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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be furious at this letter from letting agent -

120 replies

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 13/10/2009 18:21

3 month check on our flat, we have only been here 3 months. They have written to us saying that we are not paying 'enough care and attention to cleanliness'! WTF! Then they say it is not for us to dictate how people live their lives but it can be hard to clean the flat to a good standard at the end of the tenancy if it is not kept clean enough throughout. Then helpfully give us the name of a cleaning company.

Ok, we have a one year old, the place is a mess a lot of the time. They were supposed to call back to confirm visit which they didn't do so I forgot they were coming, otherwise I would have tidied. But What? It really is not dirty. Ok the wall near the kitchen bin needs a wipe and it might have needed hoovering but the general state is absolutely fine. I am furious as it is my right to live in a messy house as long as it isn't trashed, and we need the landlady to agree to a rolling contract/to renew which she might not do if she thinks we are slovenly pigs. They are coming back again in 2 weeks so I will obviously make sure it's clean and tidy but what kind of state would you expect a place to be in to get a letter like that?

Letting agents really do not work for tenants at all, do they

OP posts:
ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 13/10/2009 20:24

I think "They truly are an exceptionlly vile people" is pretty offensive.

Original poster
ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 13/10/2009 20:24

Flight don't worry if the landlord knows and has agreed. The worst the agent could do is inform the LL which doesn't matter if they already know.

I have had letting agents who were absolutely fine, got repairs done, gave back deposit on time and didn't give me any trouble. I have had one dreadful one before but not like this - they were trying to withold deposit unfairly (before DPS).

OP posts:
LittleWhiteWolf · 13/10/2009 20:24

And I think those Buddhist monks rearing orphaned puppies are great

Ronaldinhio · 13/10/2009 20:25

I'm a landlady who rents herself..anyway fundamentally I don't give a shit what happens in my properties in terms of tidiness and don't expect to be judged day to day only upon check out

I've never heard of what happened to you before and I haven't done it.
We go to the properties once a year, if they stay, and check to see if they need a bit of paint sloshed around/lino replaced etc etc to keep them happy and the house a nice place to live in.

I don't think they have any right to comment unless you are doing something that would create damp etc.
The idea that you have to keep the agent on side is long gone as well as the deposit is held by an independent third party
Ignore

FlightAttendant · 13/10/2009 20:29

Thanks Kat. I suppose the fact the garden is covered in sawdust and waiting-to-be-fixed rabbit runs is possibly not going to go down TOO well

However that is temporary. The amount of work and money I've put into the place is hopefully in my favour (laid new slate floor, built two fences, put down carpet, vinyl etc etc)

I am a bit worried that after a while they willw ant a wealthy tenant in here and to put the rent up, once it is finished. Maybe I ought to take my time over the decorating

notanumber · 13/10/2009 20:31

But Bibbity, You can't say that just because you know that some MNers are landlords/estate agents then no-one should ever ever criticise them.

I happen to think that people who...

bibbitybobbityCAT · 13/10/2009 20:33

"What we have here is a 'someone with a low opinion of estate agents' shocker".

It is a lazy cliche more like.

I am fed up with the rudeness on Mumsnet. I am sick of seeing people saying things they wouldn't have the guts to say in real life.

Very occasionally I call on it when I see it happening.

I am on a one-man mission to clean up this sewer .

notanumber · 13/10/2009 20:36

I've heard people say much worse than that about estate agents in my staffroom at school!

But take your point about the rudeness and take my hat off to your one-woman crusade.

LittleWhiteWolf · 13/10/2009 20:41

Ok I really want to drop this having already explained myself, but I do just want to say I have said this in real life--like I say in my 'trying to be fair' post I do vent and rant when I think of the experience because I am bitter. I am trying to let that go but rather failing, eh?

Anyway, sorry my experiences are a 'lazy cliche'. I really was just explaining some experiences I've had--bad ones.

Again, sorry for the offence, I was out of line with some of the generalisations but I've explained myself, hopefully this will satisfy???

FlightAttendant · 13/10/2009 20:43

Bibbity I think I love you. I always fancied that bloke off EE as well

Ronaldinhio · 13/10/2009 20:52

notanumber I used to hunt and am a landlord...how vile does that make me??

bibbity are you a headgirl now or a bossy older cousin whose cast offs I have to wear and play the games only you want???

FlightAttendant · 13/10/2009 20:55

I think you can call behaviour vile but not people, because the people we know on here are being lovely on here then perhaps doing something less than lovely elsewhere...it isn't them that is vile, it is the vile thing being done.

Ronaldinhio I don't think you are vile at all, i think foxhunting is, well, a bit vile, but you are just a person with a mixture of nice things and other things about you - some things I do/have done are vile, too, but I hope I am also nice.

Doodleydoo · 13/10/2009 20:57

Ooh loving it all, I think Estate Agents can be vile and my best mate is one - best mate not vile to me but can be vile to others as have seen!

By the by, OP I feel terribly sorry for you I think documenting all the "chaos" is really important as you quite blatantly don't live in squalor.

We rented a holiday house and had it cleaned professionally by the recommended people and the agent told me that it wasn't clean enough and we had to pay to have it done again. Not quite the same but I can assure you similar outrage. We contacted landlord who then told the agent to go fuck herself. Brilliant and v lucky!

edam · 13/10/2009 21:02

LWW, stop apologising! Lots of people share your low opinion of estate agents - it's hardly news to anyone who is an agent.

notanumber · 13/10/2009 21:05

Ronaldinhio - "notanumber I used to hunt and am a landlord...how vile does that make me??"

Not vile at all, as far as the landlord thing goes. Pretty bloody vile as far as the foxhunting thing goes.

