Letting agent woes

We're having problems with my letting agent.

Through the the tenancy she's been incredibly difficult to get hold of.

The house has several faults which we have reported and never been sorted.

Now we have bought a property and have served notice. We leave on the 14th Dec. To give this notice my partner had to find her on Facebook and ask her for contact details as all her contact details (website, Facebook business page and phone numbers) have all been discontinued.

This morning she posted by hand a letter stating that she will be inspecting the property in three days, if she doesn't hear from us she will let herself in. The letter also states we must only contact her via the details on the letterhead.

These are the ones that have been discontinued.

We've no issue with an inspection but we're in the process of packing so the house is a mess

I'm also under the impression that she cannot demand an inspection until key hand over as we've given notice.

Any advice is welcome

Talk to Jeffrey shaw on this forum ,he will give good advice

Don't worry about the inspection, she won't be able to pull you up on any issues till after you've left anyway (I assume you'll give the place a clean when you leave??)

Your security bond/deposit is held by a third party, usually the deposit protection service.

If there are any issues they will decide if any money needs to be paid from the deposit, the often side quite heavily with the tenant though so you don't have much to worry about.

The house will be as we left it with one change that was agreed, thegarage had been false walled to create a 'game room', we needed a garage so the wall was removed. Either way it's approximately £100 to rebuild.

An Inspection doesn't necessarily mean the same thing as a Check-Out. They could mean the same thing, but you'd not do an Inspection that was supposed to serve as a Check-Out almost one month before the tenancy is due to end... unless you had unreasonable expectations about everything.

An Inspection can be demanded / scheduled etc.. The Inspection in this case could be very friendly - it could be helpful for the Letting Agent to point out what is expected for Check-Out and then you can decide whether to put your effort into that, or not.

I would allow it, and I would be present... but I would make it clear it's not a Check-Out - that comes on the last day of the tenancy, or shortly before if it suits both parties.

If things do seem to be getting tough, politely ask a few questions about the Deposit and how and where it's protected... someone who doesn't appear to be as on the ball as this might have 'forgotten'. That opens-up a whole new game.

Last thing... a Letting Agent is not your Letting Agent, it's the Landlord's - the Letting Agent works for the Landlord, not you. They pay them, you do not. Semantics, maybe... but many Tenants seem to operate under this kind of misconception.

---------- Post added 22-11-2017 at 12:56 ----------

Either way it's approximately £100 to rebuild.

If it was agreed then it should have been agreed whether it is put back, or not. Sometimes it's easier to not require that. However, if it is required and you do not intend to do it, beware your approximate figure... it could be a lot more if the Landlord intends to pay someone else to do it, via the Agent, who will take a mark-up, of course. It's always best / cheapest to retain control of what you can.

An Inspection doesn't necessarily mean the same thing as a Check-Out. They could mean the same thing, but you'd not do an Inspection that was supposed to serve as a Check-Out almost one month before the tenancy is due to end... unless you had unreasonable expectations about everything.

 

An Inspection can be demanded / scheduled etc.. The Inspection in this case could be very friendly - it could be helpful for the Letting Agent to point out what is expected for Check-Out and then you can decide whether to put your effort into that, or not.

 

I would allow it, and I would be present... but I would make it clear it's not a Check-Out - that comes on the last day of the tenancy, or shortly before if it suits both parties.

 

If things do seem to be getting tough, politely ask a few questions about the Deposit and how and where it's protected... someone who doesn't appear to be as on the ball as this might have 'forgotten'. That opens-up a whole new game.

 

Last thing... a Letting Agent is not your Letting Agent, it's the Landlord's - the Letting Agent works for the Landlord, not you. They pay them, you do not. Semantics, maybe... but many Tenants seem to operate under this kind of misconception.

 

---------- Post added 22-11-2017 at 12:56 ----------

 

 

If it was agreed then it should have been agreed whether it is put back, or not. Sometimes it's easier to not require that. However, if it is required and you do not intend to do it, beware your approximate figure... it could be a lot more if the Landlord intends to pay someone else to do it, via the Agent, who will take a mark-up, of course. It's always best / cheapest to retain control of what you can.

I have reservations through the work that needs doing to the house which we reported, some reported over a year ago will be put down as we've damaged it rather than failing.

I'm also under the impression that issues with the house that we have reported hasn't been passed on to the landlord. I have full documentation of what and when we reported it.

As for if the wall is requested to be replaced. It was never discussed. However I have 3 quotes from local builders. All 3 quotes are within £15 of the 100 mark so if the letting agent tells us anything significantly more then I'll dispute it through legal channels

As for if the wall is requested to be replaced. It was never discussed. However I have 3 quotes from local builders. All 3 quotes are within £15 of the 100 mark so if the letting agent tells us anything significantly more then I'll dispute it through legal channels

What I'm saying is this - if it's requested that it's put back (and that should have been agreed when it was agreed to take it down) then do all you can to get that done before you leave. Then it's in your hands. It doesn't matter how much your 3 quotes have come in at - you can't force the Landlord to use the same Builders - they might use their trusted, expensive, Builder and get a proper receipt and everything - hard to dispute - even more so, I'd say, if you have gone to the trouble of getting quotes, but not bothered having the work done (again, if it is required - a question you can seek clarity on at the up and coming Inspection?).

We're having problems with my letting agent.

 

Through the the tenancy she's been incredibly difficult to get hold of.

 

The house has several faults which we have reported and never been sorted.

You are the tenant. So the Letting Agent (A) is not "your" agent- but the landlord's (L's).

Your contract is with L, not A.

Do not let A bully you. Stress to her that harassment is a criminal offence- as is entry without your explicit consent.