movign tenants to direct contract

[zenith]

Hi
I rented my house via a letting agent for 6 months then 12 month renewed contract, it went to a rolling 1 month notice contract after. I informed them I wish to terminate the contract now the renewed 12 months contract is up and take the tenants on direct contract (because agents are incompetent, rude to tenants, and invalidated my house insurance leaving a door open)

They want to charge a release fee of £450, they say the tenants are 'theirs', should i have to pay this?

They've done next to nothing for 18 months of fees.

Thanks

[jeffrey]

First principles:
1. As L, you have two contracts. They are:
a. an Agency Agreement (you + A); and
b. a Tenancy Agreement (you + T).

2. Even if A finds and signs-up T, remember that T is your T (not A's).

3. You have statutory obligations to T; A does not. You have statutory rights against T; A does not.

4. You can terminate either one of those contracts yet keep the other one going. In each case, termination rights start with whatever the contract provides. So far as concerns contract 1a above, there are no real overriding statutory additions to it.

[Sportingdad]

They've done next to nothing for 18 months of fees.

Thanks

They did get you tenants that you want to keep, and I assume that they got you all the rent as your not moaning about that ;)