1p Rent Arrears

Rent12345

Lettings agent is asking for 1p rent arrears for a tenancy that ended almost 1 year ago. All rent payments were made by direct debit and I had appropriate funds in my account to make these payments. They are saying late fees will be charged if I do not pay. Are they just trying to build up rent arrears fees or something? I can't see why a small scale lettings agent would waste time and money sending emails/invoices etc. for such a small amount.

What should I do about this and are there any ways I could pay this amount in the most inconvenient way possible.

pbartlett

Ask them for a detailed statement of rent due and payments received - you never know, you may actually owe the money.

If the statement shows that you owe the arrears, pay them.

Rent12345

pbartlett said:

Ask them for a detailed statement of rent due and payments received - you never know, you may actually owe the money.

If the statement shows that you owe the arrears, pay them.

They have provided this, and it just shows 1p missing from one of the rent payments. The rent was paid direct debit, I never instructed how much rent should be removed from my account, it was automatic (and I always had sufficient funds for the direct debit to go through). Surely that is their error?

davidmcn

Even if it's their error, it doesn't mean you don't still owe the money.

Keep_pedalling

It will cost them far more than a penny to send you this, and is almost certainly an automated computer generated demand.

Send them a penny taped to a piece of card, and request they send you a receipt and final statement. 

pbartlett

seems like there was a small accounting error in the past and you owe the money. suggest you just pay them. 

unholyangel

Rent12345 said:

pbartlett said:

Ask them for a detailed statement of rent due and payments received - you never know, you may actually owe the money.

If the statement shows that you owe the arrears, pay them.

They have provided this, and it just shows 1p missing from one of the rent payments. The rent was paid direct debit, I never instructed how much rent should be removed from my account, it was automatic (and I always had sufficient funds for the direct debit to go through). Surely that is their error?

If you agreed to pay (for example) £100 per week but for some reason they only requested £99.99, you still owe them 1p because you agreed £100pw and them making a mistake collecting the rent doesn't change what you agreed when you started the tenancy. 

Although if it was their mistake, I wouldn't expect them to apply any late fees until they had given you opportunity to bring the account back up to date. 

I would suggest either sending them a penny or calling them and offering to pay by direct debit or debit card. Chances are they'll write it off, as it would cost them more to collect the payment than the payment will bring in. 

But first check it is correct. It could be a rounding error of their software. 

Rent12345

unholyangel said:

If you agreed to pay (for example) £100 per week but for some reason they only requested £99.99, you still owe them 1p because you agreed £100pw and them making a mistake collecting the rent doesn't change what you agreed when you started the tenancy. 

Although if it was their mistake, I wouldn't expect them to apply any late fees until they had given you opportunity to bring the account back up to date. 

I would suggest either sending them a penny or calling them and offering to pay by direct debit or debit card. Chances are they'll write it off, as it would cost them more to collect the payment than the payment will bring in. 

But first check it is correct. It could be a rounding error of their software. 

ok, thanks for your help

macman

Send them a cheque for 1p. Then see if they actually bother to present it.

Ditzy_Mitzy

macman said:

Send them a cheque for 1p. Then see if they actually bother to present it.

They might.  If it's a business that handles cheques, the OP's will just go in the pile with all the others to go to the bank.  

ThumbRemote

Write back and ask if they'll accept a payment plan.