A Tenant's guide to renting

mcgsp

I would be obliged if anyone could give me advice.

I have been renting a flat for about 16 months. Until now I have renewed my tenancy with the agents every 6 months with no hassle although they have insisted on renewal fee each time (for doing nothing!). I have now informed them that my wife plans to join me in the flat shortly after the start of the next 6 months' tenancy.

They are insisting on a brand new tenancy agreement including not returning the existing deposit (until I sort this out with the owners whom I've never contacted as the agents have been the only point of contact).

I have pointed out that it is my wife (not some third party with whom I want to share) and that their approach is heavy handed.

Is it reasonable for them to insist on a new contract with reviews of the deposit arrangements?

money21

I am a first time landlord.Can someone tell me about i have heard there is a new way to handle the deposit?So the landlord is save and the tennants are save?

lovethymini

money21 wrote: »

I am a first time landlord.Can someone tell me about i have heard there is a new way to handle the deposit?So the landlord is save and the tennants are save?

try this
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit/index.htm

lovethymini

To anyone looking at renting a house, I'd strongly recommend asking how well insulated the house is;- we're currently renting a 3 bed detached with no cavity wall insulation and very old loft insulation and went through £100/worth of gas in the first month. The house is freezing within an hour of turning the heating off _pale_

mandieeast

can anyone tell me whether we had to give 4 weeks notice to our Landlord even though he had previously already given us 8 weeks notice to leave as he was putting house on market to sell & wanted it empty?

Bootsox

Ditto, I am in exactly the same situation. I will shortly be receiving two month's notice to quit. Please can anyone advise if I can leave (say) after three weeks?

earthmother

mandieeast & Bootsox - I don't know what the official rules are, but my experience was that I still had to give notice.

Our landlord gave us notice that he wanted his property back 6 months before the end of a 1yr agreement, and even said he'd pay our removal costs if we found somewhere sooner. We did indeed find somewhere earlier, through the same agents, and assumed that as he'd said he like us out sooner, that we didn't need to do anything else (we never met him, everything went through the agents, they even typed his letters, so it's not like they didn't know the situation).

Anyway, 2 days before moving day, and I'm sorting out the new payment arrangements with the LA, and when I say about cancelling the old SO, the LA says 'oh, because you didn't give us notice, we thought you wanted both properties' ?!. They wouldn't budge, so we ended up paying a months rent on the old place as well as the new (oh, and the LL reneged on his moving costs promise too :mad: ).


So, if I were you, I'd give the official notice just to cover yourselves.

Bootsox

earthmother, thanks for your response, there are indeed shark infested waters out there.

My limited understanding (and in my situation where the original 12 month letting period passed some time ago and the tenancy has just run on) is that the landlord is legally obliged to give you two months notice to quit. If they want you out, the onus is on the landlord or his letting agent do the work of formally issuing the notification.

Having now spoke to the letting agent, he informs me that once I have the letter to quit, I can vacate the property at any convenient time to myself and a pro-rata adjustment will be made on the rent up to the point of leaving.

However, I am wondering if anybody can confirm this is the correct situation from a legal point of view?

clioclassic123

I wish i had read this before moving into my property...but will use it for when i find my next place
thanks everyone

missann_2

Hello.. We are renting a small room here in Cebu City. Our landlady and landlord talk a lot about our boardmates. I didn't want to listen but I have no choice...She keeps on following us and then gossip.. haay....