Scandalous letting agent charges

No tenant should ever have to pay renewal fees to a Letting Agent (A).

The Agency Agreement is between the landlord and A.

So T has no responsibilities under it.

Another example of bad behaviour from agents.

Jeffreys right, no was should you have to pay another application fee.

No tenant should ever have to pay renewal fees to a Letting Agent (A).

The Agency Agreement is between the landlord and A.

So T has no responsibilities under it.

Not necessarily! We have had this conversation before.

I think we agree that some letting agents' practices (e.g. demanding money from Ts) are morally reprehensible, but sadly, that does not make them illegal.

If a T asks a letting agent to find him a property to live in, there is usually a contract between the T and A which T must sign. Effectively, it says 'If you find me a home to rent, I will pay you [some ridiculous amount]'. Other Ts & Cs are often stated in that contract (e.g. the T will pay the A £x for referencing, or for printing off a contract, or for conducting a check-out, etc), and having read and signed that agreement, T is probably bound by them.

The LL signs a separate contract with the A and is usually fleeced as well.

If a T asks a letting agent to find him a property to live in, there is usually a contract between the T and A which T must sign. Effectively, it says 'If you find me a home to rent, I will pay you [some ridiculous amount]'. Other Ts & Cs are often stated in that contract (e.g. the T will pay the A £x for referencing, or for printing off a contract, or for conducting a check-out, etc), and having read and signed that agreement, T is probably bound by them.

Yes, I agree. A "search" agency contract is certainly between T and A; so T must pay for services rendered.

BUT a letting agency contract is between L and A. L must pay; whereas I cannot see why T should!

Hi

Yes by law the Landlords details must appear on your AST.

Being a landlord myself, i have used many agents and they all have differing fees. Best to go on a Rolling Contract after the initial period. The only reason Agents try to get you to resign is so that they can generate more fees. I have used agents, not for long mind you, who resign tenants and then charge the Landlord for the privilege.

By law, you must have an address where you can serve notices on your landlord. If you make a formal request in writing for your landlord's contact details they have to give you it within 21 days.

Unfortunately they can use a forwarding address instead of the address they live at...such as an estate agent. So this might not help but is definitely worth a try.

 

You can also find the address of the owners of a property by purchasing a copy of the title register online from the land registry for £3. This might give an old address for the landlord if he's moved since registering it, though.

 

I would also like to know who this dodgy-sounding estate agent is. Could you please PM me if you don't want to put it on a public forum?

Could you also PM me the name of them. I will soon be letting my property and want to know who to avoid.

Thanks

Yes by law the Landlords details must appear on your AST.

Not just there.

L has to serve on T two Notices, detailing L's name and service address. They're under:

a. section 3 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985; and

b. section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987.