0 registered members (),
361
guests, and 0
spiders. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums69
Topics113,600
Posts1,341,110
Members1,802
|
Most Online731 Jan 14th, 2020
|
|
|
Agents rewenal fee
#1478159
09/03/2014 16:17
09/03/2014 16:17
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294 Sandhurst
Begbie
OP
Ex El Presidente
|
OP
Ex El Presidente
I AM a Coop
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294
Sandhurst
|
I'm pretty sure Ali_hire is going to be the main person to answer this question, but thought I would throw it out there for everyone else. Having being in a rented property for 3 years, our tenancy renewal is up again, but this time the letting agency is asking for £84 to renewal, but not via paper, but doing electronically with a click here to sign thing. £84 quid to click and email back, that's taking the piss slightly! It was £74 last year! Anyway, if I do pay it, it will put us on a Assured Shorthold Agreement, but with the clauses of: 1. Break Clause 1.1. The Landlord shall be entitled to terminate this Tenancy by giving Notice to the Tenant as follows: 1.1.1. The period of the Notice to be a minimum of two calendar months 1.1.2. The Notice period will expire on the last day of a period of the Tenancy and must be served in writing 1.1.3. Notice must be served in accordance with the Tenancy Terms and Conditions 1.2. The Tenant shall be entitled to terminate this Tenancy by giving Notice to the Landlord as follows: 1.2.1. The period of the Notice to be a minimum of one calendar month 1.2.2. The Notice period will expire on the last day of a period of the Tenancy and must be served in writing 1.2.3. Notice must be served in accordance with the Tenancy Terms and Conditions To me, that break clause can be issued at any time? Am I correct? If so, wouldn't it be better to go to a periodic rolling agreement where the break clause is still the same, then I wouldn't need to pay the renewal fee. Ideally, I'd like not to pay this renewal fee if possible!
Your car is Usain Bolt with wellies
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1478326
10/03/2014 15:50
10/03/2014 15:50
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294 Sandhurst
Begbie
OP
Ex El Presidente
|
OP
Ex El Presidente
I AM a Coop
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294
Sandhurst
|
Cheers Ali, glad I was fairly right on something I will discuss it with the other half later, about them changing the wording to give us 12 months or go to a periodic basis. Interestingly enough, I was looking through the T&C's with this letting agent and under 'Breach of agreement' was a paragraph that interested me, it said along the lines of, if the tenant wishes to renew their tenancy agreement there will be a charge of £50 + VAT
Your car is Usain Bolt with wellies
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1478328
10/03/2014 15:56
10/03/2014 15:56
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603 Corridor of Uncertainty
Jim_Clennell
Forum veteran
|
Forum veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,603
Corridor of Uncertainty
|
Sometimes these things can work in your favour. Before we took the decision to move to Spain, we intended to stay in our current property, which we rent. We were (somewhat anxiously) waiting for the agent to send us a new 12-month contract, with every intention of signing it. However, nothing came, despite an exchange of emails and by the time the new contract actually arrived, we had decided to leave. Because we hadn't signed a new contract tying us to the property, we were free to give 1 month's notice. As it happens, we gave 2 months' as it suited us, but we were very relieved that we hadn't committed to another 12 months.
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1479553
18/03/2014 15:26
18/03/2014 15:26
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294 Sandhurst
Begbie
OP
Ex El Presidente
|
OP
Ex El Presidente
I AM a Coop
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294
Sandhurst
|
So, to bump this one back up, I've spoken with the agency and I asked them the difference between paying the renewal fee and going to a periodic tenancy, she didn't say much apart from that they don't really do them, so I asked what difference is there in security between the 2, she didn't really answer, but she did ask if I wanted to go to a periodic tenancy. I also queried the renewal fee and quoted from the T&C's that we signed: 12.5 The tenant agrees to pay the Landlord's Agent £50 plus VAT for each extension of the tenancy agreement and agrees that any charges remain outstanding at the end of the tenancy then may be deducted from the tenancy deposit. Since we haven't actually signed anything to agree to pay more, I asked her why? She said she would go and ask. She has now come back to me via emailing saying: I have double check the renewal fee and there is no much I can do as it is a standard charge of £84.00 for the renewal There is no where else in the T&C's that they could put the price up? So, what is my stance here? Go to periodic and tell them to swing for the £84 and claim back the previous over payments of £70 and £72 on the renewal fee. Obviously I would speak to the Landlord about this as I do have a good relationship with him.
