Estate Agents causing stress trying to force views

F0urL3af

Hi everyone,

Please bare with me, I tried searching on the forum but can’t find a post that relates to me and after reading hundreds of pages on many websites I’m a bit lost.

First off, I’m renting a house on a periodic AST, after the original AST of six months ran out and no new agreement was signed. I’ve been renting this house for three years now.

I was made redundant two weeks ago and this was totally out of the blue and a shock. I immediately told my landlord in order to serve my 30 day notice as I will have to move me and my family back in with a family member.

I said in my email to serve notice I would be out of the house 8 days before my 30 days is up so the landlord can get viewings started early and we can both move on in peace. Legally my 30 days is up on April 8th and I said I’d be out of the house by March 31st.

I then got a call a day or so later from an estate agent wanting to arrange viewings while I’m still in the house and trying to pack up and move. I wasn’t happy as I’m a very private person but I agreed to two showings.

I was then emailed and called again by the estate agent saying they have put some other viewings onto the original ones I agreed to and can I confirm this is ok. When I did not agree as I have made arrangements of my own around these times (house cleaning appointments, carpet replacement and job interviews) the agent started saying it’s in the AST I signed that they have to give 24 hours notice of viewings, implying that I was powerless to say No to these extra viewings.
I took the stance that I had agreed to two viewings and was not obstructing anything and that I still had my right to quiet enjoyment especially as I had volunteered to leave early so all this could be done in a freshly cleaned and emptied house.

I also currently cannot find my copy of the AST as my house is in a state at the moment with trying to pack up and move. I asked for a copy to be provided, the estate agent said they would send a digital copy, I asked for a physical one with my signature on it but they assured me the digital one would be signed and they would send it over, but that has not arrived yet.

I’m incredibly stressed right now and having an agent harassing me and trying to force viewings and then hinting that I’m breaching contract is adding to my worry and now I haven’t properly slept for two days with all this worry.

I just want some help / advice on this. Am I being unreasonable ? Is it worth me moving out early to try and help the LL out ? I’ve never even met him, never one has he done an inspection in three years I’ve been there.
I’m going to Drs soon as I can to get help for the stress and not sleeping, I have a history of stress and have suffered a stress related Transiant Ischemic Attack in the last year (a mini stroke).
Can a Drs note help take some of the pressure from the estate agents off my shoulders?

I’m in a fortunate situation in that I don’t need a reference or the deposit back and I’m seriously just considering declining all access until I’m gone and walking away from this whole thing as sorting out my kids new schools and finding a new job and arrange my wife’s health care are much more important (wife suffers from numerous ailments so moving Drs is never easy)

It feels better just writing all this down, but any advice on this would be appreciated.

Thanks everyone.

Norman_Castle

any advice on this would be appreciated.

Tell the agent you won't let anyone in. Don't bother arguing with them. You don't need a reference and I doubt they can withhold any of your deposit because of this.
What can they do, evict you? Pointless as you're leaving.

m0bov

Change the lock barrel and tell them no further viewings. If they turn up, call 101.

HampshireH

Don't leave 8 days early either! Stay till then end. Your paying rent. Don't give it up earlier so they can do works if they aren't able to at least be reasonable and work with you in the mean time.

Could you propose set hours of the day instead?

F0urL3af

Thanks for the replies. I have in my head thought about what is the worst they can do, I figured it would go to court but would they want to go through that trouble ?

How flexible do I have to be in regard to the part of the contract that states about estate agents / LL being allowed access to show the house in the last month of the tenancy ?

HampshireH

Depends on what the tenant says.

If you have agreed to give "reasonable access" in line with the tenancy then you're ok.

If the tenancy states you must allow viewings given 24 hours then you're in breach as you did agree to this when you signed.

pinkshoes

HampshireH wrote: »

Depends on what the tenant says.

If you have agreed to give "reasonable access" in line with the tenancy then you're ok.

If the tenancy states you must allow viewings given 24 hours then you're in breach as you did agree to this when you signed.

The tenancy rules cannot over ride the tenants legal right to quiet enjoyment of the property.

They have allowed two viewings, so that is more than reasonable.

HampshireH

I'm not sure I would say 2 viewings in 4 weeks is reasonable.

But I would agree the agent is being unreasonable.

HampshireH

It doesn't matter either way and the tenant has nothing to lose. So he can do as he pleases as any consequential action is irrelevant to him

Detroit

The most important thing here seems to be that you minimize your stress.

Is it going to be less stressful for you to agree viewings with 24 hours notice, or argue the point with the agent, worry they will disregard what you've said anyway, change the locks (and change them back again when you move out), call the police, engage in email trails about your rights and worry about court action?

Yes, you have rights here, but pragmatically, is the stress of enforcement really going to be less than allowing the viewings?

anselld

Surely it would be less stressful to allow the viewings rather than being in conflict with the agent/landlord over potential breach of contract.