Bleeding Estate/Letting Agent

[Piglet]

Sorry in advance for the rant....

Present company excepted are all letting/estate agents tossers?

We're moving out of the rental house we're in at the moment. The owner has appointed an agent to re-let it which is fine. We've agreed that they can do unaccompanied viewings as it's a PITA for me to be here and hubby is away at the moment.

What I've stressed to the Landlady and both she and I have stressed to the manager of the letting agency AND the dumb (probably) blonde who called me yesterday is that the middle mortice lock on the door must be locked when they leave otherwise our insurance is invalidated. The dumb (probably) blond yesterday just kept saying "we leave it as we find it" and I kept trying to make the point that the middle lock would be across and that whatever they think they found they must engage the middle mortice lock. The locks are all a bit sticky (wooden front door) and I didn't want them to be confused about which locks were in use.

Sooooo....I get home tonight to find the alarm box flashing because they haven't shut the downstairs doors (so much for leaving as they find ) and neither of the mortice locks across. So they've left the bleeding house since lunchtime on the 1950's Yale lock that any 5 year old could get through with a fish slice and a foot stool to stand on (I may be exaggerating slightly!)

I'm bleeding furious, surely it's not difficult and if it was difficult they have my mobile number and the landlady's mobile number....

[jamesuk28]

Piglet said:

Present company excepted are all letting/estate agents tossers?

Most of them yes.

[Piglet]

jamesuk28 said:

Piglet said:

Present company excepted are all letting/estate agents tossers?

Most of them yes.

I thought as much....I'm trying to hold onto the anger so that I can be suitable bleeding annoyed when I phone them tomorrow!

[TurricanII]

Just tell them they can only do accompanied viewings between 14:00 and 15:00 on Sundays, or they can wait until you have moved out, because they cannot be relied upon to lock up. I dunno if that legit for you, might need to check your lease

[Piglet]

TurricanII said:

Just tell them they can only do accompanied viewings between 14:00 and 15:00 on Sundays, or they can wait until you have moved out, because they cannot be relied upon to lock up. I dunno if that legit for you, might need to check your lease

Better than that, I'm away at weekends so it'll be no unaccompanied viewings at all and I'm only here after 7.30pm, by the time I've eaten it'll be 8.30pm and they are welcome to come round then

I'm required to give access but if I refuse they'd have to enforce it by court order which will take them months and given the problems my actions are likely to be regarded as reasonable.

My current view is that I'll give them one further chance but that will depend on their reaction today when I phone. If they don't give a toss then they can explain to their client why they now can't take anyone to view....

[nsa]

You would think with the market being as it is they would bend over backwards to keep you happy. Maybe a laminated notice on the key fob held by the agent would put it uppermost in their mind when leaving the property. This shouldn't be your responsibility, but...

[Piglet]

I've spoken to them this morning, the manager was apparently out, although I was told he was in when I left a message at 9am.

The girl I spoke to thinks that her colleague simply "forgot" to lock the door ah well that's alright then...incompetent rather than negligent.

Her colleague doesn't work Thursdays so she can't check with her until tomorrow.

I have said that at the moment I fail to see how I can allow any further unaccompanied viewings until they can confirm exactly why she didn't lock the door and provide me with some reassurance that she won't just forget next time.

[seaninog]

Piglet said:

Present company excepted are all letting/estate agents tossers?

I hope there is a Hellfire hot enough in the Afterlife for them all.

[JustinP1]

Piglet said:

I've spoken to them this morning, the manager was apparently out, although I was told he was in when I left a message at 9am.

The girl I spoke to thinks that her colleague simply "forgot" to lock the door ah well that's alright then...incompetent rather than negligent.

Her colleague doesn't work Thursdays so she can't check with her until tomorrow.

I have said that at the moment I fail to see how I can allow any further unaccompanied viewings until they can confirm exactly why she didn't lock the door and provide me with some reassurance that she won't just forget next time.

Why bother?

Just write to them, explain how explicit you made the instructions and the seriousness of the jeopardy they have left you in.

