To not pay rent until details confirmed

[Paymentconundrum]

More of a wwyd really.

Rent a property which is managed by an estate agents - so no contact details for landlord.

They sent an email through on I think the 20th saying that they are changing their name (a merger I assume) and next months payment should be made to - new bank details. No letter sent to our address etc.

We sent an email back saying we would need them to confirm this over the phone with someone we have spoken to before. Tried calling them myself as well.

An email was sent back by the person I usually contact (but with the new email address) saying sorry I will call you but have been off sick. Now they’re closed for Christmas and rent is due on the 1st.

While I’m pretty sure it’s legit - I’m nervous of paying £2500 into a new bank account when all we’ve really had are emails and none of them really verified.

So come the 1st do I
Pay it into the original bank as usual
Pay it to the new bank
Wait for them to open and confirm it (which I guess will be the 4th).

Thanks to everyone who commented. By way of an update dh sent a message again saying we wouldn’t pay until the situation was clear and we finally got a call. It was legitimate and all sorted.

Absolutely terrible way for the EA to go about a change of name and bank accounts - and I wonder how many other tenants had this issue. Not to mention having to set up a new payee over the Christmas period etc.

Well done for being so careful and glad you got it sorted.

@Paymentconundrum have you called them? It sounds as though it’s a standard acquisition and their payment system such as Reapit has churned out a letter to all landlords and tenants, they’ll likely have numbers going into the 100s a quick call to them might settle it? If the staff member has been off sick it’s unlikely anyone else has access to her/his emails.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

In the circs I think you are perfectly justified in being very cautious - there are so many scamsters about and a responsible, professional letting agent should understand your caution.

Might add that I am a LL who ditched a letting agent because of sheer hopelessness. Too many Tims Nice But Dim seem to go into lettings, never mind the unscrupulous Not Nice types.
I’m not slagging them all off, far from it, but caution is certainly needed where your own, hard-earned cash is concerned.

Same here. I've found most letting agents to be quite hopeless, with the odd exception.

My landlord's details, including the payee bank account details, are written onto the lease. So changing them involves sending out a formal revision of the lease, requiring consent from both parties. I would have thought that should be pretty standard practice really, as protection against fraud and money laundering.