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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the estate agent should pay.

115 replies

Theheartandtheshape · 13/05/2022 13:48

Moved in 1 year ago and have been such a good tenant that I've just signed for another 12 months at the same rate.

I don't have any contact with the landlord, it is all done via the estate agent.

Before I moved in, I mentioned on the offer form that I have a hamster. I had permission verbally confirmed by the estate agent at the viewing. I followed this up with an email before signing the lease, stating that I wanted to bring my hamster with me, that I had verbal permission but I wanted to check this was OK before signing. The response was "Yes this is correct". The entire content of my email was about the hamster, there were no other questions or issues that "yes this is correct" could have referred to.

I had an inspection 1 week ago and the woman contracted to do the inspection even asked if I wanted to hide the hamster from the photos. I said no, it's all above board, I have consent.

Received an email today from the estate agent from quite a snotty woman who told me that the landlord was concerned seeing the photos, as she was unaware of the hamster and it might invalidate her insurance. The buildings management company have said she needs to pay them £90. I explained that I had permission from the estate agent to keep the hamster and there is no way I'm paying £90. The woman said I have to pay or get rid of my pet.

I forwarded the email chain where the estate agent confirmed permission for a hamster, and the estate agent is now doubling down and saying that because the email doesn't say "the landlord has given permission" it isn't legally binding.

This seems insane and a semantic argument to me.

My view is the estate agent fucked up by not informing the landlord, clearly their employee wanted me to sign the lease last year and didn't speak to the landlord to get permission for the hamster first.

I feel misled, stressed and angry that the landlord will now be angry at me. I also don't have £90.

I've asked the manager to contact me. I hate conflict. Do you think the estate agent should pay the fee, and apologise to me and the landlord?

OP posts:
Astralitzia · 13/05/2022 13:51

Ask for the landlords contact details and send them the email chain where you were given permission.

It's up to the landlord to resolve this with their agent.

IanOsenfrote · 13/05/2022 14:05

Ask the management company exactly what the £90 is for. Is it an indemnity? Insurance? Or just to add a line to your tenancy agreement that your hamster is permitted.

Original poster
Theheartandtheshape · 13/05/2022 14:10

IanOsenfrote · 13/05/2022 14:05

Ask the management company exactly what the £90 is for. Is it an indemnity? Insurance? Or just to add a line to your tenancy agreement that your hamster is permitted.

The estate agent employee said it's a "small admin fee".

OP posts:
ChickensandCows · 13/05/2022 14:10

Just keep saying no. Then if they keep on arguing just say you've got rid of the hamster and just hide it everytime they want to check. What kind of insurance would be invalidated by a hamster?

IanOsenfrote · 13/05/2022 14:14

Theheartandtheshape · 13/05/2022 14:10

The estate agent employee said it's a "small admin fee".

Show quote history

Don't just accept that. Get them to state exactly what 'admin' they are doing and to justify the cost. In other words, be a pain.

Figstar4eva · 13/05/2022 14:14

I don't know how strict it is in the UK, I'm in the US, but the lease is your official document, anything agreed outside the lease, even in writing, is invalid. Not much help now but it should have been included in the lease. You can ask the agent to cover it and it does sound they f*** up but I think you might have to pay it.

purpleme12 · 13/05/2022 14:19

No there's no way she should pay that.
Everything she's done is above board.

Don't give in OP.

This gives me the rage so much

Angelou79 · 13/05/2022 14:20

I work in insurance there is no policy clause regarding pets they’re talking shite

axolotlfloof · 13/05/2022 14:21

I agree just say no politely.

Soubriquet · 13/05/2022 14:24

If they are that insistent, say you rehomed the hamster and hide it every time.

We aren’t supposed to have a cat. The dogs are fine but the last tenant had a cat that weed on their new carpets.

Whenever we have a house inspection, we bundle them cat and all cat related products in the car and one person stays with the house whilst the other drives off with the cat.

4 years later, and they are still none the wiser.

My cat is fully litter trained. She has not ever weed on a carpet

SeedyBloomer · 13/05/2022 14:24

As another poster said, there is no ‘pet clause’ in home insurance! What absolute rubbish from the LL.

NoSquirrels · 13/05/2022 14:25

There’s no insurance that would be invalidated by a hamster! Idiots.

Ask to go direct to the landlord to discuss if they feel it is an issue.

Aniita · 13/05/2022 14:26

Figstar4eva · 13/05/2022 14:14

I don't know how strict it is in the UK, I'm in the US, but the lease is your official document, anything agreed outside the lease, even in writing, is invalid. Not much help now but it should have been included in the lease. You can ask the agent to cover it and it does sound they f*** up but I think you might have to pay it.

