Renting issue

[Pikminplayer]

Hi all,

I’ve been renting from the same private landlord for 10 years. I’ve always had a good relationship with him, paid rent on time without fail throughout the tenancy.

out of the blue, I received an email from a letting agent to say that they are now taking over the management and I now have to pay them and not the landlord and that I am not also not to contact the landlord. They are leaving voicemails every couple of days saying wanting to do an inspection, which I absolutely do not want, given that the landlord was here two weeks ago.

the landlord has not contacted me at all to tell me that a letting agent would be looking after the house so it’s all a bit if a nasty surprise, particularly as I have never wanted to deal with letting agents.

I initially thought this was a scam.

i have since discovered that the landlord intends to evict us because he is not making any profit and wants to sell. I’m guessing that he has asked the letting agent to look after the property to do his dirty work for him, given that his other property is being managed by him still.

I’m feeling really upset and don’t want to co operate with the letting agent. I know this is my anger talking, but I just feel that the landlord has acted in a totally underhand way by not even having the courtesy of sending me a simple text to let us know.l if his intention. Had he just come to us and told us l, we would have understood and started to look for a new place without all this unnecessary bad feeling.

surely the contract is with the landlord and not the letting agent? I don’t know what to do, but realise I’ll need to find somewhere else to live.

I’m not sure where I stand legally in co operating with the letting agent.

If you have an email address for the landlord, I would contact him first and check that the agents have been appointed

Tell him you are concerned that it is a scam, so want to check

Your Contract will state the method of payment and so that is the method you must continue with until the person on the contract with you (Landlord) tells you officially in writing .
As for evicting you thats entirely possible as long as the proper legal process is followed but until your LL officially tells you to engage with the Agency you are under no obligation to do so. As far as oyu know they could be anyone

Definitely don't change your rent payments until the landlord tells you to. Imagine if they were scammers and you started paying them! You also don't have to engage with inspections if you don't want to, but I would say be sure you're actually going to be asked to leave before you start being too awkward with the letting agent as I'd be surprised if a landlord would go to the expense of paying a letting agent for a property they are planning on selling imminently - that makes no sense.

Speak with the landlord first via the communications routes you have and not supplied or suggested by the LA

Twwo things - its either a scam or the LL is not able to commincate/etc ie ill etc as IMO from what you said, he/she would have advised you re changes

I would be expecting a letter not just and email or phone calls, are you sure it's not a scam?
Wouldn't you have to sign another contract?

Your contract is with the landlord and only your landlord can terminate that contract by issuing an eviction. You need to email your landlord and find out exactly what is going on.

You say you initially thought it was a scam. Why do you think it isn't a scam now. I have to agree with your first thought, it sounds incredibly odd for some random company to suddenly demand you pay them and you aren't allowed to confirm it with the landlord.
I'd be inclined to say to the letting agency that you absolutely won't contact them or pay them until you have confirmed that this is legit and contact the landlord for a proper explanation regardless of what the dodgy letting agency say.

The landlord bought the property and owns it. Right. He probably saved a deposit and paid extra stamp duty, right. He has allowed you to live in his house on a rental basis. He has decided to have a management agency to collect rent, that's his prerogative. Why is a person who owns the property and probably pays a mortgage on, NOT allowed to visit the property???? The LL haters may not realise legally he has to check on his property as per terms of his building insurance policy and his mortgage terms. These are assets that he should allowed to inspect for any issues or be would be in breach of his mortgage and insurance policies. I've been a tenant myself, I also understood I didn't own the property. Some tenants act like they own it. I imagine the rent will not cover the mortgage anymore, that's the reality of buy to let nowadays.

Surprised at the answers, the odds of this being a scam are low to non existent, but sure check it out. When confirmed as true it doesn’t change anything. I’m sorry op. The truth is many many landlords are getting out now before Labour can put the renters bill in, as it will be impossible after, other than for the major corporate ones Charging extortionate rents, and of course as so many are getting out and lack of social housing we have a major problem as a country on our hands.

good luck. You’re one of hundreds of thousands op, if millions sadly, about to be in this situation,