But then, that's just my opinion. That's the beauty of MN, isn't it? You get to state your opinions honestly, and not feel that you have to tiptoe around a prescibed set of rules about what's ok and what's not ok.

Though I would agree with FlightAttendant that it is more useful perhaps to criticise behaviour rather than the person.

ReneRusso · 13/10/2009 21:06

Just try not to take it personally and have a good clean up before next time they come. Speaking as a landlord, I would be very surprised if they don't renew just because of a bit of mess.

LissyGlitter · 13/10/2009 21:09

I have had problems in the past with landlords thinking the house is "theirs" while they are renting it out- ie they can let themselves in, make comments about our lifestyle and so on. As a student, I had a landlord let himself into the house to shout at my housemate for the mess, when the only mess was the settee in the middle of the room while she was hoovering! Same landlord gave the key to his brother, who turned up, wife and kids in tow, to replace our hoover while I was in bed after a night shift, and let himself in with no warning or even a knock on the door.

Last week I had an angry call off my letting agent, saying he was going to evict us for non-payment of rent. When DP rang back to complain and give them the reference numbers of the payments we have made, exactly on time, he just got a mumbled apology. They know full well that I am heavily pregnant, yet they felt it ok to literally shout at me down the phone that I couldn't expect to live somewhere for free.

I dream of a council house.

Ronaldinhio · 13/10/2009 21:10

ha ha ha totally agree notanumber

Cloudbase · 13/10/2009 21:19

Kat, you have my sympathy. I am renting with my DS & DD, 1 & 3 yrs old, and I had an inspection this morning - am ashamed to admit I spent the last two days manically cleaning like a demon so that the agency think I am the perfect tenant. I am always paranoid about the carpets which are pretty much spattered with food in the front room (been thrown off high chairs), and baby vomit in the bedroom - it doesn't matter how well you clean them,. some stains just don't shift - so I have covered them all massive rugs . My landlord has paid the agency extra to do 3 monthly inspections - I think this is a common option when you sign up with a letting agency?

Mind you, when I first moved in, 3 years ago, they would literally pop their heads round the door, ascertain that I wasn't subletting or graffiting the walls, and go again. In the last six months, however, they have started turning up with clipboards and checklists, and doing much more detailed inspections, so I'm wondering if there has been a general change in policy for letting agents? The letter you have been sent sound like a standard letter - do contact them and ask for an itemised list of any perceived problems. I seriously doubt they will bother contacting the landlord if they are happy at the next inspection.

It is horrible though, becuase you do always feel insecure as a tenant. As they only legally offer 1 year shorthold tenancies these days, you only ever have a year's security and that is horrible. People are constantly asking me where I am thinking of sending DD to school, and I can only say "If we are still living here..." - it's actually quite scary as I never feel like I can make long term plans.

I was always told that they are looking for general state of upkeep (damage,cracks, stained carpets (!)) just that you are not trashing the place and also that you are keeping it is a generally good condition. I don't think tidiness should come into it as you are renting the space, so can fill it with whatever you want. Having said this, as a single parent with really lovely neighbours, I'm paranoid about losing the tenancy so I am a total coward in the face of our agency...(and again with the )

bibbitybobbityCAT · 13/10/2009 21:52

S'alright LittleWhite - I cross posted with your last one.

Flight - thanks lovey. You can be my deputy head girl if you like .

Kat - don't panic, reply to their letter saying you would appreciate a call to confirm their inspection next time and assure them that the flat is cleaned to a good standard but was just untidy when they arrived unnanounced. And thank them for their kind recommendation of xyz cleaning company but you are perfectly on top of things yourself. I am sure ABetaDad is on to something there.

WingedVictory · 13/10/2009 22:52

We rent and will have to do some serious painting in the kitchen, in the sitting room, in DS's bedroom, on the stairs... It's a normal part of living with a baby, and if you wipe the counters down "more than once a day" and "mop regularly" and hoover so often, you are a sight better than I am at times!

By the way, all renters, isn't it so annoying that so many of these carpets (in the hallway, the front hallway?! for pity's sake) are in LIGHT COLOURS. And magnolia walls, groan! My last flat, where I lived for 8 years (and our landlady came to our wedding), was great, as I painted my bedroom, we could put up pictures, and it was home. I guess I'm missing "home"

ABetaDad · 13/10/2009 22:53

In my 25 years of renting, I have only ever had one bad landlord and he was in the process of divorcing and his finances were up the creek and he didnt pay his mortgage.

Every single instance of bad experiences was the agent. That said, many of our agents have been good and some have been outstanding.

FiveGoMadonTheDanceFloor · 13/10/2009 22:57

I am a landlady and had to spend a fair amount of money on getting rid of cockraoaches, courtesy of a previous tenant so YABU

Original poster
ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 14/10/2009 06:51

Ummmmm fivegomad
I don't have cockroaches
My house is not dirty
I know some people will keep their house in squalor but mine is not
Do you really think as a landlady you have the right to dictate how messy a person's house is? Because that is what we are talking about, not dirt. A big pile of shoes by the door. The dining room table covered in crap (but it's my table). Toys all over the floor. Clothes on the bedroom floor. (washed) Recycling bags in the kitchen. Does any of that sound like anything that is your business? Whereas the kitchen surfaces are clean, the floors are clean enough, the carpet is vacuumed, the bathroom is clean.
Thanks for assuming that all tenants are the same though.

OP posts:
scaryteacher · 14/10/2009 07:52

WV - when I first looked at letting my house out, I was told to get rid of the pink paint in the kitchen, the peach hall, the terracotta in the small sitting room, and the fuschia in the bathroom as they would put tenants off. Hence magnolia or antique linen or whatever it is.

We rent an MQ and it is all magnolia and we are not allowed to change anything.