That is nor true in the UK. Emails, and even verbal conversations, can also be legally binding. It's just more complicated when not in the contract.

I would refuse to pay and in future just hide the hamster when they come round.

Fluffruff · 13/05/2022 14:27

This would annoy me so much! If they won’t say no say you’ve given hammy to a friend who will look after it. When they do an inspection (presumably they give you notice) either get a friend to take it for a few hrs or put it in a wardrobe, id during the day it will prob be sleeping anyway. They’re small enough to hide! They can chew wires and so on so perhaps that is the instance thing.

TigerLilyTail · 13/05/2022 14:27

ChickensandCows · 13/05/2022 14:10

Just keep saying no. Then if they keep on arguing just say you've got rid of the hamster and just hide it everytime they want to check. What kind of insurance would be invalidated by a hamster?

To be honest I'd just do this. Tell them you got rid of the hamster and hide it when they come round.

The whole thing sounds stupid though.

Original poster
Theheartandtheshape · 13/05/2022 14:29

I really don't want to hide the hamster because I'd just be constantly stressed about being found out. Which is why I took care to get permission verbally and in writing.

I'm shocked and angry and this has ruined my day off work.

Thanks for all the replies.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 13/05/2022 14:29

Are you in a big block? If the landlord is talking about the buildings management company then it sounds like a leasehold permission issue (permission to keep a pet, £90 admin fee) rather than insurance issue.

Estate agency should 100% pay this, not you. You asked/informed 3 times and received written permission. It’s their responsibility.

I’d be reminding them that the hamster and you have been resident for 12 months with no damage to property - and the landlord will lose more money reletting than £90.

TheUndoingProject · 13/05/2022 14:36

The estate agent is being ridiculous. They are your landlord’s agent i.e they are authorised to act on the landlord’s behalf. You are perfectly entitled to assume that they are acting within the bounds of
their agreement with the landlord and that when they gave you consent that you could rely on it. Otherwise you would have to check every single they told you/document they sent you with the landlord directly.

I’d tell them that you had consent for the hamster and that if they have acted out with the bounds of their agreement with the landlord that is their issue to fix, not yours. What more could have reasonably done?

Leftbutcameback · 13/05/2022 14:36

EA are being appalling here. There is no way that the wording could mean anything else. They act as an agent, so on behalf of the LL, so entirely reasonable to ask them for permission and then assume the LL had given it. As other say, just keep pushing back and ask if they are part of an industry scheme which you can complain to. They'll deal with it eventually (ie pay up) to get you to go away.

AskingforaBaskin · 13/05/2022 14:36

Firstly don't allow any more inspections. This is your legal right.

Just tell them you have either removed the hamster or he has gone to the great running wheel in the sky.

Either way they don't have to worry their last surviving brain cell about it

pigsDOfly · 13/05/2022 14:40

I'd want to know exactly what this 'admin' fee is supposed to be for.

Up until my current tenant moved in none of my tenants had pets, it was never something I was asked about.

My current tenant has a dog. When they moved in a few years ago nothing changed regarding my insurance or the tenancy agreement, certainly nothing requiring a £90 'admin' fee.

purpleme12 · 13/05/2022 14:46

AskingforaBaskin · 13/05/2022 14:36

Firstly don't allow any more inspections. This is your legal right.

Just tell them you have either removed the hamster or he has gone to the great running wheel in the sky.

Either way they don't have to worry their last surviving brain cell about it

Then that really well invalidate the landlords insurance as it's quite standard for there to be a stipulation saying it needs to be inspected every 6 months

Lastic7 · 13/05/2022 14:51

Photos??

Jesus you don't have to agree to them taking photos of your home.

Lastic7 · 13/05/2022 14:51

purpleme12 · 13/05/2022 14:46

Then that really well invalidate the landlords insurance as it's quite standard for there to be a stipulation saying it needs to be inspected every 6 months

Show quote history

It would be invalidated already if it had such a stipulation which has no basis in law.

Original poster
Theheartandtheshape · 13/05/2022 14:53

Lastic7 · 13/05/2022 14:51

Photos??

Jesus you don't have to agree to them taking photos of your home.

I didn't like it but was told this was the inspection process.

I was also a bit unhappy with the fact that they gave my phone number to the inspection woman without pre-warning me. She texted me asking for my email address to set up an appointment. I had to contact them to confirm the woman was a legitimate inspector acting on their behalf. She also left a condescending voicemail on my phone about my not replying to my text, implying I was trying to not comply with the inspection. I had to send the agent a screenshot of my text reply to this woman to prove I had engaged with her immediately.

Just feeling lately that I'm paying £950 a month to be treated like I'm doing things wrong.

OP posts: