Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Shitty email from rental agent

301 replies

Whyohsky · 06/08/2018 17:06

AIBU to be annoyed by this? Have rented our current house for a couple of months now and today I got an email from the agent saying they’d had a complaint from some neighbours about our car being parked on the ‘green’ (crappy grassy area in front of a few of the houses). Firstly, it wasn’t our car! And secondly, how dare they start accusing us of something on the word of an unnamed neighbour? Our landlord hasn’t been in touch, so it’s clearly not an issue they’re aware of (or at all Hmm) but how dare a neighbour go tittle tattling to the people we rent our house through, whether we’d done anything or not?

WWYD? So far I wrote back a one line email saying it wasn’t our car (which is always in the drive) but I’m appalled they’ve taken the word of a local busybody and essentially told me off for something I haven’t done. Even if I had done it, it’s not illegal! For context, it’s a very naice area, lots of retired people round a close and just a couple of families. It’s expensive (£2K/month) and I get the feeling the neighbours look down on us for renting (one came and asked if I was the new tenant when we moved in, very snooty). We’re just a boring family, 2.4 DC, both at work during the day and DC at school/holiday club. It’s really upset me!

OP posts:
loveisland · 07/08/2018 06:47

Omg well as a landlord I hope to god you don't rent my house, the agents were doing there job, you come on here belly aching!
The landlord may have previously lived there and said to the neighbours how they hate people parking in the grass or anything!
Personally I hate people parking on the grass, there's enough tarmac in cul de sacs to find a little space !

Stirner · 07/08/2018 06:48

@AnyFucker didn't realise refusing to bow down to other people = "chip on your shoulder"

Stirner · 07/08/2018 06:51

@loveisland - it's irrelevant what the landlord likes or dislikes, they arent paying the rent, and any neighbour that thinks they're "keeping an eye" for the landlord can do one.

Unihorn · 07/08/2018 06:52

Renters are looked down on in my area too. I assume if you live in an area where it's common to rent (probably most larger cities) then it's unusual to be judged for renting. But certainly around here it is.

The house next door to my parents' is a rental and every time it goes on the market they moan that 'god knows who'll be next'. A house on my grandparents' street (predominantly retirees over 70) is judged because the grass is untidy and the windows never open...

Its a bit of a vicious circle really that leads to a stereotype of a tenant. When tenants are paying triple the landlord's mortgage and being "told on" to letting agents (who are normally shit when it comes to assisting with anything of use) it's not difficult to see why they resent looking after the property as they would their own home.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/08/2018 06:58

Are we living in Gilead? Really, OP?

Oh, I do so call out your hairy hands! Nobody could be as vitriolic and self pitying as all that! Except, maybe, in the school holidays! Too hot to play outside, perhaps!

Ninabean17 · 07/08/2018 07:00

Have you emailed back yet? If not, just ring them. Explain it wasn't your car, simple. If they keep accusing you, keep knocking it back. If you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to worry about.

Littleloaf · 07/08/2018 07:03

OP I know how it feels to think people are spying on you and ganging up on you. I've had the same thing where I live; when we first moved in, one of the neighbours went around all the other neighbours trying to gather support for complaints against us as a visitor to our house parked in the visitor parking she considered reserved for her. She didn't get the support but complained anyway, about that and so many other things - she didn't like a tree in our garden (bearing in mind her back garden is a good 30 feet from our front garden so no direct impact), she didn't like me singing one lunchtime as I pegged the washing out... She's even told the neighbours off for parking wrongly in their own driveway.

I own my house and it's detached. She lives in one of the terraced houses on the other side (our first contact with her was as we were moving in, she popped her head over the gate and said she had thought about buying the house herself but it was too poky upstairs Grin) but essentially the point is, I don't think you're in this situation because you're renting, and it's nothing to do with you personally; there's always just some knob on every street who will complain about everything.

topcat2014 · 07/08/2018 07:05

I get where the OP is coming from. I own my house, so there is no-one to go running to apart from us if someone wants to complain.

Therefore this does not happen. Why should tenants be expected to be hassled by unknown people and third parties. (agent) over something not concerned with the way the bricks and mortar they are renting is treated.

There are rented houses in my road, and I am sure my busybody ndn could tell you exactly which houses they are.

I couldn't btw.

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/08/2018 07:12

CuriousaboutSamphire
I’d love to agree with you but sadly the email is non accusatory and too tame. I think this is real.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/08/2018 07:15

You are probably right, Mummy. But I can't get my head round anyone working themselves up so much over such a non event - and what was with the Gilead comment? Truly bizarre!

AgathaRaisonDetra · 07/08/2018 07:15

But.... whose car is it?????