Your car is Usain Bolt with wellies
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1479570
18/03/2014 16:31
18/03/2014 16:31
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,731 Surrey
Emjay
Forum is my life
|
Forum is my life
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,731
Surrey
|
If you don't need the security, go periodic.
If you get on with the landlord, he will want to keep you so it is very low risk.
Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing? (John 7:51)
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1479578
18/03/2014 17:01
18/03/2014 17:01
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,731 Surrey
Emjay
Forum is my life
|
Forum is my life
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,731
Surrey
|
Ali is probably right that it is a losing 'legal' argument, although bearing in mind it would be small claims and the judges there aren't always so bothered about the law as 'justice' I would call it evens. There are some potential legal arguments going the other way, but even for Beggers I am not going to invest the time here exploring and running through them all for a claim worth a maximum £22!
However, professionally they ought to be embarrassed enough - if is only a few quid to them and they would be nuts to argue it. As a landlord I would not be best pleased to think they were shafting my tenant (risking me losing them). I would therefore push but taking the angle that it was unprofessional - and looking to contact their regulatory body - than arguing the law. They won't want the hassle.
Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing? (John 7:51)
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Emjay]
#1479583
18/03/2014 17:25
18/03/2014 17:25
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,294 Portsmouth
ali_hire
Forum is my life
|
Forum is my life
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,294
Portsmouth
|
As a landlord I would not be best pleased to think they were shafting my tenant (risking me losing them). I know of agents who do all sorts of things to serve their own interests rather than those of their Landlord client. One unnamed but rather large independent agency here in the South have a policy of demanding tenants stay in fixed term agreements or serving them notice. This is done regardless of the Landlord's intentions and, presumably, without their consultation.
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1479588
18/03/2014 17:43
18/03/2014 17:43
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294 Sandhurst
Begbie
OP
Ex El Presidente
|
OP
Ex El Presidente
I AM a Coop
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294
Sandhurst
|
Cheers chaps I'm not going to chase the owing £22, it was more just a question, as why sign something to agree on X, when they feel they can change it to Y without any notice and kind of just expect the client to suck up the cost? What's the point in signing things if anyone can change what they feel like? I do have a good relationship with the LL. I have his number and I actually call him if there is a problem, rather than the letting agents as they are somewhat useless at doing anything. I called into the letting agency last year when I changed jobs to change the payment date (due to different pay days) and they said I couldn't change it. I could pay earlier, but not later, so called the LLto say I need to adjust my payment dates due to a change of job and pay dates. One phone call from him to the agent and it suddenly wasn't a problem, anyway I'm digressing. Ali, I'm wondering if the independent agency you're talking about is the same as mine, they claim to be the 'first in letting'
Your car is Usain Bolt with wellies
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1480487
24/03/2014 15:22
24/03/2014 15:22
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294 Sandhurst
Begbie
OP
Ex El Presidente
|
OP
Ex El Presidente
I AM a Coop
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,294
Sandhurst
|
Final bump (he hopes!) Spoken with the LL and he whole heartily agrees with going to a periodic and would like to do away with the admin fee that they get charged to, even though the admin fee comes out of the rent payment, said letting agent has already taken it without us even agreeing to renewing or not! Anyway, I've informed the letting agent that we want to go to a periodic for the agent to turn round and say that the fee still applies this time as they still have to do the paperwork etc.. Now, my understanding (from various reading on t'interweb) is that when you go to a periodic, there is no admin fee? So could someone confirm (Ali ) this is correct, so I can tell them to go and stick it! Thanks
Your car is Usain Bolt with wellies
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1480489
24/03/2014 15:27
24/03/2014 15:27
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,731 Surrey
Emjay
Forum is my life
|
Forum is my life
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,731
Surrey
|
It's a question of contract. Ask them to point out where in the contract you agreed to pay any fee in these circumstances. If there is nothing, you can laugh in their face.
Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing? (John 7:51)
|
|
|
Re: Agents rewenal fee
[Re: Begbie]
#1480531
24/03/2014 18:55
24/03/2014 18:55
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,162 Glos
Brilly1uk
Club member 1034
|
Club member 1034
Competition Level
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,162
Glos
|
I found this topic very interesting and look forward to the conclusion!
Fiat Coupe 20VT Alfa Romeo Spider BMW X3
|
|
|
|