem to be so 'tick box'. I'm sure this is because the LL's are accepting the perfectly ok references, bank statement, work evidence proof he has of being a good potential tenant but somehow the LA tick box criteria wasn't working for him. He has a dog as well, LA's just said an automatic no, no LL will accept him.., but he has had no problems with applying through Openrent. Went for three places, accepted for two. He's tried at least 20 Letting Agents, didn't even get through the front door.

I hope this property doesn't fall through for you, but if it does, I think companies like Openrent can be more useful to tenants who don't meet LA criteria.