abidxxx
01-03-2007, 14:30 PM
About two weeks ago I signed an assured tenancy agreement and paid 1 months rent and deposit and took occupation of the property.
I was told by the agent that the landlady would sign the agreement also and a copy sent to me.
Two weeks later I was hand delivered a new tenancy agreement and told the one I had signed was 'lost in the post' and could I sign the new one. The problem is that the new contract is different to the one I originally signed.
It has an extra clause that states that I will replace the old beds that I asked the landlady to remove from the property, when I vacate.
The agency denies the agreement has been modifed but has retained no copies of my signed agreement, and says that I must have 'missed' this section.
I asked for a word document of the agreement to check the last modified date, the last modified date has been modified since I signed it, but sneakily the agency modified the first page with todays date, so I can't tell if there have been modifications in between, as MS Word only records 'last' modified date (unless you have track changes switched on).
The position now is that I have no signed tenancy agreement, the agency has threatened that unless I sign the new contract the landlady may serve me 4 weeks notice.
Since I am not in rent arrears , I am an exclusive occupier, the keys were handed over to me willingly and the water rates and council tax are on my name, I told them they would find it hard to enforce a notice to quit by getting an eviction order. Should I stick to my guns and insist the extra clause be taken out and risk a court battle, or sign the modified contract.
Also the landlady failed to remove items that we agreed to be removed upon my occupation (including cabinets and chairs), it has now been 14 days, can I charge her storage or remove the items myself.
Many Thanks for any advice.
I was told by the agent that the landlady would sign the agreement also and a copy sent to me.
Two weeks later I was hand delivered a new tenancy agreement and told the one I had signed was 'lost in the post' and could I sign the new one. The problem is that the new contract is different to the one I originally signed.
It has an extra clause that states that I will replace the old beds that I asked the landlady to remove from the property, when I vacate.
The agency denies the agreement has been modifed but has retained no copies of my signed agreement, and says that I must have 'missed' this section.
I asked for a word document of the agreement to check the last modified date, the last modified date has been modified since I signed it, but sneakily the agency modified the first page with todays date, so I can't tell if there have been modifications in between, as MS Word only records 'last' modified date (unless you have track changes switched on).
The position now is that I have no signed tenancy agreement, the agency has threatened that unless I sign the new contract the landlady may serve me 4 weeks notice.
Since I am not in rent arrears , I am an exclusive occupier, the keys were handed over to me willingly and the water rates and council tax are on my name, I told them they would find it hard to enforce a notice to quit by getting an eviction order. Should I stick to my guns and insist the extra clause be taken out and risk a court battle, or sign the modified contract.
Also the landlady failed to remove items that we agreed to be removed upon my occupation (including cabinets and chairs), it has now been 14 days, can I charge her storage or remove the items myself.
Many Thanks for any advice.