PDA

View Full Version : sloppy and unprofessional letting agent



nellenjo
23-11-2005, 10:22 AM
Hi
Advice needed…
I have been renting my house out for over 2 years through a letting agent having moved in with my partner. We are now at the stage where I’m ready to sell my house. But I’m very angry about the sloppy and unprofessional attitude of the letting agent and wonder what I can do about it..

The first lot of tenants were good and there were no problems. When they put their notice in after 18 months I began to consider selling my house and told the letting agent – he then came up with some prospective tenants a man of 50 and his son about 25 I agreed to them renting it and it would give me time to make up my mid about selling. My rent has always been 2-3 weeks late and I was chasing it up with the LA every month - firstly the LA said they’d problems setting up the standing order – but from what the LA has since said they never had one.

I finally got my last lot of tenants out last week – they’d had a 6mts assured tenancy and despite me telling the Letting Agent in July (2 mts before the end of the AT) I had decided to sell it, he sneaked in without telling me monthly tenancies until I queried what was going on and he said the extension of the TA was automatic I said I didn’t agree with this and I asked for copies of the extended TA and got none so I insisted on notice being given in September

My house was an absolute tip when they left – it took three cleaners a day to clean.

Household items were taken - microwave, 2 phones, lamps, computer desk, pictures, etc

The outstanding rent hasn’t yet been paid – this and the cleaning should come out of the deposit.
I’ve changed the locks.

I rang the insurance company that the LA ties you into – to find that I couldn’t claim for the loss/theft of my possessions or for changing the locks. What is the point of having building and contents ins if I can’t claim on it?

The gas and electricity threatened to cut supplies off for non payment although I’ve informed them it’s in their names.

The letting Agent doesn’t seem to be chasing up my possessions – he said they were returning them yesterday – I rang y’day and he said he hadn’t been able to contact them – I feel fobbed off by the LA. He even inferred that they had had a raw deal as they were expecting to stay longer in the property – I have never given them or the letting agent the impression that it was anything but a temporary arrangement.

I’m annoyed at– I don’t now think they did financial checks on these tenants. They seem to want to take the management fee and do nothing.
Initially this letting agent were under bradford and bingley, a year ago they came under countrywide this seems to have been when things started to go wrong.

What can I do???
Should I complain, and to whom would I complain to??

slick
04-12-2005, 20:08 PM
Hello. First off, I would advise you to read the terms of the contract that you have signed, see what it says about renewing agreements. When you contacted them two months before the agreement was about to expire, did you tell them to serve him notice? Ask for this too. I would try to speak to the highest ranked person in the office or an area manager and complain hard. They will most likely be able to achieve something.

These insurance schemes can be like that im afraid, somtimes its just there to make the agents management service seem more appealing. What is the reason for them not to take the claim?