AIBU - letting agents are always so bad?

[SapphOhNo]

We’ve just had a really frustrating experience with a letting agent and I need to vent.

We’re moving from the North to London for work and applied for a flat that was advertised and shown to us as fully furnished. Sofa, bed, table, everything. We paid the holding deposit, got all the referencing done, and even had a pretty snotty email from the agent saying we must pay five weeks’ rent as a deposit within 48 hours or risk losing the property.

Now, after all that, the agent has suddenly confirmed that none of the furniture belongs to the landlady. It’s all the tenant’s personal stuff and of course they’re entitled to take it with them. So in reality the flat is unfurnished.

Their “solution” is basically: we can buy the furniture off the tenant, or the landlady might provide a few things but no guarantees, or the tenant might just leave it all behind if they can’t be bothered to move it… again, no guarantees. If none of that works then they’ll just refund the deposit and call it a day.

And the kicker? Turns out they never even checked with the landlady before advertising it as furnished - they just asked the tenant!

I feel like we’ve been totally misled and messed about, after already putting time, money, and energy into this move.

Why are letting agents so shit!

Ask for your money back as it was not advertised truthfully

That is very shit. Definitely see if you can buy the stuff though, I've done this a couple of times and it's worked well.

Thanks.

Yeah we've asked for pictures of the items. Hopefully they'll be ok. Just hope this isn't indicative how how crap the agent will be managing the property.

It is indicative of how they will manage the property.

The issue is twofold. Firstly that regulations in this sector are ridiculously lax and leave a lot of wiggle room within which tenants can be messed around. Secondly, the barrier to entry into a position as a lettings agent is very low, and almost no training is given.

I wish you all the best with your move and job, and hope it all works out well for you.

I have to deal with a LOT of lettings Agents and some are great but many are pretty bad. I have had some try to pull some awful shit, often because my client is probably renting in The UK for the 1st time so the Agent thinks they can get away with things. I judge The Agents on whether they see me as someone who is going to expedite things and make it easier all round (I am) or as someone who is going to not let them get away with things. The decent Agents like me and are happy to work with me but if anyone isn't it raises red flags for me.
The main issue is that as there are more people than properties they can be as shit or rude or whatever as they want and it probably wont affect whether people take the Rental property or not. There are ones I prefer to work with if I have a client in their area I always contact them first. There are some I really don't like BUT if they have a property on their books that is suitable for my client I don't have the luxury of not dealing with them.

IF the advert said furnished and so did the contract

I despise letting agents, after being completely ripped off by one when I was renting in my early twenties. Shortly before moving out, they sent someone in to replace the washing machine and, when they dragged it out, they damaged the flooring. They then deducted the cost of repairing the flooring from our deposit when we moved out! I now let out a property but will not use an agent. I never want to deal with one again.

Yes I don't think i've had a single good experience. This is just extra stressful as we took a train down from London, everything was sorted and now for us to pull out and start again is the last thing we need.

The point about there being more potential tenants that there are properties is probably true, They had 25 viewings and 4 offers for this property (allegedly).

Also, we are responding via email and the agent is also sending messages via whatsapp. We've asked him to keep it to email so we have a coherent thread of the exchange... I sense we may pull out and leave a scathing review wherever we can. (I'm that angry)