How do you navigate London lettings with an agent?
September 26, 2015 2:59 AM Subscribe
My partner and I have found a letting we like in London and have put in an offer that was accepted by the landlord. We're new to the UK lettings/agency process. Anything we should look out for, or tips for not getting ripped off? I've read online that many agencies are full of unscrupulous practices, keeping security deposits, hidden fees, etc., and would like to avoid any such troubles.
We put an offer for a rental in that was accepted by the landlord. We are waiting to pay our fees for background checks. We have not spoken with the landlord him/herself, only an agent.
We are most familiar with the US market and private landlords, so I want to make sure we don't miss anything. The flat we are interested in looked fantastic in the photos, but when we went to the viewing, it was a mess (just piles of dirty laundry and dishes, not animals running wild or moldy smells). It appeared to be so because of the students living there, and not any structural damage that we noted. We suspect that the current tenants are being evicted. We want to make sure that the flat is restored to good condition before moving in, but won't be able to do a review of the premises until after we've paid our deposit.
We've been presented with the fees for background checks, administration fees, inventory fees and are surprised by the cost. The agency has good reviews online and is accredited by several UK realty organizations, so it seems legitimate enough.
Are there questions we should ask or fees/surprises to watch out for? Can we talk to the landlord him/herself? Is a holding deposit recommended? How can we ensure that the flat is cleaned and refreshed before move-in? Does our agent act as our landlord for the duration of the let, or will we contact the landlord with concerns? Any other recommendations to avoid being screwed in this game? Thank you in advance!
We put an offer for a rental in that was accepted by the landlord. We are waiting to pay our fees for background checks. We have not spoken with the landlord him/herself, only an agent.
We are most familiar with the US market and private landlords, so I want to make sure we don't miss anything. The flat we are interested in looked fantastic in the photos, but when we went to the viewing, it was a mess (just piles of dirty laundry and dishes, not animals running wild or moldy smells). It appeared to be so because of the students living there, and not any structural damage that we noted. We suspect that the current tenants are being evicted. We want to make sure that the flat is restored to good condition before moving in, but won't be able to do a review of the premises until after we've paid our deposit.
We've been presented with the fees for background checks, administration fees, inventory fees and are surprised by the cost. The agency has good reviews online and is accredited by several UK realty organizations, so it seems legitimate enough.
Are there questions we should ask or fees/surprises to watch out for? Can we talk to the landlord him/herself? Is a holding deposit recommended? How can we ensure that the flat is cleaned and refreshed before move-in? Does our agent act as our landlord for the duration of the let, or will we contact the landlord with concerns? Any other recommendations to avoid being screwed in this game? Thank you in advance!
Yes, fees are more expensive here. One company quoted is £225 plus vat ( 20%) for a small one-bed flat. Another agency near us charges £400. There is no standardisation or limits on these things. It's total bullshit, and I really don't look forward to having to move again.
We went with a private landlady through Rentify, which is also accredited. No fees, no quarterly inspections (quite common with renting through an agency) and much easier to sort things out. Some private letters will charge £50 or so for a referencing fee/credit check, which is quite a bit less than agencies. If you have your heart set on this flat, though, you won't find a way to get out of the agency fees.
Remember you are unlikely to be able to paint, put up pictures (whether with nails or blu-tac) or keep pets when renting in the UK.
posted by mippy at 3:28 AM on September 26, 2015
We went with a private landlady through Rentify, which is also accredited. No fees, no quarterly inspections (quite common with renting through an agency) and much easier to sort things out. Some private letters will charge £50 or so for a referencing fee/credit check, which is quite a bit less than agencies. If you have your heart set on this flat, though, you won't find a way to get out of the agency fees.
Remember you are unlikely to be able to paint, put up pictures (whether with nails or blu-tac) or keep pets when renting in the UK.
posted by mippy at 3:28 AM on September 26, 2015
The Citizens Advice Bureau's "common problems with renting" page is a good resource to start out with. As for particular surprises, one thing to watch out for are fees when the fixed term runs out and it converts to a statutory periodic tenancy. There are some agencies that may try to pressure you into signing (and paying fees on) another fixed-term tenancy when you don't have to.
posted by penguinicity at 3:31 AM on September 26, 2015
posted by penguinicity at 3:31 AM on September 26, 2015
Be very specific about the place being cleaned before you move in and take pictures when you take possession of the keys to document inventory and any existing damage/marks etc. Be sure this is part of the handover protocol/inventory you sign.
