I started letting a property in April after split from H, mil roped in a favour with a friend who owns the letting agency to get me out the house. No letting agents locally accept housing benefit, of which I was going to/now do receive, and any private rentals which are few and far between frowned upon me being a childminder. And this agent said ok, like I said with mil's influence (so H could have our house to himself, which suited me fine.)
I took up rental, the day I was to sign letting agreement they refused the first months rent because the cheque was signed by the local council not me. I explained they paid the first months rent and I thought it would be ok as it's a cheque (they don't want anything to do with housing benefit or any record they've accepted it this once) but I had to convince the council to write it to me which they don't do. The letting agent has been quite negative with me ever since. The day I picked up the keys I had a number of children with me, three of which stood on the dirt out the front of the office, to which the company owner got very angry and after I'd asked them to move (which they did immediately they were playing with the snow) he said 'now this is NOT a good start lunavix, not at all, do you normally care for all these children?' to which I mumbled no just occassionally. To be fair I now only have five including my two, and only ever one CM child at a time, so it wasn't entirely a lie but still, I felt really intimidated.
When I moved in the house wasn't clean, and a number of items broken so I made notes on the inventory, and asked for a few things to be done, every time I phoned being made to feel like a complete pain. The bank didn't process my standing order in time (it was due on the 7th and they phoned me on the 10th, they claimed they hadn't received it in time, the letting agent claim they had posted it on the 7th the month before) so the minute I found out I contacted letting agent, then arranged a lift with a friend, went into town, and paid cash. The letting agent hadn't even contacted me to say rent wasn't paid. Again, they didn't look happy with me. I had noted the money hadn't gone out on the 7th, but I was waiting a few days anyways as I know some companies claim money on a certain day and it clears a few later?
I noticed my inventory said that the washing machine (very old) was my responsibility, and when I first used it it appeared to be on it's last legs. Now it's given up the ghost entirely and I have my suspicions that previous tenants haven't used it for that reason.
Now the point of this rant (sorry!) was that the landlords apparently hired a man to paint the woodwork on the house. When I spoke to the letting agent about this I did make comment, as the paint is all over the brickwork too, all over the bin, the path, my ornament, my doormat, the fridge where he's helped himself to milk.... they said they hadn't employed him but noted the mess. Nothing heard since. He knocked on my door a few days ago to ask if he could get into my garden to paint the neighbours woodwork (they have a big conservatory so my garden was the best angle.) Like an idiot I said sure even though it meant I had to unlock and mess around with back gate (again on last legs and I've padlocked it to keep it shut). When he entered the garden I apologised for the state of it, grass up to knees, because I had locked the lawnmover in the shed and lost the key. He said he could take the lock off for me, so I said thanks. The next day (with the lock totally ripped off so god knows what I am going to do about that ) I get a phone call from letting agent saying that landlord has made a complaint. The painter has told them (why in contact with them when they're painting next door house???) that grass is very unkempt and they're complaining I'm not taking care. (I had explained to painter about lawn mower as well.) Letting agent made me feel about 5 years old and told me I must mow it and will be inspecting property next week to check.
Can they demand I do it? I mean, I want to, it's too long for the kids to play in (some bits taller than my 1 year old ) but the only people who can see it are me and neighbours either side as over the fence is a graveyard. No lawn at front so doesn't look unkempt to public.
I hate living here. I'm paying rent that's too high for the area, condition and size of property, and every time I speak to these letting agents they make me feel like trash
I wouldn't mind but there was four people living in this (tiny) two bed house before me. Now I have NO prejudice against people from other countries but the lounge was used as a bedroom, they didn't go in the garden (so would they have mowen it???) and they had all manner of clutter out the front. And I'm panicking as I've put my old sofa in my car parking space so council can collect it. Bet it's still here when they come