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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Was this a cheeky request? (Estate agents)

48 replies

shelleybee · 18/07/2016 15:29

I am a tenant in a rented property and recently gave my two months notice. Prospective new tenants were shown around the flat on Saturday by the estate agent, all well and good.
However, I've just taken a call from the estate agents asking if there's any night this week that a viewing can be done after 19.30. Apart from Wednesday, they can do any day. I say yes, fine, Thursday would be ok. The agent then asks if I'm alright to show the viewers round myself! I said no, I won't necessarily be there and wouldn't want to anyway, so someone else will have to do it. Agent then asks if I know someone else who will do it! I again said no, I meant one of your agents will have to come and do it. Agent gets huffy, puts me on hold, then comes back and says she'll just have to tell the viewers they'll have to wait to view at the weekend.
Aibu?! The agents don't want to come out at 19.30 to do the viewing but expect me to work a full day then do it when I get home. I'm feeling really annoyed about this!

OP posts:

panegyricS1 · 18/07/2016 17:38

The EA must either do the viewing, or pay you to do it. Their choice.

Whether or not your landlord is getting a good deal is between him/her and the EA. Not your problem.

Original poster

shelleybee · 18/07/2016 17:39

Thanks again everyone.
I'm going to email the agents and tell them not to ask me again. If they do then ask again, I'll feel justified in ignoring their calls until I move out!

OP posts:

PersianCatLady · 18/07/2016 17:40

I would not be prepared to have some random stranger come into my home without the safeguard of having someone there to do the viewing.

Therefore they can do the viewing and you also want the name of the individual estate agent at least 24 hours before the viewing or they can't do it at all. No middle ground here I am afraid.

I am sure that the prospective tenant is probably lovely but do you really want to be alone in your own home with a stranger, what happens if they decided to help themselves to a few of your possessions? If the estate agent is there I think there is far less chance of any problems occurring.

expatinscotland · 18/07/2016 17:49

I'd copy in their head office if possible on any email. 'I am not a professional estate agent in your employ so I do not appreciate being asked to perform such a function, especially when LL is paying for this service to be carried out by [insert EA name]. Please refrain from asking me to carry out viewings. I am already doing my best to accommodate them round my work schedule and moving arrangements.'

MrsKoala · 18/07/2016 17:52

I am going to go slightly against the grain here and say if I'm in I don't care who pops round to see the place I'm moving out from. If I've given my notice I always had goodwill towards my landlords. Unless it's a huge mansion how long would showing someone round take? Just stand in the hall and point 'bedroom, ( they nod and stand in the doorway) bathroom, (more nodding), kitchen, (nodding)...' Then they say thanks and go. Never taken longer than 5 mins max.

I do think mn/people are a bit odd about people in there home.

I wouldn't change plans to be in, but if I was in I would be happy to do this. It's hardly arduous.

expatinscotland · 18/07/2016 17:57

She doesn't want to do it, though, MrsK, and she might not even be there. Why on Earth should she arrange her schedule to accommodate them when they are being paid to do it? She already has by agreeing a weekday evening.

How hard can it be? Quite a PITA if they start asking a bunch of questions, are difficult, or weird or you're a shy person.

And the point is that they are being paid to do this job. Pisstaking punk arses.

ginghamstarfish · 18/07/2016 18:02

We have a house for sale - agent states they charge £20 per viewing if we want them to do it. Charge that!

MrsKoala · 18/07/2016 18:05

Woah. I didn't say she should change plans, I said I would not change plans but that personally I would have no problem with it. If she doesn't want to then fair enough, but I can't see it as very arduous, questions I have had have been 'what are neighbours like' nice, 'what is ct?' £150, 'is it a nice area?' Yeah, bye then.

Having rented a lot I've always appreciated being able to view late after work and I've always extended the same courtesy. It's never been a big deal for me.

Our tenants showed someone round last minute as we are selling (they gave their notice first - we were only keeping it on till they wanted to move). The people they showed made an offer which we accepted and we were very grateful, we have sent them some champagne and gift vouchers for their new house (first time buyers) to say thank you.

starfishmummy · 18/07/2016 18:08

I've done it once, didnt occur to me not to as I was there anyway. Guy was a bit odd and clearly thought I was an agent - furnished flat and I pointed out a few things that would not be there as they were mine and he was rather put out. The guy worked in the same place that I did - it was a huge organisation spread over several buildings and I didnt know him at all. I had left and was living over a hundred miles away when the agents rang me as he had done a moonlight flit and thought I might know where he was!!

toboldlygo · 18/07/2016 18:18

Twice I've been asked to do viewings for prospective buyers - as the sitting tenant, whose landlord had unexpectedly put the house up for sale. It took me pointing out to the agents that it was hardly in my interest to sell the place and I could tell them any old bollocks about damp, cockroaches, nightmare neighbours etc. in order to stay there longer before they agreed to send an agent with them.

PokemonGo · 18/07/2016 18:21

I'm really suprised so many posters have a huge problem with this. I wouldn't change my plans for prospective renter but it's not exactly difficult to show someone around. The sooner someone sees it and agrees to rent it then the sooner I don't have to have any viewers.
I've always worked with agents rather than against them - I secretly hate them all but if I'm polite and helpful then they are usually accommodating to me.

