AIBU to be miffed at letting agency for this

Very abnormal, we get one inspection in a blue moon so every 3-4 years or so.

Remind the agents that they are there to provide YOU with a service. They are not your manager, your boss or your parents. Maybe wait until the new legislation comes in on 1st may and you will be in a much stronger position to push back hard. It will then be far more difficult to evict tenants.

I would complain about the inspections and tell them you are cutting them down to once a year. Also you will be making an admin charge of £x per hour or part thereof because of their unprofessional behaviour in turning up late. They may have put it in your contract that you have to allow these appointments but I will bet there is no mention of payment. You have signed nothing to say you will do it for free and are entitled to charge for your services. Especially if you are taking time off work and they are being late. I would complain and threaten to report them to their regulator. That will bring them up short and get their attention. You can also refuse to allow photographs of anything that shows personal possessions and restrict them to issues with fabric of the building and potential repairs.

Despite the landlord doing an inspection herself twice a year, the letting agency also insist on doing their own twice a year (one of the joys of renting, we get it).

You only have to allow inspection. If it's already been done by the landlord then you don't need to allow it to be done again by the agency. Just politely decline and tell them 'the landlord's inspection has already taken place on X date'.

No specific advice but just to say I had exactly the same problem with a rental house in the past and I got seriously annoyed too!

Yeah I wouldn’t be tolerating this. We used to have this and the agency had a key and let themselves in. If they’re not there at the agreed time, I’d just get on with my day. If they’re turn up and you’re not there/asleep, that’s on them. And I’d only agree times which are convenient for you going forwards.

ours dropped to every 6 months after the first couple when no issues were found. And then stopped completely once I raised a complaint about their feedback and pointed out that the cobwebs on my porch was not actually something they could legally object to while I lived there.

Suspect the agents are charging the landlord for the extra inspections, it’s an income stream for them.
It could be the landlord isn’t even aware.

I’m not in Wales, but yes that is a crazy amount!

Honestly, if they don’t rock up within an hour of arranged time - don’t open the door and let them sort out another time when it is convenient for you.

Yes you should probably have an inspection but they can’t just barge in whenever they please. Push back and just say to these appointments something along the lines of “sorry that won’t work, we can only do thursday at 3 or next week” - on your terms.

It’s definitely abnormal. 2 per year is usually in short term tenancies. It could be the landlord or agency, no need for both.

They have to give at least 24 hrs notice. In this case they haven’t, because they arranged a time and didn’t show up. You have every right to say today no longer works, rearrange (and it absolutely does need to be a time to suit you as well). And given the sheer number of times they’ve messed you about, in future I would only agree to times which are actually convenient to you, so eg don’t stay in / get up specially, and if they don’t turn up within 15 mins treat that as cancelled and they’ll have to reschedule- to another time that actually works for you and which you don’t have to wait in / get up specially for. They are absolutely taking the piss.

I would contact the LL and ask them if the agency inspections can stop or if they can come WITH the agency to their inspections. 4 inspections in a year is quite frankly ridiculous.

Do you have direct contact details for the landlord? I would send an email to the letting agent, but cc the landlord. Make it clear that you are willing to accommodate their additional inspections, however due to work schedules, they must adhere to agreed times. Give as many examples as you can of rearranged, missed or late appointments.

I’m a landlord. I don’t do inspections on top of the agents (I don’t see why anyone would, they take loads of pics). But I think it’s perfectly reasonable to tell the agents that an appointment is an appointment and if more than 30 minutes late you are not waiting on them, and the appointment has to be at YOUR convenience in the first place; they can’t just say ‘we will be coming Friday at noon’ without discussion.

If they have to do an inspection and someone has to be there it also has to work for your schedule not just there’s. When they phoned to say they would still be coming today but can’t give a time I would have told them it will need to be before X time after that I’m unavailable.

Do you have to allow the letting agency inspect, @Banannanana? I am not an expert, but I’ve seen plenty of people on here and elsewhere saying that landlords cannot insist on access for inspections, and I assume this applies to the letting agents too. From what I have read, this applies even if the inspections are in the contract, because the contract can’t supersede the law.

You are entitled to quiet enjoyment of your home.

If you are willing to allow the inspection, I’d suggest messaging them to say that, unless they arrive by 3.30pm, you won’t be able to be in for the inspection today, and they will have to reschedule.

Why the hell are you having so many inspections! Can you ask the landlady to tell them not to do it?

Nope.

They have a time slot; if they dont make it, they dont come. Id consider charging them for "missed appointment". Make it clear at time of booking that there is a fee associated with no shows, and they forfeit the right to rebook within 3 months.

What does your landlord think?