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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to find this so unprofessional.

25 replies

Yolo89 · 15/05/2019 17:36

We are applying for a new rental and asked our current management company (who looks after property ) for a reference. They refused until we gave notice on the property and my DH did what they said. I would not have. They screamed down the phone at him. Now the person who yelled at hom who incidentally has not bern tgere for long and seems not nice at all, told them we'd only been living there two years, not 4 and that we had missed payments. We have has a few late payments but no missed payments. We have it in writing their offer of a renewal on our current property stating we are good tenants. Signed by this woman. This woman is lying and being spiteful as she is just nkt a nice person. We never ever had a problem.with the last person who did the same job.
What can we do if the new place refuses our application a d we have been forced tp give notice on.the current property?

OP posts:

Original poster

Yolo89 · 15/05/2019 17:37

sorry for typos

OP posts:

Pipandmum · 15/05/2019 17:38

Go to her boss and complain and ask for the reference to be corrected.

Amibeingdaft81 · 15/05/2019 17:38

I’m confused
So they had already given a good reference?

And being late in paying your rent is bad, very bad.

PanamaPattie · 15/05/2019 17:39

Why is this person screaming down the phone?

Skittlesss · 15/05/2019 17:40

Maybe they meant missed the payment date?

BogglesGoggles · 15/05/2019 17:41

Well it’s defamation. Just writr to your letting agency threatening to sue them if they don’t correct their reference. Most people shit themselves and comply.

StickOfRhubarb · 15/05/2019 17:42

So they said you’d only been with them for two years and it was four?
Ask them to change it.

A late payment is a missed payment. You missed the date it was supposed to be paid by. If you hadn’t paid at all, it would have been a non-payment.

hatemyhairhun · 15/05/2019 17:48

I would contact someone more senior at her company - go above her head. With references, companies have to be very, very careful with how they word them hence why most just keep something brief and factual and not personal. Let them know about the incorrect information provided and ask them to correct the error or you ‘may be forced to take them to court’

If she has lied and as a result, you have missed out on opportunities or have extra fees etc, you could possibly sue for damages for slander/libel. However this is a long and arduous process and something that you’ll probably want to avoid - but you can always use it as a negotiating chip to get the references fixed

caughtinanet · 15/05/2019 17:53

Clearly you ring and speak to her manager, why haven't you done that already?

Original poster

Yolo89 · 15/05/2019 18:02

They sent us a letter offering us a renewal of our contracy as we were good tenants. Emailed by said girl.

Then she sceamed down the phone as mu husband had talked to someone above her and had an understanding we could write our notice to leave over the weekend, and she bellowed down the phone 'I'm telling you, we wont do a referemve unless you put in your notice to leave now'. Really aggressive.

We hace sent our oringinal lease dated 4 years ago to new letting agents and tolf her this woman is lying.

To force our hand and then go againsy what she has said in writing is surely sueable?

We are waiting to hear from the letting agents she is our side. Just cant believe one crazy person can make us homeless

OP posts:

Queenbetty · 15/05/2019 21:26

Why are you still dealing with her?

Original poster

Yolo89 · 16/05/2019 07:40

We are no longer dealing with her. We are waiting to hear if we have been accepted before taking this further. Problem is even the head of management is corrupt. They are all dodgy.

OP posts:

Original poster

Yolo89 · 16/05/2019 07:42

hate my hair - isn't it defamation to say we have been good tenants in our renewal letter and is now going against this?

OP posts:

Skittlesss · 16/05/2019 07:48

Well, no, I would say it’s not defamation from the info you have given.

You say she said you have been there 2 years and have missed payments.

2 years - this could be a mistake on her part. There’s nothing damaging to your reputation there.

Missed payments - well you have admitted that you have paid late a few times. You haven’t said how late. Late payments can have an impact on your credit score and perceived liability.

rosesandcashmere · 16/05/2019 08:18

You should get the dates corrected, that needs to be done, but you said yourself you had late payments so hardly a model tenant!

NailsNeedDoing · 16/05/2019 08:29

Surely the reference would be inaccurate if they didn't say that there had been missed or late payments. That's exactly the sort of things a potential land lord wants to know. You can't expect them to say that you have been good tenants on a reference if you don't pay your rent on time.

NorthEndGal · 16/05/2019 08:32

How many times late, and how late, was the rent?

Gwenhwyfar · 16/05/2019 08:44

"Surely the reference would be inaccurate if they didn't say that there had been missed or late payments. "

OP says there weren't any missed payments, just late payments, so missed payments is a lie.

Alsohuman · 16/05/2019 08:49

No, it isn’t a lie. Rent not paid on time is a missed payment.

Sparkletastic · 16/05/2019 08:50

I struggle with any post that describes someone as having 'screamed' unless it relates to spiders or horror films.

rosesandcashmere · 16/05/2019 08:51

Missed payments isn't a lie. A late payment is a missed payment.

Constance1234 · 16/05/2019 09:14

The 2 years thing sounds like an error that you can easily ask her to rectify. However as the pp said, a late payment IS a missed payment, so I'm not sure that you'll be able to get that removed from your reference unfortunately.

swingofthings · 16/05/2019 09:34

The 2 vs 4 years is not going to make a huge difference. The missed payment is the likely deal breaker and that won't have been a lie.

Her screaming at her husband might be because despite telling him that it is policy that the agency doesn't give references before notice is given, he continued to insist and refused to accept what she was saying.

It is harsh that they demand notice before giving a rerefence as clearly it is putting you in a risky position. At the same time, they don't want to be held liable by a new LL for giving a good reference in case the tenant decides to stop paying once the reference is given.

You should have anticipated difficulties due to your late payments, so should have sought advice on whether this would deter the new LL before giving notice.

codenameduchess · 16/05/2019 09:42

A late payment is a missed payment, she's not lying. If the payment is not made on or before the due date it's missed.

The 2 years can be corrected so is a non-issue.

OP you are avoiding the questions about the late payments is that because it's a regular occurrence?

OKBobble · 16/05/2019 09:45

They will not put their client to the expense etc of preparing and providing a reference until you have given notice. Your DH probably kept pestering them until she reached the end of her tether.

Late payments = missed payments as in missed payment dates.

No payment at all for certain months = arrears.

2 year v 4 year is clearly an error. Ask them to confirm no breaks in the tenancy since start date of 4 years ago as evidenced by tenancy agreement.

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