Ridiculous estate agent / landlord?

Throwaway1

So long as you hand it back exactly how you find it it doesn't matter how long you leave the grass in the meantime.

theone999

saajan_12 wrote: »

YOU DON'T HAVE TO 'PASS' AN INSPECTION!
An inspection is just the LL (or agent on his behalf) looking at the property to know whats going on / decide what to do about repairs/whether to renew etc. The LL may have a contractual right to do the inspection, in order to

1. discuss any repair needs
2. check you're not breaching any terms eg subletting, overcrowding
3. decide whether you're taking care of long term property issues eg not allowing mould, not breaking things. They can't force you to fix it immediately but they might decide not to renew etc

General gardening or cleanliness is none of their concern until you move out.

There's no 'criteria' you can pass /fail even if they make up some. IF the LL / agent makes any more demands, I would reply stating the property will be left in the same condition when you leave as it was at the start. Full stop.

The estate agent said "failing" an inspection means they go around again and repeated fails of the "inspection" for the same "issues" means tenancy not renewed / evicted. it's just where I've ended up the estate agent / landlord won't let me pay monthly after my 6 month AST is up insisting I sign a new tenacy because I "can't prove my income is sufficient", even though I evidently had enough to pay a 6 months block upfront. I'm pretty sure they're doing it just to get a new admin fee every 6 months.



I didn't know that "general gardening / cleaniness" was none of their concern, the 2nd time when they came back, on time, as opposed to an hour early I vaccummed, so they said I "passed" the interior.. but no, I've not caused any structural / equipement damage or anything that couldn't be considered wear and tear.



I went to the estate agent and gave them a picture of the back garden when I moved in and said if the landlord wants it looking like that, they should start with trying to sue me for theft because there are stuff in the picture that haven't been there for years. they said they'll keep my photo as an update and "pass it on" to the landlord.



This currently brouhaha was because the landlord/estate agent wanted the "inspection passed" before they'll let me sign another 6 months tenancy. i mean, the house is alright (old, cheap, spacious) and in a quiet area and takes my pets but the recent events have left a really bad taste in the mouth so I'm looking at other properties (that will take pets) even if they offer me a renewal tenancy as they won't let me run monthly even though I will have had my 2nd 6 month AST by September.


I mean, just two weeks ago, I ended up locking myself out of the house, because I left my house keys in the car, and locked my car keys inside the boot (and both house and car keys are inside the house and I live alone). I rang the estate agent and said I obviously couldn't get to them by 5pm cos I was some distance away without my car, but could either get there for about 5:30 or maybe collect the keys from one of them or whatever and they told me they couldn't help as they were all going home and their advise to me was to smash open my own car boot / windows to get the keys. I ended up spending a night away from my cat (lucky I didn't have a dog) and getting the keys from them the next morning. I did get a locksmith around, but apparently he couldn't open the door without drilling through the locks as they were secure so I sent him away.

theone999

thanks for the comments, I've obviously rented before, but previous landlord have never inspected the house besides an annual gas technician / alarms or unless I told them something was broken, and I wasn't really sure what the 3 month inspections when I rented where I am now was all about. thanks for affirming this whole setup does seem quite possessive.

theone999

the estate agent is Reeds Rains. I don't know if it's a national thing, or just the outfit where I am.