Management fees for rental property

[TheChickenLady]

Does anyone have any experience of dealing with estate agents managing a property?

We rent out a house and have just had approx 1 week?s rent taken out of our income for a non-essential repair (a water pressure issue apparently).

The contract states that we should be notified of any repairs that cost above £20, but we weren?t even asked and the first thing that we knew about it was when our statement came through with the money deducted.

Does this happen a lot? I?m fuming and think that we should have the money put back in our accounts, seeing as we didn?t sign anything for the repairs.

The contract states that emergency repairs may be taken out without our permission, but surely an emergency is something like a broken window or a burst pipe? And even then, they?d let us know about it straight away and BEFORE the money flew out of our account?

Hoping someone can shed some light, have got the red mist descending .

[FLIER]

Hmm, You don't really know to what extent the water pressure was a problem. It may have been down to a trickle and you need to put yourself in your tenants shoes.
But, your agents should have told you about the issue before your statement came in and you need to give them a call and ask them why you weren't informed and tell them you are not very happy about this unexpected expense.
We have had this problem before and the only other advice I can give is to try to always deal with the same person at the agents, and keep on at them if you are not happy with their service.
hth

[TheChickenLady]

Ah, thanks. I'm glad I posted now, as was getting all Mrs Angry and stampy feet...

I think the water pressure was too high, and just can't see why that would cause so much of a problem.

Then again I remember having a terrible landlord years ago who took weeks to fix the hot water supply in winter. It can make you really miserable if you rent off a Rigsby landlord and would hate to be like that.

[feetheart]

Speak to the agent and maybe follow it up in writing, asking for further information and, if necessary, quoting your contract.
Then keep a REALLY close eye on the agent.

I ended up with the Crap agent from Crapsville managing my property (they took over after the nice one retired) and had to take them to the Small Claims Court 3 times and get close to bankrupting them before I got rid of them and got all the money they owed me

Where are you, just in case?

[TheChickenLady]

God feethart that sounds awful.

We're in the UK, and the house is in New Zealand, so the time difference makes it all that more difficult to speak to them and complain.

We mostly communicate via email though so that's no excuse for not notifying us.

[TheChickenLady]

Sorry, feetheart