Letting Agents have been sold/taken over. What do I need to make sure I'm not being scammed?

aninvasion

I've privately rented a properly for three years through the same LA and received an e-mail mid-feb with a notice that the LA had been sold/taken over and was now known by a new name and with new bank details to send my rent to. Now I've come to pay for March (I always paid via BACS rather than a DD as they used a reference ID for their systems) and I've realised that I need to pay on or before the 16th and I feel highly suspicious that I haven't received anything in the post in writing. I called today for the bank details to be reconfirmed via the e-mail that was sent and to ask for a letter to be sent but the staff seemed unconcerned although they confirmed the account number and sort code to the e-mail. They no longer want my old reference on the payment either.

This is my home with both my children including an 8-month-old baby living in and I feel uncomfortable that I'm required to pay my rent to a new account with nothing in writing through my letterbox? Is this the norm when LAs are taken over? Do I hold off paying until I have something sent to me in the post? I don't want to pay too late because we've always looked after our home and paid early as the good-natured tenants we are but I'm stumped.

Any advice would be really appreciated, thank you.

penguineater

Personally I wouldn't trust an email. Anything that my housing association has to contact me about is sent via letter including rent increases. Never had an email from them even though they have setup a well functioning website that would support that.

You could ask them to verify some things such as how long you have rented from them, your previous rent costs etc. I would ask for this via post.

tealady

Have you got your landlords address? If you have, write to them with your concerns.
Or could you visit the agents office and speak to them face to face?

oldbikebloke

so you have phoned a number that you know is that of the "old" agents. It was answered by someone who confirmed the details you gave.

There are times to be cautious and there are times for conspiracy theories. You have taken reasonable steps re the first bit, don't let your imagination run over into the second bit.

Did you ask the person who answered whether they will still have a job after the take over?
in this modern world do you really think everything has to be affirmed via snail mail and paper when you have already confirmed it with the old agents?

As above, go into the office personally if your are that concerned. Will also be a test of just how worried you are as i assume doing would be very inconvenient for you?

aninvasion

@oldbikebloke the letting agent is in the next city over from our town so it would be quite an effort to get there but if needs must I can arrange it. The company has already been taken over and when I quoted the name of the previous colleague who usually dealt with our property I was told he'd 'moved on' which didn't help my suspicions. 

I'm more of the thinking that: is this how these things are dealt with now? I've always had important documents in writing before and an e-mail seems quite insecure.

Thanks for your help, it takes an outside perspective sometimes to see if this is a situation where I may be going OTT.

AdrianC

All a takeover means is a different sign above the door and a different owner of the LA business. Your landlord is still your landlord. The agent that works for the landlord has changed - you are not the LA's customer, and you have no say over what LA is appointed by the landlord.

You've already confirmed the account details by phone - and, I hope, have a written record of who you spoke to and when? That's all you need to do.

Something on headed paper through your door is no more secure than an email - it's even easier to forge by somebody who knows that the agency has changed ownership...