OP- do you know who the car belongs to?

freshstart24 · 07/08/2018 07:16

If the complaint was regarding something illegal I'd understand as I think the estate agent has a duty to follow up complaints.

However, you can park on the green area if you want to so I think it's ridiculous.

Try to rise above it OP. Someone is obviously very petty, and easily wound up. Don't be like them. Enjoy your new home.

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/08/2018 07:17

I agree the Gilead comment is ridiculous. I wonder how people like this would deal with a real problem.

Trethew · 07/08/2018 07:34

I would reply to any further accusations/complaints as follows:

Dear Letting Agent

You have been misinformed

Sincerely
OP

NotAgainYoda · 07/08/2018 07:39

Trethew

Which is what the OP did. Unless 'it wasn't my car' doesn't mean the same thing...

loveisland · 07/08/2018 07:40

@Stirner if you read a lot of tenancy agreements there's quite often a clause about how the lawn is to be kept/maintained.

glintandglide · 07/08/2018 07:43

It’s not the tenants lawn. It’s public space outside of her property.

Stirner · 07/08/2018 07:43

@loveisland - there is. But this isn't a "lawn" that belongs to the house. It's a communal strip of grass.

The point is, is that if op owned the property her neighbour would have no recourse, regarding verge parking. Why should she be treated differently because she rents?

tildaMa · 07/08/2018 07:47

@Fishbiscuits

In answer to what would happen if you owned instead of renting, we had a letter from our local council

Presumably the same letter was sent to all houses within immediate area. OP got a letter in condescending tone, addressed to her personally.
Find the differences (hint: underlined bits):

saying that there had been complaints about people parking on the strip of grass between our slip road and the main road, telling us that they owned the land and saying no-one should be parking there.

We have had reports from a neighbour that your car had been parked on the green outside number X They have kindly asked that you not park on the green in the future.

TransplantsArePlants · 07/08/2018 07:49

So much hyperbole

Trethew · 07/08/2018 07:55

Agree yoda but I have found it useful because you send that same response to all petty complaints without entering into discussion, and hopefully agent soon realises you are not the problem

Needmoresleep · 07/08/2018 08:30

As a landlord I get pissed off when people complain about my good tenants. And frustrated when they complain about the less good ones as there is little I can do about it. As these are flats, complaints tend not to go to the letting agency, but via the property managers to me.

Inveitably the property managers know the complainants well. There is one in every block. And presumably also one in every street. The two biggest problem ones have been elderly single men. Not a complete stereotype but they seemed disappointed in life and determined to rule their small universe. Completely polite to me to my face, but bitchy behind my back. I have also noticed a very disturbing misogynist trend. Female tenants on their own have, effectively, been bullied. As a landlord I reply robustly on behalf of the tenant, and do my best to reassure the tenant that they are NOT in the wrong.

That said you need to be realistic. There is not a lot of money in property management. The managers will be dealing with more complicated issues (problem tenants, evictions, property refurbishments etc) and the day to day stuff gets delegated to minimum wage juniors with a lot less life experience that you or me. Your interests are to get on with them as they are the ones who can make a real difference should you have a broken boiler or need to move. Unless they are majorly out of order, I would stay polite and kind. Perhaps phone them up and ask who made the complaint - they may or may not tell - and suggest in a chatty way that you found it quite unwelcoming, hinting that next time you woud prefer that they bounce such complaints back and that the complainant speaks directly to you. With a bit of digging you may find that the oprevious tenants were a problem so your neighbours have decided to jump on any problems early.

The relative inexperience of many lettings agency staff is why I manage my property myself. As I said upthread, it helps if you start with low expectations. Save your ammunition with the managers for when it really matters. And if you are likely to want to rent again, a good reference will go a long way. I am very effusive to people with whom I have had a constructive relationship.

RainySeptember · 07/08/2018 08:33

OP is too defensive. I reckon the car belonged to someone who was visiting her.

No way anyone would be posting on here, referencing Gilead, talking about 'sticking up for oneself' and just this bloody worked up about a polite notice to stop parking on the grass.

kernowsailor · 07/08/2018 08:38

@Needmoresleep - some very sound advice in your post.

sagasleathertrousers · 07/08/2018 09:11

I had a complaint that my tenant was parking in somebody else's space (or her guests were.) My agents just emailed her to say if she was using the space then please stop. I'd be concerned if I thought she'd be so offended by that! If people are complaining it's only reasonable to pass it on, it's not your landlord's fault. If she'd emailed back and said it wasn't her I would have asked the agents to apologise. I do think you should get an apology.

Swipe left for the next trending thread