How to handle this estate agent situation?

[AJB Temple]

Not sure how relevant that is woodpig?

In the south east and London, demand for rental property outstrips supply. Good quality properties are snapped up fast and agents can pick and choose tenants. This pushes up prices and encourages a risk avers approach. I suspect the position is worse for prospective tenants looking for affordable properties in high density, high demand areas.

 

[Wuffles]

Thanks Custard.

I always go back and forth between the vague knowledge that I was born in a particularly unlucky window, and not wanting to contribute to the (often deserved) reputation for whining and entitlement that my generation has. We've been trying to get viewings for a few other places, but we keep running in to the 'no pets' issue. We have a non-shedding breed of dog who practically housetrained himself and has never even thought of chewing anything aside from his bones.

I actually looked up this thread because the house came back on the market about 30 minutes ago. The girlfriend just happened to be browsing Rightmove when it did and rang up right away. We got the same person on the phone as last time, who skirted round the same excuses, some of which I now know to be outright lies after digging round last time. I think we've annoyed her enough that we're probably on that estate agent's dung list for a while now.

I've read this thread and been amazed at some of the advice and opinions given. I'm aware that some people think letting agents are the devils disciples but rarely is that the case in reality; like any industry there are some bad'uns but most are decent hard working folk like most of the users on here are.

I thought most of the vitriol in this thread was directed towards estate agents, not letting agents. Mine certainly was.

 

[Fatboy]

Thanks Custard.

I always go back and forth between the vague knowledge that I was born in a particularly unlucky window, and not wanting to contribute to the (often deserved) reputation for whining and entitlement that my generation has. We've been trying to get viewings for a few other places, but we keep running in to the 'no pets' issue. We have a non-shedding breed of dog who practically housetrained himself and has never even thought of chewing anything aside from his bones.

I actually looked up this thread because the house came back on the market about 30 minutes ago. The girlfriend just happened to be browsing Rightmove when it did and rang up right away. We got the same person on the phone as last time, who skirted round the same excuses, some of which I now know to be outright lies after digging round last time. I think we've annoyed her enough that we're probably on that estate agent's dung list for a while now.

I've read this thread and been amazed at some of the advice and opinions given. I'm aware that some people think letting agents are the devils disciples but rarely is that the case in reality; like any industry there are some bad'uns but most are decent hard working folk like most of the users on here are.

I thought most of the vitriol in this thread was directed towards estate agents, not letting agents. Mine certainly was.

estate agents engaged in lettings are effectively letting agents

 

[Wuffles]

I've read this thread and been amazed at some of the advice and opinions given. I'm aware that some people think letting agents are the devils disciples but rarely is that the case in reality; like any industry there are some bad'uns but most are decent hard working folk like most of the users on here are.

I thought most of the vitriol in this thread was directed towards estate agents, not letting agents. Mine certainly was.

estate agents engaged in lettings are effectively letting agents

I know that, my point remains the same.

It's like someone working at an abattoir and a cow sanctuary. Alright it's nothing like that, but can you imagine the hilarity if the two works Christmas outings met up.

 

[AJB Temple]

Cow sanctuary v abattoir: I once attended a wedding where I knew the bride quite well. Her previous fiance had dumped her and she was now marrying some other guy. I said to our table, that the ex fiance bride dumper was clearly an idiot as she was a lovely girl and she had a lucky escape really. Turned out that one of the girls on our table was his sister. She was really pissed off and went on and on about it all evening. I was still right though ;-)

 

[Jacob]

If you get pissed off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

That's a disgraceful post, Jacob.

Paul

 

[Jacob]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

That's a disgraceful post, Jacob.

Paul

We live in a disgraceful world. Housing is a jungle. I don't expect anyone to take my advice (on this or anything :roll: ) but I think we put up too easily with many things.

 

[sunnybob]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

Tenants like that are the EXACT reason you have to pay up front and over the odds. My wife rents out a small flat left to her by her mother. With the taxes, fees, and repairing tenant damages, she's on the point of barely breaking even on the year. I've told her to sell it, then there will be one less rented place to be trashed.

 

[Jacob]

Looking at our OPs first post:

........ I don't think our landlord is inherently a bad person, but he's a doctor, he lives in Scotland while we're in the North West, and I think he just sees the house as a moneymaker on the side without realising the time and work that needs to go in to managing a property. I'm tired of pumping money in to somewhere that is stressful to be in..........

I think you are wrong BearTricks, your landlord is inherently a bad person and his behaviour is utterly unacceptable and should be illegal.

He is fairly typical - the same sort of story is repeated all over the country, not to mention the homeless who don't even get as far as a bad landlord!

People should object and then we might get change.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

That's a disgraceful post, Jacob.

Paul

One step up the ladder from accusing people of lying. We expect little better.

 

[Jacob]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

That's a disgraceful post, Jacob.

Paul

Paul - the point is; our OP's landlord's behaviour is seriously disgraceful and has a serious impact on the quality of OP's life every day, day after day.

