Property agent - conflict of interest?

fbuyer

Hi, I am first time buyer, currently renting via letting agency. I am house hunting in the area and would like to view some of the houses that are being advertised via the same property agent as I am renting from. Would the agent take note of that and inform the landlord that I am looking for a new place? As it takes a long time to actually buy a house at the moment, I don't want the landlord to start looking for new renters or ignore any maintenance issues that need to be done in the rented property right now. Am I protected by any confidentiality codes of conduct?

princeofpounds

In theory your data should not be used for cross-purposes like that, but in practice there is little official sanction if they were to notify your landlord. However, I suspect you will find that the agents aren't that bothered - they would be quite happy to get a fee for selling you a property, and then get another tenant find fee from the landlord. What advantage would early notification give the agent?

If the landlord is at all rational, it is highly unlikely they would seek to replace a reliable, paying tenant at the cost of a void period (as you would not permit viewings so marketing could only start on departure), to avoid... a void period. Maintenance - yes, they might go slack on that, so it's a risk. 

AlexMac

Theoretically; 
"You must not release or misuse confidential information given by your client (*) during the process of selling or buying a property (*) without your client’s permission unless legally required to do so...." (Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents, 2015 Property Ombudsman, https://www.tradingstandards.uk/media/documents/commercial/codes-of-practice/tpo-sales.pdf   )

... but this is the UK, where compliance often seems voluntary, enforcement is rare, and in the words of a July 2020 trade magazine;

"the Regulation of Property Agents Working Group.... called for an independent regulator, licensing for all agents, a new code of conduct, mandatory qualifications and a new form of redress more powerful than existing operators: until now, none of these recommendations had been acted on..."

https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2020/6/code-of-practice-for-estate-agents-to-be-written-by-new-steering-group

So ask 'em if they can keep schtum, but don't bet your life on it!