Letting agency woes

[frankiesamson]

I had to move out of my flat because I moved away from the area. The flat is £950 a month just for rent alone, let alone bills, so I made sure there was a break clause in my contract before renting it. (I just pay £350 and they re-advertise it).

What I didn't factor in was the fact that the agents are not nice people & will try to sabotage for the sake of it.

I found someone to take over the last 3 months of my contract, but the agency won't allow it. They want him to start a brand new 6 month contract, which he can't do. The strange part is, I'm paying £350 to the agency for this, so it's no skin off their nose either way. It just means a change of one sentence in the contract (change 6 to 3).

The agency lose nothing either way, because there's only 3 months left on my contract anyway, and if he can't do a new 6 month contract, I have to pay another 3 months while not living there. They seem to be just doing this for the sake of being difficult.

They seemed to quite some hidden "rules" about why it's not possible (they just don't want to do it).. I've actually had this done before both as a landlord & a renter- but that agency was more interested in being helpful to people (and a nicer area).

Why oh why are there so many nasty letting agents in certain areas?

Can't you just sub-let it and save yourself £350?

They've now been given notice that I'm moved by out so they'd probably come & check.

It now emerges that they've said they want a 20 month contract with the new tenant (who can't commit to that) . They're actively trying to sabotage the whole thing because they know I have to pay rent anyway. When I said I can't afford 2 rents at the same time, they said "tough" and actually sounded like they were enjoying themselves on the phone.

Why are agents in this area so cruel & heartless.

They have a governing body ARLA, see what they have to say. Shelter may have some legal advice for this situation

Yep, you've been given some good advice. Take it.

Most letting agents are just unspeakable. Their client is all they care about oh, and the profit for the letting agency. They hate their clients but they reserve their genuine contempt for the tenants.

Why ? Because they can. Most letting agency employees are not very nice.

What makes you think this is down to the Letting Agent and not the Landlord, OP - have you contacted the LL?

Thanks for the advice. Apparently according to ARLA, because I'm in a contract, there's nothing I can do- the agency are within their legal rights to choose whatever terms they want for new tenants, even demanding 20 months... thus sabotaging me for no reason.

Such a shame letting agents have to behave so unreasonably.

So you signed a tenancy for a specific length of time and now want to exit the contract early. If you were my tenant I would also say no. It's about the cost of tenant finding and it would be extremely inconvenient for me as it would cost me several hundred pounds in flights, and a week or so of my time when it's inconvenient, decorating and getting it ready for new tenants. Why should your attempt to breach the contract cost me?

Jon65, not at all- reread the original post.

I did