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

That's a disgraceful post, Jacob.

Paul

Paul - the point is; our OP's landlord's behaviour is seriously disgraceful and has a serious impact on the quality of OP's life every day, day after day.

Jacob, you're in a hole - stop digging.........

Paul

 

[Lons]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

A simply disgraceful and inflammatory statement even if said tongue in cheek or after too much of the achoholic liquid. I think you need to retract that Jacob.

 

[Jacob]

If you get pineappled off with buy to let landlords, fees up front, inflated rents, lost deposits, dodgy letting agencies - always trash any place you are leaving. Set fire to it if possible - but tip off the neighbours first!

A simply disgraceful and inflammatory statement even if said tongue in cheek or after too much of the achoholic liquid. I think you need to retract that Jacob.

OK drunk (I'm a Viz fan) but the point is - nobody is angry about the appalling behaviour of our OP's landlord.
Why not?
He has their lives in his hand and is taking a large amount of money from them and neglecting his basic duties.

Couldn't find a landlord cartoon

 

[Cheshirechappie]

You can't blame the landlord for the unsociable behaviour of the OP's neighbours.
You can't blame the landlord for the anti-social behaviour of local school-kids.
You can't blame the landlord for the anti-social behaviour of drunks at 4 in the morning.
The roof is another matter, but since the landlord is absent and has left the property's management in the hands of a letting agency, they are responsible for seeing that the property remains properly habitable, and ensuring that the landlord is made aware and will authorise proper repairs.

I have great sympathy for the OP, and very much hope he finds a better place to call home. However - and see absolutely no evidence whatever that the thought had crossed the OP's mind - trashing the place would just put the tenant in a very difficult legal and moral position. It would be an extremely irresponsible path to take, and to suggest it is shameful.

 

[Lons]

A simply disgraceful and inflammatory statement even if said tongue in cheek or after too much of the achoholic liquid. I think you need to retract that Jacob.

OK drunk

That was NOT a retraction Jacob, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Whatever the OP and agent are fighting over should and must not receive an illicit a response like yours.
You've spouted some bigoted cr*p in your time but that takes the biscuit IMO

Really glad you're not one of my neighbours though some of the boys in blue who live near me would soon set you straight! (hammer)

 

[Jacob]

My point is - the boys in blue (or the law in one form or another) should be sorting out the landlord.
If OP complains he could be out on his ear. If he withheld rent he could be in court too.
Meanwhile the landlord has to do nothing and just keeps taking the rent - and the capital appreciation.
It's a jungle out there and there are a lot of people in the same boat or worse.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Seriously Jacob, I'd be inclined to belt up now....soap box work is now done here, you're starting to receive numerous complaints which will necessitate a response from the mods. I'm trying to be kind and give you a message, pack it in now please, you've made your point.

 

[BearTricks]

You can't blame the landlord for the unsociable behaviour of the OP's neighbours.
You can't blame the landlord for the anti-social behaviour of local school-kids.
You can't blame the landlord for the anti-social behaviour of drunks at 4 in the morning.
The roof is another matter, but since the landlord is absent and has left the property's management in the hands of a letting agency, they are responsible for seeing that the property remains properly habitable, and ensuring that the landlord is made aware and will authorise proper repairs.

I have great sympathy for the OP, and very much hope he finds a better place to call home. However - and see absolutely no evidence whatever that the thought had crossed the OP's mind - trashing the place would just put the tenant in a very difficult legal and moral position. It would be an extremely irresponsible path to take, and to suggest it is shameful.

The management isn't in the hands of the letting agent. The landlord manages the property himself. My problem is that he is in no position to do so, living a few hundred miles away with a job that doesn't allow him to put the time and effort in to his side project down here. I think things have got lost in the arguments.

If he's a junior doctor, which he could well be, we might have a few more problems in store in the near future.

I've actually been advised to not organise the work myself, because it could make me liable. The contract expressly states that the landlord is responsible for organising any repairs. I don't know how literally I should be taking that. I'm also reticent to be put in the position where I have to organise payment to a local roofer, by a landlord who lives in Scotland and doesn't reply to emails for a few days because he's so busy.,

I honestly think we've just cheesed off the letting agents we've been attempting to deal with by viewing the other property without their consent. To reiterate, we knew the tenant so it's not unreasonable for us to be familiar with the house. She has multiple pets, and either the letting agent or the landlord had installed a cat flap for her, yet the letting agent told us down the phone that pets weren't allowed. Then when they were showing one of the potential tenants round apparently they were sounding off about how the garden would be perfect for their dog.

At this point, that particular letting agent doesn't know that I'm unemployed (by reason of voluntary redundancy, not because I'm a dossing benefit scrounger. I'm not on benefits.), but nevertheless my girlfriend has a job that more than covers the rent of the places we've been looking at. My best guess is that they think we were trying to avoid paying their finders fee so they've written us off.