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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think lettings agents are cheeky fuckers banking on us not rocking the boat?

88 replies

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 13:50

The house I've been renting the last couple of years is currently being advertised again as we're moving on. The agent came round last week to take new photos and do a floor plan, and out of nosiness I went to see how they'd come out on the website. Turns out they've taken some rather nice-looking (well, I would say that) photos, and advertised the house as 'furnished' with a nicely kept garden and a recently updated bathroom.

Except, most of the furniture is ours (the landlord provided a beat-up sofa, an ok table and some rather crappy Ikea side tables, and not much else). The nice garden will still look nice, but an awful lot of it is pot plants we're taking with us. And the 'updated' bathroom wasn't updated this side of the millennium, so far as we know.

I know it sounds as if some of this could be an innocent mistake, but it's clearly not because we told the agent when he took the photos that he'd need to know what furniture was ours and what wasn't, and we said it'd been advertised to us as part-furnished.

Round here, it is common to be told you can't see an inventory until you sign the tenancy agreement (shite, I know). I have a feeling the agents are hoping they can show the place round while we're out. We weren't ever going to let them do that, but now I've seen this advert, would it be very wrong to conscientiously tell all prospective tenants exactly what's what?

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TenancyTroublesAgain · 09/04/2018 13:54

I would tell them exactly what's what. Sneaky, but not surprised.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 13:56

No, I'm not surprised either - though, I would have been when I was younger and less aware of just how much letting agents lie. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but ...

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EspressoButler · 09/04/2018 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SaucyJack · 09/04/2018 13:59

Can you put post-it notes on all of your own stuff for any inspections?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:04

I think we'll be in for viewings, but I guess we could put post-it notes up. It would be ludicrous though - the majority of the stuff is ours, so it's easier to say what isn't.

It wouldn't bother us because for us the attraction was that it wasn't very heavily furnished (we actually wanted unfurnished but compromised). But a lot of people round here move into furnished properties and would seriously struggle if they had to budget for furniture too.

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araiwa · 09/04/2018 14:11

Why even bother give it a second of thought?

Postits all over your furniture would mark you as being a lunatic

Maybe ll will furnish it for new tenants?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:15

Grin Oh, you are sweet and innocent.

LL won't furnish it for new tenants.

I give it a second thought because I feel for people who look round thinking, great, we don't have to buy x, y and z. Oh, but we do. Shit. Have you never had that sinking feeling of realising you've been lied to?

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BrightYellowDaffodil · 09/04/2018 14:15

When I left my last rented flat I provided the lettings agents with a list of furniture that belonged to the house and stated that everything else belonged to the tenant (i.e. me). I didn't want them to be marketing the flat to some poor unsuspecting sod who wouldn't realise that all the nice stuff would be going, or for there to be a row after I left over me having taken my stuff with me.

It turned out not to be an issue as there were virtually no viewings until after I moved out but I had written a large notice I was going to leave on the dining table with estimated bills/Council Tax, a list of items that belonged to the flat and a statement that everything else belonged to the tenant.

The agents might have made a mistake, they might have passed it on to the office junior who's seen the furniture and assumed, they might be CFs. Either way I'd send them an email stating what's yours/not yours including the pot plants (bitter experience with letting agents has taught me to put/get EVERYTHING in writing). Unfortunately, it's up to the incoming tenant to ensure that they're getting what they think they are.

MoreProsecco · 09/04/2018 14:15

I'd stay out of it - it's really none of your business.

And how do you know that it's not going to be updated/new furniture after your tenancy ends? LL do things like that between tenancies.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:21

See, I just honestly don't believe they made a mistake. I have seen too many cheeky lettings agents. I think they know precisely what they're doing.

more - oh, sure, it's none of my business, but I would like to think tenants look out for each other when agents are trying to pull a fast one. I've had someone warn me before about dodgy stuff, and I was grateful.

The agent was also completely upfront to us about the LL having a bank of mismatched furniture that he shifts around his various houses. I doubt he's going to redo this one beautifully, somehow.

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FluffyHippo · 09/04/2018 14:22

In my experience, letting agents are lying, scheming scum who will do anything to get their commission, so you shouldn't really expect anything else...