Therefore you give notice that you will not consent to any future unaccompanied viewings.

End of story. What are they going to do about it?

[Wings]

Piglet said:

I've spoken to them this morning, the manager was apparently out, although I was told he was in when I left a message at 9am.

The girl I spoke to thinks that her colleague simply "forgot" to lock the door ah well that's alright then...incompetent rather than negligent.

Her colleague doesn't work Thursdays so she can't check with her until tomorrow.

I have said that at the moment I fail to see how I can allow any further unaccompanied viewings until they can confirm exactly why she didn't lock the door and provide me with some reassurance that she won't just forget next time.

You need to put your feelings in writing to the Letting Agents, giving them a further opportunity to adhere to your wishes, and perhaps placing on the inside of the exit door, a reminder notice on securing the property.

If they again fail to adhere to your wishes then you are at liberty to change the cylinder of the Yale style lock (cost £3.95), giving them notice of the reason for doing the same

[Piglet]

I'm still undecided and I think it depends on their approach today. I really don't want to stop viewings totally as that just gives our landlady a problem, she desperately needs to re-let and whilst that isn't my problem I don't want to make this difficult for her. She has been fine about the locks thing and I know she had made the point to the agents over and over again as well.

I'll wait and see what they say today, I'm away all over the weekend and I think at least I'm going to tell them they can't carry out viewings - if they come in today and leave it on the yale then the place will remain unsecure until Monday evening.

Those that know about these things what process would an estate/letting agent have in place to deal with particular requirements of each property - this must come up to some degree on every house/flat? Do they not as a matter of course put a label on each set of keys saying "wiggle door to lock", "don't forget alarm" etc?

My colleague was telling me that when they were selling they left specific instructions that nothing was to be put in front of the cat flap, yet every time there was a viewing they came home to cat st all over the kitchen as someone had moved a kitchen chair across the flap! (I think the chairs blocked a cupboard and had to be moved for people to look in)

Edited by Piglet on Friday 27th February 07:27

[The Londoner]

Piglet said:

Those that know about these things what process would an estate/letting agent have in place to deal with particular requirements of each property

Edited by Piglet on Friday 27th February 07:27

Engagement of brain and use of common sense?

[Wings]

Piglet said:

Those that know about these things what process would an estate/letting agent have in place to deal with particular requirements of each property - this must come up to some degree on every house/flat? Do they not as a matter of course put a label on each set of keys saying "wiggle door to lock", "don't forget alarm" etc?

Edited by Piglet on Friday 27th February 07:27

I am myself a landlord in the Clifton-Tyndalls Park Road area, so having in the past used local letting agents I know to some disappointment how unreliable at times they can be. In fact I recall several years ago visiting one of my flats off Whiteladies Road, and finding a letting agent “at it” on the kitchen floor.

Whilst I appreciate you wanting to work with the owner of the property, assisting them to find a new tenant, that owner and the letting agents should also appreciate the security aspects of your present home and your personal chattels.

Usually, unless in an emergency, I not only accord my tenants 24 hours notice of my intentions of calling/entering the property, and for when I do call, for my own peace of mind, I like the tenant/s to be in attendance.

I no longer use letting agents, preferring to do the same myself, and with the costs of fuel, time travelling and potential tenants failing to turn up to view, I now only conduct group bookings, i.e. 2,3 or 4 potential tenants at any one time.

So with your particular problem I fail to see why the letting agents can’t work within your particular criteria, and show potential tenants when you are either about or shortly to be about.

[Piglet]

Wings said:

I am myself a landlord in the Clifton-Tyndalls Park Road area, so having in the past used local letting agents I know to some disappointment how unreliable at times they can be. In fact I recall several years ago visiting one of my flats off Whiteladies Road, and finding a letting agent “at it” on the kitchen floor.

Oh god now you've really put me off letting them carry out viewings!

You've probably used this agent...makes you think of trees and based in Westbury-on-Trym!

They haven't rung me as yet, I imagine they aren't going to...