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Original poster

Where the hell has the estate agent gone?

29 replies

pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 08:32

My husband has a 3 bed house up in Manchester which we rented out last year because we were coming down south for his job.

We found an estate agent online who came out to see and valuate the property, got us tenants within a week and all seemed ok. The estate agents has the deposit in a holding scheme. Looking back I asked OH last night if we ever went to the office and he reluctantly said no so we dont even know where their office is. The guy who came out seemed pretty professional and talked us through everything but have we been really stupid?

Now the tenants want to move out and My husband cannot contact the agents. They seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth. He has rung,left messages (phone and email) with no reply. He has also told them he would like them to sell for us to tempt them but to no avail.

What do we do now?

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Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 08:38

not sure if this has any significance but the webhost has changed for their website too.

It used to be apartmentsandhousestorent.co.uk and now is www.manchesterwebdesigner.co.uk/web/islintons/contact_islintons_property_services.html

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LittleMarshmallow · 23/09/2010 08:46

This might help, it is the owner information for the url that you posted (the orginal one)

whois.domaintools.com/apartmentsandhousestorent.co.uk

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 08:48

ah ha! Thanks Little, thats a great idea and the bloody phone line is dead now too OH said. doesn't sound good.

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LucindaCarlisle · 23/09/2010 14:15

May be worth going to visit the property yourselves in person. To check that everything is intact and well maintained.

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:20

Yes Lucinda, I keep telling hubby that because I have listened to so many scare stories lately. We really need to get up there soon I think.

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scurryfunge · 23/09/2010 14:22

address here

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:23

Scurry how did you find that!? Going to call them on that number right now!

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Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:25

No thats dead too!

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LucindaCarlisle · 23/09/2010 14:27

Have you got the telephone number of any of the neighbours to the rented house?

scurryfunge · 23/09/2010 14:35

Oh damn.....couldn't find those companies at companies house either.

The whois domain tools site shows the web designer's details....he may have other contact details. Might be worth going to the Brown Street address itself to see if any information is posted there.

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:35

No not any more, I lost one of them :(

I have just got hold of a number for that address and they said they are not there anymore and they didnt have details of them. I think it is like a block of offices/flats.

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LucindaCarlisle · 23/09/2010 14:37

Has the rent money been paid on time each month.

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:38

OH said that they had paid it although it had been late sometimes. He has a number for the tenants and said they `seem normal!'

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LucindaCarlisle · 23/09/2010 14:40

You really need to go and check out the house this weekend. If there is too much heat emanating from the building call the Police immediately.

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:47

what?? meaning?

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LucindaCarlisle · 23/09/2010 14:50

Some rented properties get turned into cannabis factories, an indicator of that is if a lot of heat is felt radiating from the doors or windows.

Did you see the references for the tenants?

Fimbo · 23/09/2010 14:53

Do you know if they were members of \link{http://www.arla.co.uk/\Arla}? They might be able to tell you where they have gone and more importantly what will have happened to the deposit. Did you get sent any proof of where the deposit was deposited?

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 14:53

Yes I heard that, but wouldnt the neighbours have seen something?....its a mid terrace but it is in a slightly dodgy area. OH is trying to find the number from the tenants. I am not sure if he saw refs (he is at work atm) will ask when he gets in. I would imagine the agent would have asked for refs though rather than us seeing them?
Now I'm worried!

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vbusymum1 · 23/09/2010 15:00

It does sound like you may have to prepare for the loss of the deposit.
Has you been getting the rent directly from the tenants or via the agents ?
Just wondering if the agents are sending you the rent and presumabley deducting their commission. If so that would suggest they are still operating somewhere or somehow.
If its coming direct from the tenants then have you been paying the agent ?

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 15:04

I can't see any proof of where the deposit is although OH might know (I have the contract with me here)The tenants pay it directly into my OH's account busymum. The property is not managed byt tham as such. OH paid them to find tenants but not manage it throughout. The other thing I find a bit strange is that they have NEVER had a problem....which is good but usually a tenant finds at least one thing they want to discuss with the owner dont they? OH said the tenants had contacted him once or twice to say the rent was going to be late thats all the contact we have had.

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Fimbo · 23/09/2010 15:07

When we rented a house, the agents sent us a letter detailed which scheme the deposit was held with, was 3 years ago now, so my memory is slightly dodgy but it may have had an account number on it too.

MisterW · 23/09/2010 15:23

I wouldn't worry about tenants not contacting you. Our tenants have been in for over a year and the only e-mail we've had was to apologise that the rent was going to be a couple of days late due to a bank mix up. The previous tenants only contacted us once in a year because there was a small leak from the boiler.

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 15:28

I have managed to get tenants number and have spoken to her. She said she has not seen or heard from the agent either. She didnt sound like a cannabis factory owner but you never know! I guess its goodbye to our deposit though! Bloody theives

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LucindaCarlisle · 23/09/2010 15:29

The "estate agent" should have given the tenants a reciept for the deposit. The new law about lodging deposits has been in force for more than two years now.
Maybe the deposit is solely between the tenant and the agent. maybe you do not need to worry about the deposit.

Original poster
pompncircumstance · 23/09/2010 15:41

Right, it may be, because surely its not up for us to pay out if it was just between them?
We dont have anything to say a deposit was paid so maybe she has.

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