Letting Agencies?!?! Please help, I'm lost!

[BadgerBadger]

I approached a letting agency re a property last week. Over the phone I was told I would be allowed one cat at the property and that the initial amount payable would be £1300
(Deposit £600 + 1st month rent £500 + application fee £200)

I arranged eight hour round trip to view on Saturday. I went to apply for the property at the letting agents and was told the initial amount payable would be £1900
(Double deposit £1200 + 1st month rent £500 + application fee £200)

I then received a phone call to say that to bring cats/a cat I would need to pay an initial £2200 (Haven't the foggiest!)

When I opposed this and said I couldn't afford to bring cats in that case, the initial payment dropped back to £1800
(Deposit £600 + 2 months rent £1000 + application fee £200)

Due to all the arsing about I'm strongly considering pulling out but I love the property! It's perfect (but I want to bring at least on cat!). Plus, they have £200 of my money which they requested up front in 'admin' fees.

It's a large letting agency with more than one branch........

any suggestions on what I can/should/could do?

I'd be moaning at someone there for keep changing their minds tbh!

I don't have any experience of letting agents i'm afraid, but it certainly sounds unreasonable for them to keep changing the figures.

Do you know what the letting market is like in that area? If there is little demand for the type of property you are going for, you could pull out of the deal due to the high costs and see if they will drop the deposit for you, but its a bit of a gamble!

Thanks Hattie, I know this house was available for some time but they recently dropped the price and now people are queueing up to view it. I don't think I'd be able to drop the price as such but the messing about just seems so wrong!

I'm wary of going ahead but know full well I'll have trouble finding a similar house if I do pull out. I think I'll give them a ring this morning, try to speak with the manager.

They're not supposed to ask for fees UNLESS you take a property through them I thought, but am no expert, maybe the law's changed. 2 months deposit sounds steep and asfor £2k for a cat, f off, that's ridiculous imo! Hmm, sounds dodgy. If you really want it and the alternative is dropping out why don't you go back and say 'look, I made it clear I wanted to bring a cat, I am prepared to take it at £1,300 but not any more so either you let me have it at that or I pull out, in which case can I have my £200 back please?' (check the law on that first though, I could be wrong). You've nothing to lose in trying if the alternative is pulling out.

we have recently rented and there was nothing to pay until we told the agency we definitely wanted to reserve the property - the fee was £110 plus VAT. On taking up the tenancy ie signing the agreement, we paid one month's rent in advance and a deposit of one month's rent.

I think asking for any more than this as a deposit is just pushing it to be honest. Obviously if you want the house you're stuck with them but I'd be strong with them if I were you - maybe put it in writing NOW to them that you are agreeing to pay one month's deposit and one month's rent or whatever you feel is reasonable. Because of the chopping and chaning I would definitely cover yourself by getting it in writing.

Good luck!

When we moved we had to pay the application fee, which was for checkign the appilication, takign up of references, and credit checks. We were told that the fee was non-refundable. So even if we had been refused for the property we wouldn't have been refunded the money.

oh and be careful, we werent told until after we had been accepted fr the property and sent the tennacny forms back that we also had to pay £60 for an inventory check.

I'm appalled that they charge a registration fee. They get loads of income from the landlord fees anyway (usually between 10-15% of the gross rent)and charge for all sorts of sundries. Yes the landlord can up the deposit for pets - we chose not to allow pets or smokers but got mysterious cigarette burns on the carpet. The deposits are supposed to be placed in a non-interest account so neither landlord nor agent profits - hmmm! tbh I'd avoid any agency who is so arbitrary that they cannot even stick to the original proposal , they'll give you more hassle down the line. Presumably they suspect you'd take your cats anyway and may well up the rent after the original agreement expires as a result.

Phew, I've just spoken with the lettings manager. It seems that I will have to pay a deposit £600 and 2 months rent £1000 (already paid the £200 application fee), or £2000 deposit and rent, inlcuding the cats.

One of the staff had been trying to demand a double deposit, because I'm having to apply for housing benefit due to the separation.

The letting manager had never 'ok'd' the double deposit on that basis and that's where the confusion came about; I ended up with 3 different people saying 3 different things!

I can't afford to bring the cats regardless, it would cost £400 extra (or £600 in the future ) and I just haven't got it.

I've decided to proceed though and they're going to forward everything to me in writing.

Thanks so much for your advice!

Glad its sorted for you!