WIBU to ask current tenants for the landlords details?

[SearchingTenant]

Basically, the title is my question.
The rest of my post is just a longer explanation; no need to read it if you don't want to.

We are looking to move to a bigger home, and the perfect house has come up. A lot cheaper than our current rent, with many more bedrooms and bathrooms. The garden is smaller, that's fine though.
The problem we have is that the Estate Agents so far haven't been helpful at all. I've contacted them multiple times over the past three weeks, and they've continued to promise to get back to me, never actually doing so.

We went to actually see them at the start of this week to enquire further - all seemed fine, took our details, spoke about the price (reflects the work needed doing) said they'd speak to the landlord about our pet request - we offered a little more because of this. Still nothing, despite making more calls.

Current tenants are choosing to move to another area of the country, and I wondered whether it's OK to just knock and ask them for details ourselves.
The Estate Agent keeps telling me how many people are interested, and how they're so short staffed etc which I understand. I just don't want to miss out because of this; on the other hand, I don't want to make the tenants uncomfortable or the landlord by going directly.

You can try but it is possible that the tenant doesn't know the landlord's details if it is a managed property.
Have you written to the agent? A letter is always better than a phone call or verbal contact IME.

@endofthelinefinally Thank you, I'll send an email.
I just have the feeling that although they are short-staffed, the rental side isn't a priority for them.
Three weeks is a long time to arrange a viewing.

The agent may have an agreement to no viewings till property vacant. Anyway, it is easy for them to forward an email to the landlord. Hope it works out.

It's worth a try. But yeah many tenants don't know the details of the actual landlord. It will be managed by an agency.

If they are a private individual as opposed to a larger business the person might feel weird about handing it out. No harm in asking though.

Or the estate agent already has another person in mind but doesn't want to tell you that.

No you should not - the tenant should not give randoms their landlords address! I would go back to the agents and insist on a viewing or an explanation about why not.
It could well be the current tenants have refused viewings. But if that’s the case why doesn’t the agent just say?

I wouldn't pass on someone else's personal details without their permission. The landlord is using an agent for a reason; they don't want to deal with this stuff themselves.
It's really frustrating, but you'll just have to keep on at them. I'd assume they had a preferred tenant in mind and that's why you are not a priority to contact.

So if someone you didn't know knocked on your door and asked for an address would you be comfortable giving it to them?

The tenants will probably deal with the managing agent directly.

A couple of points.

All tenants are entitled to know the landlord's address even if the property is managed by someone else.

OP - you can search cheaply on the Land Registry for the owner of the property. If it's a private individual you might get some traction that way.

Could you draft a quick letter @SearchingTenant (pen and paper) and give it to the tenants to pass on, and ask the landlord to contact you?

I have to say, when DH and I (and our 2 DC) rented a private let home some 11-12 years ago (when we were between homes and not sure where we wanted to live/which county etc,) we went through a property agent, and we never knew the landlady's address.

We stayed there for about a year and a half in the end. We knew roughly where she lived (big 6 bed new build detached, some 10 miles from us,) but we didn't know her actual address.

Maybe things are different now, but we didn't know our landlady's address at that time (2012-2013 ish.)

.

As a landlord, I'd be glad if my current tenants passed on my details to potential new tenants. For a start it would save the letting agent fees but also letting agents give landlords only a couple of choices usually at least. I had one pair of horror tenants through an agent once so would always consider other ways to let to tenants.

The tenants probably won’t want to be bothered by you.

Yep - this often happens. But it is a legal right to be given the landlord's name and address.

"Under Section 1 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 tenants have a right to request the name and address of their landlord. This information must be provided in writing within 21 days of the request. If this information is not provided, this is an offence and you could be given a fine."
From Citizens Advice.

No i would be pissed off if someone randomly knocked on my door asking for my landlords details. Not cool.

If you're in Scotland or Wales they will be on the landlord register which anyone can check. England are introducing it when the renters reform stuff comes in.

Back when I was renting I was asked by a neighbour for the address of my LL. I told them I did not know as it was managed by an agent. I would not give them the agents address either. I told them "Its for me to know and you to find out". She was not smart enough to know about the land registry website.