Consider that most accommodation let to students is not of a very high standard so it will probably be cleaned but they won't necessarily replace tired carpets or repaint the walls because they can get students to take it in the tired condition it is in.
Yes, you cannot normally paint or hang pictures/affix shelves to walls etc - I am a UK landlord and my tenants sometimes ask to do these things (through my letting agent). I am normally amenable to painting but not to anything being hung on walls or affixed to them - there is a lot of thin plasterboard in my flat and this is for everybody's benefit because they would invariably end up with large holes that the letting agency would have to get fixed out of their deposit when they move.
Consider how the place is heated - a lot of flats in the UK do not have central heating, which means you end up heating with electricity. That gets very expensive very quickly. So ask about average electricity usage and factor that cost into your budget - you'll normally make monthly fixed payments to the utility company and then there is a true up every six months or so. You want to pay a realistic amount so as not to be caught out by a huge true up payment after winter.
You have found out about council tax I trust? Just another thing to factor into the budget.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:17 AM on September 26, 2015
Consider that most accommodation let to students is not of a very high standard so it will probably be cleaned but they won't necessarily replace tired carpets or repaint the walls because they can get students to take it in the tired condition it is in.
Yes, you cannot normally paint or hang pictures/affix shelves to walls etc - I am a UK landlord and my tenants sometimes ask to do these things (through my letting agent). I am normally amenable to painting but not to anything being hung on walls or affixed to them - there is a lot of thin plasterboard in my flat and this is for everybody's benefit because they would invariably end up with large holes that the letting agency would have to get fixed out of their deposit when they move.
Consider how the place is heated - a lot of flats in the UK do not have central heating, which means you end up heating with electricity. That gets very expensive very quickly. So ask about average electricity usage and factor that cost into your budget - you'll normally make monthly fixed payments to the utility company and then there is a true up every six months or so. You want to pay a realistic amount so as not to be caught out by a huge true up payment after winter.
You have found out about council tax I trust? Just another thing to factor into the budget.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:17 AM on September 26, 2015
When you move in and do the inventory be REALLY specific about all the defects you notice, and take photos of EVERYTHING. When you move out the letting agent will try to scam as much money as possible out of you for repairs and cleaning. If you can point to the initial inventory and original photos to show that stain was there already and there was already a dent in the wall, it will be so much easier.
I've had lettings agents try to charge for cleaning when the initial inventory said "surfaces dusty and in need of cleaning" and try to charge for stains that they pointed out to me in person as something the previous tenant did!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:11 AM on September 26, 2015
I've had lettings agents try to charge for cleaning when the initial inventory said "surfaces dusty and in need of cleaning" and try to charge for stains that they pointed out to me in person as something the previous tenant did!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:11 AM on September 26, 2015
Response by poster: These are all great, thanks for the suggestions!
posted by pocksuppetteer at 9:41 PM on September 27, 2015
posted by pocksuppetteer at 9:41 PM on September 27, 2015
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Your deposit is usually about 6 weeks rent and MUST LEGALLY be held in a deposit protection scheme. This ensures at the end of the tenancy that the landlord cannot access any part of the deposit until it is agreed and that you have legal recourse. This is a vast improvement on previous where the landlord would quite often snaffle the entire deposit. You can probably still expect to lose some of the deposit but hopefully less than previous.
Lettings can be landlord-managed or letting agent-managed. You should ask your letting agent which they are. If letting agent managed then the agent acts as landlord for the duration.
For getting the flat cleaned, it's usually best to clear that sort of thing while putting in the offer but most letting agents will get the place properly cleaned though I'm half certain that that's because they get a kickback from the company. It may well be worth your time getting it professionally cleaned at the end of your tenancy in order to avoid paying the letting agent cleaning company rates.
Also you will probably have 6 monthly inspections where either the landlord or the letting agent will come take a look around. Their standards of cleanliness will probably be much, much higher than yours but there aren't usually any consequences from it unless there is damage.
posted by Wysawyg at 3:20 AM on September 26, 2015 [2 favorites]