Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Question for tenants who are with agencies

40 replies

SardineQueen · 15/02/2012 08:37

Hi there

I was wondering, if you rent a property and it's through an agency, does the agency charge you anything when you renew after a year?

Thanks :)

OP posts:

Original poster

SardineQueen · 16/02/2012 10:32

Friggfrigg I am not surprised you are saying frigg that is ridiculous.

I have got him to check the paperwork and I don't think it's something they can charge him in our case, if we stop using the agency

I think an email to the scary woman may be the way forward!

OP posts:

blackteaplease · 16/02/2012 15:31

Surely that's not legal, to take a fee regardless of how the lease is renewed?

Original poster

SardineQueen · 16/02/2012 17:28

I think they are trying it on blackteaplease.

I also hate the way they use legalese to try and bamboozle you into thinking what they are doing is way more complex than it actually is.

This is a firm who have been there always (decades) not some fly by night outfit.

OP posts:

nocake · 16/02/2012 22:14

You do not have to "renew" your tenancy. If you sign nothing else your tenancy will become a statutory periodic tenancy (google it to see). This is your legal right and there's nothing the letting agency can do to stop it. So do not sign anything and do not pay a fee, it's simply a rip off.

NadiaWadia · 17/02/2012 01:11

Sardinequeen - why not tell your agency not to charge your tenant and to reimburse him the £100. After all they are only your agents, and everything they do is supposed to be on your behalf.

Unfortunately most letting agencies (which are mostly unregulated by government, they were going to be but I think the ConDems decided not bother) are blood sucking amateurs with delusions of power.

mousymouseafraidofdogs · 17/02/2012 07:49

nocake with some agency you sign the notice together with the contract. because a statutory periodic tenancy is something (most) landlords do not want. and new contract means new fee for the agency

EverythingInMjiniature · 17/02/2012 07:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FrillyMilly · 17/02/2012 07:59

We have to pay £200 to renew our contract after 1 year. They wanted £250 each to do credit checks. We said no and they charged us £250 for both then told us (after they had done it) mine didn't matter as DHs wage alone was enough!!! I would love it if landlords came to us and wanted to do it privately. I doubt it though as everything is done through agency even though they live across the road. The door was sticking so they took a key to the agency in town for us to pick up which I found odd.

Original poster

SardineQueen · 17/02/2012 09:10

Nadia we are going to have a private arrangement and I have armed the tenant with the info he needs to tell them to get stuffed if they try to charge him.

Another thing is that while some LLs are horrid and some don't care, plenty are perfectly nice people who would be shocked to find out the sort of fees the tenants are being charged. I suspect this is why landlords are not told what fees are charged to the tenants and until I read something on here I assumed that the tenants didn't pay any fees - given that I was being charged for finding them, checking them, doing the contract etc. The fact they are charging twice for all this stuff is a scandal, especially as they are keeping it quiet to the LLs so as not to look like money-grabbing bastards. Because some LLs do care and think it is wrong, when they find out.

Hence this thread really.

These charges that people on the thread are talking about are outrageous. Credit checks cost about £20. To charge £250 is a scam and a ripoff.

OP posts:

tardisjumper · 17/02/2012 15:15

I thought LL's knew. TBH the fact they don't demonstrates a certain level of naivity for someone enterign itno contwcts that are worth so much. But hey ho.

Foxtons are the worst. £500 in fees upfront to secure retal property PLUS £75 PER credit check and £90-£130 for renewal or leaving property. That's just for tenants.

Original poster

SardineQueen · 17/02/2012 16:34

tardis why are you having a go at me?

I am doing my best here and calling me naive seems harsh. I entered into a contract which I read, understood and signed, it had no mention of the fees charged to the tenant. I assumed the tenant didn't pay any as I had already paid for / dealt with all the things involved - finding tenant, performing searches, producing contract, preparing inventory, putting deposit with correct people. I am an honest sort of person and given that I paid for everything, why on earth would I imagine that they were charging the tenant for all these things as well? It certainly wasn't mentioned at any point, or in any of the paperwork they gave me.

Honestly I am doing my best here to be a good landlady and save the client money and am getting told off.

Why assume that landlords are stupid, when another possibility is that letting agents are grasping and sly? It's them who are charging double and not letting on. Do agencies inform tenants that they also charge the landlord for performing credit checks etc? I doubt it. It's not in their interest for people to know, otherwise people might say they weren't having it.

OP posts:

FrillyMilly · 17/02/2012 20:01

Unless the landlord has rented or the tenant has experience of renting out a property then how would they know. We have recently started renting for the first time and I had no idea of the fees we would have to pay. I don't understand how they can get away with charging the landlord for performing credit checks and charge the tenant as well. I suppose it's easy money.

tardisjumper · 17/02/2012 20:38

@Sardine No I'm not having ago at you, just the lack of awarenss generally. I appreciate you are on here trying to find out and are one of the 'good' ones for doing so.

I am just frustrated as when I was looking fo0r my current flat we had to go through agents as there were no LL renting independently in the area. We then found out (after shelling out hundreds for credit checks etc) that the LL would be in charge of maintenance. She she had (and she is a good experienced LL who likes us and has refused to raise our rents too much despite pressure from agents) facilitated £hundreds being fed into a void of crap estate agents for some headed note paper. Her choice, but I think that this could only really be stopped by LLs taking a stand against this kind of thing. It would be quite altruistic admittedly, but something does need to happen.

nocake · 17/02/2012 21:04

Many landlords renting through agencies don't know what a statutory periodic tenancy is. They think the tenancy has to be renewed because that's what the agency tells them. They also don't have a choice in the tenancy becoming a SPT. If you, as tenant, refuse to sign a new agreement you automatically becomes an STP and there's nothing the agency or LL can do to stop it.

Agincourt · 03/04/2012 13:57

I am rebumping this. I had a letter this weekend off the letting agents saying as I hadn't renewed in september they have decided to put my rent up by £30 p/m in line with increasing house rentals in the area and if I don't agree within 14 days they will give me notice under section 21 (I think) So i rang them and said, I spoke to l/l who said he was happy for it to roll on without renewal (£150 ffs) and she stuttered and said I could renew it now for 12 months but it would be at the higher rent

so you are damned if you do and damned if you don't obviously! These letting agents are on to a right swizzle. My LL has to pay them and we have to pay them as well, it's ridiculous and the thing that makes me most angry is that we are good tenants, we are clean, tidy, we pay on time, we don't cause anyone any bother, my dh has been doing all the repairs ffs because the house is so dated and falling to pieces and we have done that out of goodwill.

Anyway, moan over

Flip

1 2