The Reference Game

Sealed Bids

That Costly Lease Renewal

After your first fixed term comes to an end and, if you’re happy to stay in the unit, if the agent tries to insist that you sign up for a whole new lease or tries charging you for a lease extension or some other such thing, when there are no changes being made to the terms (say a rent increase), try explaining to them that by simply staying put and paying the rent you’re quite happy to let your lease become a statutory periodic tenancy without any more paperwork, thank you very much all the same (all explained in more detail later in Lesson 7 on leases). It saves committing you to a whole full six months’ liability, while still safeguarding both your and your landlord’s interests nicely. It’s the perfect solution that agents don’t suggest because they’re used to simply charging and no one asking why – let alone what legal necessity any of this has, beyond being another fee generator.

Get yourself a copy of the government’s fabulous free booklet called the Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies: A guide for tenants. Call 0870 1226 236 and ask for one, the product code is 97 HC 228C. Better still, copy in hand, look up the Statutory Periodic page 19 and show it to your landlord/agent. Give it a shot. It may even save you some fees.

Maintaining Good Relationships

Jaw Jaw Is Better Than War War

Whoever you rent from, always do your best to establish some kind of rapport. Discussion is always better than confrontation. For those of you renting through agents remember that the agency may well privately agree with your point of view, however they are employed by the landlord and a landlord veto on repairs stops any agency dead in its tracks.

Letting Agency Organisations

Some letting agents have joined voluntary associations. Most haven’t. The lettings industry is sadly without a meaningful regulator or universal rules, but if your agent is a member of any voluntary group and you are having problems, they may be able to advise you although they won’t directly intervene on your behalf.

Behind The Scenes Relationships

Unbeknown to tenants, landlords and agents are often in major dispute behind the scenes about how many deductions are to be made from your deposit (all this will soon be ironed out as landlords and agents are obliged to safeguard deposits after April 2007). Agencies can find that, while they may think that a full deposit return is due, the landlord is adamantly demanding deductions.

As stated before, agents are employed by landlords, not tenants. Many agents have given a written undertaking to their landlords that they will not release deposit refunds without the landlord’s consent (again due to change soon but still in existence on current deposits which will hang over for quite some time). However, these kinds of demands from landlords can place agents in very tricky positions.

And Finally

Work out a realistic budget: how much for this, for that, for the other, etc. Ask your questions, reasonable people will understand that you’re being sensible.

Unreasonable/unrealistic/uninformed people on either side of the contract make renting/letting harder work than anyone wants or needs.

Then It’s Down To You

Don’t expect to be mollycoddled through life just because you’re paying rent – even quite a lot of it. In a famous legal judgment Lord Denning set the benchmark when he ruled that a tenant must do the little things around the place that a tenant ought reasonably to do. So, screw the door handle back on yourself if it’s worked itself a bit loose. Don’t call every time a light bulb or a fuse blows. And remember, fridges stop working if you never defrost them, washing machines won’t spin if the filter’s blocked up with loose change and dishwashers won’t leave your dishes shiny if you never clean them out.

If your landlord/agent refuses to carry out essential repairs, after a couple of prompting calls write to them, send your concerns recorded delivery, keep the postal slip and keep a copy for your records. Landlords are often busy people so they don’t jump every time someone calls over something like a dripping tap. However, major repairs like heating failure should be under serious landlord/agent review within 24 hours. Likewise, if your agent is being chary about fixing that boiler – ring twice then write and complain formally. It may not work, but it’s the best shot I can give you in a very uneven service like rentals. Like it or not, you are the only quality control in the rental market.