Landlord/agents trying to push me onto a fixed term tenancy along with rent increase and £150 admin

cashmonger

Here is their latest reply

You as a tenant is not in question here, you have been a long term tenant with a good rent payment record.

The fixed term tenancy is a protection for both you and the landlord, there were 13 new legislations last year in the Lettings Industry so we need to make sure both the landlord and the tenant are covered by the updated tenancy agreement.

We are an asset management company and landlords come to us for a full management service, which includes all dealings with the tenants. Most of our landlords are investment buyers and want to hand over full control to us.

We are happy to give you the landlords contact details but it is unlikely they will respond, they will probably refer it back to us.

The new tenancy agreement will be for 12 months with a 6 month break clause so you do have the option the break the tenancy by giving 2 months notice on or before the rent due date after the 4th month. So you do have flexibility.

I can refer you to our property management department and they will be able to provide you with the landlords details as I do not have them here I just arrange the renewal and pass it onto admin for dealing with.

Regards

So they are trying to make the excuse that it is the landlord that needs to be 'covered' with a fixed term tenancy and not me even when G_M already made clear that the SPT covers both tenants and landlords. These '13 new legislations' I presume are just smoke and mirrors?

So does this 'investment buyers' reason hold any credence as to whether I should contact them directly or not? I don't see why that changes anything. Another dodge?

They seem to keep saying the same things and still putting off giving me the actual address of the landlord wanting me to re-iterate it over and over again that I want the landlord's address, like actually, for real!

Also they are implying I need to be chasing up the address by being put in touch with someone else and asking yet again.

chunkytfg

Could always reply back saying you are happy to sign a new TA but it must have a 1 month break clause in it and you'll sign it on the 2nd june! Haha

cashmonger

Hmm so what should I respond now? since they are basically sending me the same treading water responses?

ratechaser

Send them a note thanking them for drawing your attention to the 13 new legislations. Say that you take the law extremely seriously and you will therefore be carefully reviewing all 13 to ensure you understand the value and protections that signing a new tenancy will bring.

And point out that, of course, this will take some time to complete. You will therefore look to reply in full within 1 month...

G_M

Yes there has been new leglislation (and more to come on 1st june!), but leglislation over-rides anything in a contract/tenancy agreement.


So the TA does not need updating to reflect the new leglislation. Both landlords and tenants must abide by all leglislation whether it is written into the TA or not.


What exactly is your ultimate aim?
* to remain on a periodic tenancy come-what-may?
* to avoid/defer any rent increase?
* to avoid any fee for a new TA?
* to obtain security (eg for 6/12 months)?
* to obtain flexibility (at the cost of security) eg to serve 1 months notice at any time?




Have you seen/compared the new TA they are offering? Apart from the (modest) rent increase, is it otherwise the same as your latest one? If not, in what way does it differ


Whether you continue to respond, and how, is obviously dependant on the outcome you want to achieve.

cashmonger

G_M wrote: »

Yes there has been new leglislation (and more to come on 1st june!), but leglislation over-rides anything in a contract/tenancy agreement.


So the TA does not need updating to reflect the new leglislation. Both landlords and tenants must abide by all leglislation whether it is written into the TA or not.


What exactly is your ultimate aim?
* to remain on a periodic tenancy come-what-may?
* to avoid/defer any rent increase?
* to avoid any fee for a new TA?
* to obtain security (eg for 6/12 months)?
* to obtain flexibility (at the cost of security) eg to serve 1 months notice at any time?




Have you seen/compared the new TA they are offering? Apart from the (modest) rent increase, is it otherwise the same as your latest one? If not, in what way does it differ


Whether you continue to respond, and how, is obviously dependant on the outcome you want to achieve.

The main thing is to not pay any admin fees and also to not be tied into a contract since I want the option to move since I have been quite seriously considering it however not definite and may find that where I am is the best place for me having looked at other towns/cities but I haven't decided for sure yet and would like some more time to explore other places at my leisure while not so long as 6/12 months that a contract would cause.

So I wanted to buy more time to decide and just generally prefer that flexibility of an SPT.

Then rent increase I would prefer not pay it but it is the least important of the 3 things, but since the rent increase seems to only be motivated by the LAs as an excuse to make the contract that is mainly why I am resisting it. No contract and no admin fee being most important.

The no contract/1 month get out is most important ultimately but the admin fee on principle I certainly want to avoid especially due to the June 1 outlawing.

cashmonger

Also regarding their constantly not giving me the address and telling me I should contact another department, legally that isn't my responsibility is it? and it doesn't nullify my initial date I requested it? so if they still didn't give it after 21 days they would be in error and could say 'but we told him to contact a different department'.

cashmonger

One of the managers is saying I should call them now. What do I do next?

I don't see the urge for them to talk to me on the phone other than to pressure me into agreeing to something.

Not sure what I should say? Just the truth that I refuse to pay a fee that they are chasing after and they should wait til June to contact me about any kind of further negotiation? o

Or I am thinking to say I don't want to talk to them any more as I made my position clear and am waiting for the landlords details.

SpiderLegs

For crying out loud just stop communicating with these people.

theartfullodger

SpiderLegs wrote: »

For crying out loud just stop communicating with these people.

+1.


Just do nothing. Stop responding.