And if you feel bad about any future tenants being misled about the furniture and so on, stay around for the viewings. In fact, I'd recommend doing that anyway - less chance for people viewing the place being lied to (it's happened to us on several occasions) and less chance that the letting slimeball will arrive for viewings early and go through your underwear drawers (happened also).

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:22

(Oh, and since it's down as being available the same day we move out, they'd have to be magic pixie renovators to get a whole bathroom redone!)

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:23

YY, will do fluffy. And ew.

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PaintedHorizons · 09/04/2018 14:26

The new tenants will ask what comes with the let and what doesn't.
They could hardly move all your furniture and belongings out in order to take pictures now could they?

Many new tenants like to bring their own stuff - as you clearly have - and discuss pre-let what is needed.

OK, so the bathroom isn't recently updated but the agent is hardly going to say it is a dreary bathroom. Anyone who views will see for themselves.

Details for every house I see online say "delightful space" "deceptively spacious" "cosy living room" "sought after area" - no one would veiew a property that said "Shithole available for rent to an unsuspecting idiot"

Why cause trouble when it isn't your business.

Apanicaday · 09/04/2018 14:29

We were the tenants on the receiving end of this - viewed a furnished house that had a good range of lovely furniture in it - inclusing a double bed - then when we moved in it transpired that that furniture had all belonged to the tenant and what we had instead was awful - think single divan beds with random mattresses on top that were different sizes to the bases. And it was all smelly. When we complained we were told it was tough and if we wanted out own furniture in there we would have to pay for storage of the furniture provided. We were very young when we moved in and did as we were told -sorted storage etc. With hindsight we should have been much more stroppy- but we thought it was normal. I wish the tenants had told us!

WhaleTasting · 09/04/2018 14:31

There's a special bastard test you have to pass before they let you become an estate agent. You also need to be about 12 years old and have never actually owned or rented a home yourself so that you can answer perfectly legitimate questions about the property with "I'm sure they will let you know that when you sign the paperwork". You must not understand at all why someone would want to have an idea about prices etc before agreeing to sign a contract. Mandatory.

I would tell potential tenants. I suspect if you do it once or twice they will quickly update their system.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:32

Yeah, but they might not, painted. Depends how experienced they are.

apanic - oh, that's shite! Yes, I can relate to that feeling of wishing you'd been more stroppy. I once rented a house where everything - down to artificial flowers in vases and books on shelves! - was 'part of the furnishings. We'd had no idea of that either and finally got permission to box it all up and stuff it in the attic, but again, it was cheeky and odd. There were shoes in the cupboard, I remember, and wrapping paper and tape - as if the landlord had just left it all ready to come back to.

I'd always try to check really precisely now.

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WhaleTasting · 09/04/2018 14:32

Why cause trouble when it isn't your business.

The whole crappy world in a nutshell.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:32

PMSL at whale. Oh yes.

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MollyDaydream · 09/04/2018 14:38

No way would I allow viewings!

expatinscotland · 09/04/2018 14:40

I'd definitely hang round at viewings and tell the potential tenants. Have yet to meet a letting agent who isn't a total punk arse git. Was once lied to about a place being unfurnished, showed up with a van and it was like the landlord, who was letting the place for the first time, packed a case and left. ALL their stuff was still there. Wound up having to move it all to the loft. Pure fucked us off as we had to pay to keep the van another day.

Letting agents will lie through every orifice to get a commission, IME.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:40

I don't mind allowing viewings, TBH. It just doesn't bother me, so long as we're in (and I work from home a lot so don't particularly care).

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/04/2018 14:41

That's really shit, expat.

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expatinscotland · 09/04/2018 14:44

I'd still keep the key in the lock on the door at all times after having letting agents who didn't bother to let us know they were coming for a viewing. First we knew about it was hearing the key turning in the lock. Luckily was always up and dressed but one poster on here was still in bed on a Saturday morning when the letting agent brought a person round. Another had a teen son who was still in bed and unclothed when the same thing happened.

Isn't renting fun . . . said no one ever? Grin

Hypermice · 09/04/2018 14:45

Letting agents are slime. Seriously the lowest form of life on the real estate tree.

Yes I’d tell tenants.