Lettings agency delaying giving us the keys, please help!

[princesspeach21]

Posting in here for traffic but I really need some urgent help. My partner is due to move from Southampton to Liverpool today and is renting a flat from an agency. He has paid the deposit and it was agreed he would collect the keys and move in today. We have booked a van, his brother has taken the day off work to drive him, we have handed in our notice on a storage unit that we rent and I have already booked a train ticket to visit next weekend. This morning he has had a call from the landlord saying that the property now will not be ready until Tuesday. He has begged them on the phone and by email to no avail, and they are now not answering the phone at all. What the hell are we supposed to do, he is meant to be starting a new job on Monday! We will be out of pocket so much if he is unable to move today and he needs to get up there to start the new job.

That’s not on. They can’t just change it. I assume he has a contract detailing the move in date?

Did it go through an agency? Where is the deposit? If worst comes to worst he has to go up and sleep in car/b&b.

Yes this is through (a very large and well known agency!). He has already paid the deposit. We really haven't got any spare money to pay for Airbnb or hotels, and he doesn't have a car :( also I have no idea if or when his brother would be available to move his stuff up in the future.

What date was on the tenancy agreement? I'm assuming he signed one....

Stay in a hotel near the property or sleep in the van

What was the move in date on the contract? He'll be paying rent from the move in date so they can't just change it without prior agreement and a new contract to sign. Get up there, go to their office and don't leave until you have the keys.

If he has signed the contract that clarifies that the first day of his tenancy is today, than he has the legal right to be there today. If the intention was to sign the contract today... unfortunately, he doesn't.

Does he have the contract?

We had similar from a national agency. I went batshit and said we would be moving to a hotel and retaining the second months rent to cover the cost. Not legal but I made them move their arses.

They rang the day before our move to say there had been a delay and it would be later on in the day than planned. Then they rang to say it would be a week later due to unforseen circumstances.

Eventually we moved in the day later than planned.

Unless the tenancy agreement has been signed, neither side is committed to a start date. Your DP may have some leverage if he has emails or other correspondence confirming that his tenancy will start today, and may be able to recoup some of the costs.

Sadly, there are a lot of scammers around who will take holding deposits from people for flats that they don't own and aren't renting out. Have you checked it's a bona fide agency?

Although you say he has paid the deposit, has he paid the first months rent and signed the tenancy agreement yet?

I work for a letting agency (within the property management office) and the way we would do it is agree the start date of the tenancy and on that date you would come into the office for the "check in" procedure (bring original ID to be copied, pay deposit and first month's rent, and sign agreement) once that has all been done, we would then hand over the keys for you to move in.