Ending a tenancy agreement early

[davemac250]

craig r said:

garyhun said:

craig r said:

Apparently it's my monthly rent x % of my rent + VAT, but I thought it was a bit steep.

Sounds like BS to me (the LA's, not yours)

Costs need to be reasonable, not extortionate.

I just read that back and it's not what I meant, it's actually % of my rent + VAT. I still think it's on the expensive side.

~ Craig

I suppose it depends on where you are and what they are charging for.

My LA charges me 50% of a month's rent as a 'finders fee' (£450)

Plus £250 for an inventory.

But, to be fair to them the house has been empty less than a month in four years and the inventory is comprehensive in the extreme.

As a LL the level of service is paid for and I would give you the exact same option - or find your own replacement as long as I was happy with the references to complete your tenancy term, of course your LL might not have this option.

[superlightr]

as a letting agent we charge 35% +vat of one months rent to the tenant for our admin fee. Tenants are release from when the new tenant moves in.

[Silver]

craig r said:

I signed up for a 12 month tenancy agreement at the end of April 2010, now however I need to move out as work has taken me to a different part of the country. The letting agent has told me that I can not move out of my current place until the end of April, I would like to leave at the end of January. They did say that *if* the landlord was happy to do so I could be released from my contract early by paying the agents fees to relist the house and they could find a suitable occupant. I can see why this is fair, but over £600+VAT seems to be a bit expensive.

And just to make things a bit worse I have already paid a holding deposit on the place I want to move into...I know I should have done things the other way around! Anyway, I will be getting in contact with the CAB / Shelter when I finish work, but I was hoping someone on here might know something that will ease my mind / confirm my fears sooner.

I had the same issue so I talked to the LA and they said exactly the same as yours. Chatted to the LL and he was fine about letting me go early, though I did make a special effort to be accommodating - I got the garden cleared up a bit, planted a few pots and let them go in whenever they liked to do viewings. There was a minor hiccup over the agreed leaving date - I ended up paying another 2 weeks rent because he said he never received an email I sent but I considered it a small price to pay.

They found another tenant very quickly and I didn't even have to pay relisting fees AND got all my deposit back which was a bit of a result.

[bennyboydurham]

My Dad's in the lettings business and if someone wants out then most of the time he just lets them go. Tenants can easily go to ground and become untraceable and it's not worth the hassle, in his opinion. He's tried before now to accommodate early terminations but someone whose job is taking them to the other side of the country almost invariably stops paying the rent once they've gone, regardless of what they've signed or agreed to. As an agent he'd rather get them out and someone else in. Sad but true!

[STW2010]

bennyboydurham said:

My Dad's in the lettings business and if someone wants out then most of the time he just lets them go. Tenants can easily go to ground and become untraceable and it's not worth the hassle, in his opinion. He's tried before now to accommodate early terminations but someone whose job is taking them to the other side of the country almost invariably stops paying the rent once they've gone, regardless of what they've signed or agreed to. As an agent he'd rather get them out and someone else in. Sad but true!

I fail to see what's sad about that. Letting agents take the piss anyway- take their 'admin fees' for example when you go to renew a contract. They charge over £100 for the hassle of changing a date and possibly the rent amount on the document, then printing it. Sorry but that's a 10 minute job, and uses 10 sheets of paper.

[jammy_basturd]

bennyboydurham said:

My Dad's in the lettings business and if someone wants out then most of the time he just lets them go. Tenants can easily go to ground and become untraceable and it's not worth the hassle, in his opinion. He's tried before now to accommodate early terminations but someone whose job is taking them to the other side of the country almost invariably stops paying the rent once they've gone, regardless of what they've signed or agreed to. As an agent he'd rather get them out and someone else in. Sad but true!

What happens to the deposit in this case? Do the tenants still get it back, as the LL has to agree to release it too?

[Team 17]

jammy_basturd said:

bennyboydurham said:

My Dad's in the lettings business and if someone wants out then most of the time he just lets them go. Tenants can easily go to ground and become untraceable and it's not worth the hassle, in his opinion. He's tried before now to accommodate early terminations but someone whose job is taking them to the other side of the country almost invariably stops paying the rent once they've gone, regardless of what they've signed or agreed to. As an agent he'd rather get them out and someone else in. Sad but true!

What happens to the deposit in this case? Do the tenants still get it back, as the LL has to agree to release it too?

Guessing they probably don't pay the last month's rent / take it out of the last month or mores rent and scarper.

[superlightr]

STW2010 said:

bennyboydurham said:

My Dad's in the lettings business and if someone wants out then most of the time he just lets them go. Tenants can easily go to ground and become untraceable and it's not worth the hassle, in his opinion. He's tried before now to accommodate early terminations but someone whose job is taking them to the other side of the country almost invariably stops paying the rent once they've gone, regardless of what they've signed or agreed to. As an agent he'd rather get them out and someone else in. Sad but true!

I fail to see what's sad about that. Letting agents take the piss anyway- take their 'admin fees' for example when you go to renew a contract. They charge over £100 for the hassle of changing a date and possibly the rent amount on the document, then printing it. Sorry but that's a 10 minute job, and uses 10 sheets of paper.

Hey - guess how much we charge for renewing a contract? go on !


£0

[davemac250]

Yep, I don't get charged for the renewals either.

[sunbeam_alpine]

aruck said:

£600 sounds a bit excessive. I am have a propery I let and I get charged just over £200 each time I need to arrange for re-advertising.

Blimey, who are you using?

I have to pay 1 full months rent to my current (and previous) agent to find a new tenant. Mind you, they are very quick - they have managed to have a new tenant lined up before the old one moved out.

[bennyboydurham]

Team 17 said:

jammy_basturd said:

bennyboydurham said:

My Dad's in the lettings business and if someone wants out then most of the time he just lets them go. Tenants can easily go to ground and become untraceable and it's not worth the hassle, in his opinion. He's tried before now to accommodate early terminations but someone whose job is taking them to the other side of the country almost invariably stops paying the rent once they've gone, regardless of what they've signed or agreed to. As an agent he'd rather get them out and someone else in. Sad but true!

What happens to the deposit in this case? Do the tenants still get it back, as the LL has to agree to release it too?

Guessing they probably don't pay the last month's rent / take it out of the last month or mores rent and scarper.

Normally if they do a bunk then no, they aren't going to get the deposit back. Some people literally just disappear overnight and leave a house full of furniture. Normally where they do a runner they haven't been paying the rent on time/at all for many months anyway, so often my Dad's firm are glad to see the back of them.

[craig r]

I have been a good tenant. I always pay my rent in full and on time, the place is always kept in a good state of order, and I even decorated one of the bedrooms for him as I didn't really think lime green and bright yellow wallpaper was doing the place any favours - of course I had his permission to do this.

I don't want to rip off the guy, all I want to do is move out 3 months sooner than I'm supposed to be with as much ease and as little financial impact to both the LL and myself. I don't care about the LA's because they are condescending, smarmy, arse holes - not because of the situation I have put myself in, just generally.

I have written to my LL explaining the situation and now I'm just waiting for a reply.

~ Craig