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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 12:44

Did I miss something? If Ski is saying I'm making a fast buck, I'm not. The rent gets reinvested in the property, and isn't used for the mortgage. What I get in rent equals roughly what we pay on the Married Quarter for rent and bills. It's an old property (1835) and needs to be lived in, not stand empty.

FlightAttendant · 15/10/2009 14:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 15:11

Thanks for that FA - I've seen her on some other threads as well. Glad it wasn't me

skihorse · 15/10/2009 15:13

I said nothing of the sort FA, that's an outright lie and I have reported your post.

I spoke about NATO and tax-free agreements.

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 15:24

Ummm, you need to get your facts straight Ski - there are other organisations in Brussels in which the military serve, not just NATO.

Dh is not at NATO. We pay UK tax and NI, and obviously declare any income from lettings on the annual self assessment return to HMRC. There are no tax free breaks for serving officers in HM Forces at NATO as they are paid by HMG.

FlightAttendant · 15/10/2009 15:42

No, it's not a lie, you stated that ST 'ought to be paying her mortgage in the UK using her DH's wages' or some such and that instead 'she was renting to make a fast buck'.

I don't think I have misdescribed that at all - as I'm certain Stuffit will verify, that was almost word for word what you said. Now they are going to have to delete my post as well - unless ST doesn't mind those comments being reiterated as she is here to defend herself now. ST - do ask for my post to go if you wish.

Your other post mentioned NATO and some other organisation.

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 15:47

My mortgage is paid in the UK out of dh's taxed UK salary, and we pay also out of dh's salary (taxed UK income) taken straight out of his pay to rent a Married Quarter. What is the problem with that? How are we making a fast buck?

FlightAttendant · 15/10/2009 15:52

ST I understand but would not bother arguing with SH, it isn't worth the hassle.

Have you seen this little gem this morning?

Bloody hell!

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 15:57

Mmm, see what you mean.

PfftTheMagicDragon · 15/10/2009 15:58

If I were you I would catalogue this as a lesson. Most landlords and almost all agents are not nice. You think that they will see things from your point of view, because hey, we're all human but they won't. The truth is that they don't give a shit about you.

ABetaDad is right, you need to start taking photos and notes and making sure everything is written down. Assuming that the house is not a filthy dump and you are decent tenants - If they are like this now, imagine what it will be like when you move out and they fancy getting the house professionally cleaned, or some new kitchen cupboard doors, or a new carpet. WHere do you think that money will come from? Your deposit! Protect yourself now.

It all sounds a bit cynical I know, but from recent personal experience I can tell you that you should not be fooled into thinking that just because you wouldn't screw someone over, it will not be done to you!

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 16:01

The house should be professionally cleaned when one tenant leaves and the next comes in. I'm dreading march out from the MQ as they even inspect the grooves in the inside of the windows.

Not all l/ls and agents are out to screw people over Pfft. I'm not- I'm glad my house is lived in, and I like my tenants.

Leeka · 15/10/2009 16:22

Lots of negative comments about landlords and letting agents here, just wanted to redress the balance:

I used to be an estate agent, and I was a good one! Obviously you have to sort out problems, preferably before they arise, but with sensitivity and tact and to everyone's benefit.

I have previously been a landlord, and as Scaryteacher says, did an occasional inspection in order to find out what the house needed, what was wearing out, etc - for the tenants benefit as much as mine.

I am now renting, and we have great agents and a great landlord, who are happy for us to make the house our home, and leave us to get on with it.

I know this doesn't help the OP, but thought the thread was getting a bit 'agent bashing'!

stuffitllllama · 15/10/2009 16:29

FA is right and skihorse did make those claims, and was presumptious and rude, and wrong, and just out of order really. Well done FA for reporting. That could be nigh on fishing to out people. I know people at NATO in Brussels and with the army too. I didn't like where that was going at all.

FlightAttendant · 15/10/2009 16:51

Thankyou Stuffit - one occasion when I wish I had kept the screenshot!

PfftTheMagicDragon · 15/10/2009 17:01

Leeka, you are right, it is easy to bash landlords. I am sure that there a plennty of nice landlords out there and MASSES of terrible tenants. I know that after we moved out of one house, the next tenants left one room to the dogs to poo and wee in and the rest of the house was no better.

I think it does often happen though that some landlords see a deposit as their chance to get some things upgraded at someone elses expense.

scaryteacher · 15/10/2009 17:03

Isn't that why the deposit scheme was brought in to stop that?

Podrick · 15/10/2009 17:11

Landlords love good tenants who pay the rent and keep the place well and will want to extend the contract if you are such a tenant. I think perhaps you need to satisfy the landlord that you are - and if you have no access to the landlord then you need to satisfy the letting agent - and I would advise that you keep them onside rather than fight them. Perhaps invite then round when the house will be spick and span and ask them if there is anything else they would like you to do to take care of the place?

Podrick · 15/10/2009 17:12

I think you need to forget about the rights and wrongs of what has occurred and just be pragmatic

BlingLoving · 15/10/2009 17:28

I'm a landlord and a tenant, and can categorically state that you get good and bad of both. Ditto letting agents. My current tenant is pretty good, but there's a fairly major damp problem in the kitchen which we only discovered when we tried to sell the place recently. Which annoyed me as if either the tenant or the agent had highlighted it, I would have had it dealt with immediately. My previous tenant, very politely asked me to improve the security on the flat and looking at it, I thought she was absolutely right and that the thought of a young single woman having a problem because there wasn't enough security freaked me out so we spent a fortune but got it done for her as soon as we could.

DH and I had huge issues with our current house when we moved in, and to be fair there was fault on both sides, but now there's a new person at the agents office and we've lived there a few years so the landlord has seen that we're not trashing the place, and the relationship seems to mostly work. Certainly things get fixed or replaced a lot quicker than they used to and they even spontaneously came and painted the ceiling after they finally fixed the leaking bath above.

I had one letting agent whenI lived by myself that I was on the verge of suing as they'd keep coming round spontaneously when I wasn't there and without warning. I couldn't believe they thought it was okay just to wander into the flat whenever they felt like it.

Winibaghoul · 15/10/2009 18:08

Bling I think you're absolutely right - it's such a mixed bag really. That's why I think there should be more regulation of lettings etc, because the last agents we had really were a cowboy outfit. THe problem is you have no way of knowing BEFORE you sign on the dotted line, whether you're getting a good lot or a bad one.

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