I'd rather spend the 5 mins showing someone around rather than writing stroppy emails to the agent and getting wound up by it.

Original poster

shelleybee · 18/07/2016 18:53

The difference is though, that I can write a 'stroppy email' in my pyjamas or wearing a towel. To show people round, I have to plan my time around it.
I am also not happy to be in my flat with people I don't know. I'm not exactly built; who knows who the fuck would be coming round and I'd be alone with them.
And fyi, I have been 'polite and helpful.' Hence, they now think they can take the piss.

OP posts:

MrsKoala · 18/07/2016 19:24

I show people round in my pyjamas, i don't tidy either, i make that clear to the agents. It wasn't nice to be huffy about you not showing anyone round, but i think them asking the question is not taking the piss at all, it's just a question, a question which no one I knpw in rl has eve had a problem with. I honestly have never thought about whether i am 'built' or whether a stranger is in the house. It has just never occurred to me to care.

I think goodwill goes both ways tho, we've always been friendly and very accomodating to our tenants, so i would expect them to be a little flexible. If i had LL's who were cunts then maybe i wouldn't, likewise if i had been given notice i may view it differently.

I was too accomodating tho in our last rental place and the agents were bastards and the LLs were really horrible after we left so i did regret that a little bit. I had a 2yo with asd and a newborn days old after a section and they were sending people round at all times and then when they did come with them, turning up with no notice and then slagging off how untidy the place was and dirty my oven was in front of me sitting in my nightie bfing ds2. I should have said no, but i was trying to be helpful. They were not grateful in the slightest. Bastards. i'm over it now, honest!

PersianCatLady · 18/07/2016 19:48

I don't care who pops round to see the place I'm moving out from.
So you don't care about having a complete stranger who could be anyone coming into your home unaccompanied?

MrsKoala · 18/07/2016 19:53

Nope. I have unaccompanied strangers in my house all the time. This is an MN thing i have never heard of in real life. It seems so paranoid and hysterical to me.

londonrach · 18/07/2016 19:56

You do realise you dont have to allow access...

expatinscotland · 18/07/2016 21:23

'This is an MN thing i have never heard of in real life. It seems so paranoid and hysterical to me.'

That's funny, I thought these were real live people posting. I was raped once, so I don't like strange people in my home when I'm there alone, colour me 'hysterical and paranoid'. I've met a lot of people like this, mostly victims of crime but also those with special needs or conditions, and they're all pretty alive to meet, they exist in the flesh.

The OP is being polite and helpful, she doesn't have to allow these viewings at all but is accommodating them. And the LL is paying for professionals to sell the place, not his soon-to-be former tenant. I'd be pretty miffed if I were paying for a service and found out they were outsourcing it for free but still charging me.

expatinscotland · 18/07/2016 21:25

'The difference is though, that I can write a 'stroppy email' hmm in my pyjamas or wearing a towel. To show people round, I have to plan my time around it.
I am also not happy to be in my flat with people I don't know. I'm not exactly built; who knows who the fuck would be coming round and I'd be alone with them.'

You don't have to justify yourself, OP. You don't want to do it, it's not your job, you're allowing viewings and being accommodating, there's nothing at all stroppy about letting them know you won't be doing their job for them. Or your not being happy to show people round in your jimjams or unaccompanied strangers.

PersianCatLady · 18/07/2016 21:28

Nope. I have unaccompanied strangers in my house all the time.
Just out of interest why do you have unaccompanied strangers in your house all the time? I haven't heard anything so strange in quite a while.

PokemonGo · 18/07/2016 21:46

I even let the gas and electric meter readers cone in my house and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I do understand there are some people who genuinely have problems with strangers coming in the house but for most people I don't understand why it's such a big deal.

You know when they are coming so you can change out of your jammies and you don't need to clear up for them. You can choose a time to suit you.

MrsKoala · 18/07/2016 21:47

Fucking hell Expat, that's an extreme response. I have been sexually assaulted and raped as well. I still don't mind strangers in my home - it's a personal thing. Everyone i know in person who rents shows people round is all i am saying. I don't know anyone who has spoken to me person to person ever say they mind about strangers in their home. It's only something i have read on here. I am sure everyone posting is a real life person, but there are things which people on here say which i just can't relate to in rl. It's quite common to say you know, lots of posts about how things on mn differ from their rl. Not a personal attack or insult.

Also you have responded completely disproportionately to my quite light hearted tone. I said it was of course up to the OP but PERSONALLY i have no problem with it. I never told her she was being U or that she should let them in.

Persia - I have lots of building work, maintenance, cleaners etc come in. None of whom i know and all are complete strangers. I have never been worried once. I'm obviously bizarre.

PersianCatLady · 18/07/2016 22:21

I have lots of building work, maintenance, cleaners etc come in. None of whom i know and all are complete strangers.
I see what you mean. However as you have organised for those people to come to your home to me they are not the same as an estate agent (who to be honest doesn't sound like the best in the world) sending round someone who you know nothing about.

Studious · 18/07/2016 22:26

I think it's completely taking the piss. You are paying full rent for exclusive possession. I am very firm with letting agents now though after years of them taking advantage and in some cases being dishonest. I never expected my tenants to do anything that didn't benefit them either.

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