6 Lies Commonly Told by Landlords

1] “That will be fixed by the time you move in”

If you notice something broken or off-key during the viewing, ensure it’s attended to before you sign any contracts, pay any deposits or agree to anything.

Once you’ve moved in, the landlord will be more reluctant to get things fixed because he already has you as a tenant.

2] “Don’t worry, everything is in working order”

Don’t take your tight-fisted landlord’s word for it. Test everything for yourself; take the noise coming out of your landlord’s greasy lips with a pinch of salt. Test things like the heating, hot water and white goods for yourself.

3] “I’ll put your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme”

I’m still surprised at how many tenants complain about their deposits being unfairly held by their landlords. Make sure your landlord secures your deposit into a Tenancy deposit scheme, don’t just take his/her word for it. Ask your landlord which scheme they’re going to use and when they’re going to deposit it. The fact you’re even asking about the scheme will inform the landlord you’re clued up on the issue. the Once your deposit is secured, you should be notified by the deposit scheme.

4] “Pay for it, I’ll give you the money back later”

If anything needs replacing or fixing, which is the landlord’s responsibility, ensure the landlord pays directly for the costs. Do NOT give your landlord credit- he will abuse the hell out of it.

5] “It’s a real quiet neighbourhood, there’s no trouble at all around here”

Classic sales pitch. Your landlord doesn’t even live there, what does he know?

6] “I’ll send you your copy of the tenancy agreement in the post”

I blame tenants themselves for being so stupid and irresponsible when they get caught in this trap. However, I’ll throw you guys a bone by warning you about this one (even though I shouldn’t have to).

I still find it difficult to digest that tenants move into a property WITHOUT having their hands on a tenancy agreement. Do not hand over money or move in until you have a copy of your Tenancy Agreement in your hands!!!!

Trust me, I’m a landlord

Attention! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you're notified of all new blog entries.

Talk / 6 Comments

Sam wrote this on 2010-02-06 09:35:17 Apart from number 6 - the first 5 could be the landlord telling the truth! we're not all lying scumbags you know! 1

The Landlord wrote this on 2010-02-06 10:14:53 @Sam, I agree, they could be telling the truth.

I'm just saying they're lines tenants should be aware of, as they can easily be (and in a lot of case are) lies. It's just something for tenants to be aware of, and can easily avoid. E.g. Point number 1. Tenants should ensure everything is fixed before signing any agreement and moving into the property- don't just take the landlords word for it.

This list was actually generated from a list of common complaints tenants have left on my blog about their landlord.

Cheers 2

Peter wrote this on 2010-02-06 11:22:35 No surprise.
People who rent have no rights.
Landlords are lazy parasites.
Many lawyers are landlords.
I'm better off sleeping in my car or buying a house.
Renting should be a crime. 3

The Landlord wrote this on 2010-02-07 01:05:49 Peter, you clearly have no comprehension of landlord law.

Tenants have PLENTY of rights. E.g. A landlord can't legally evict a non-paying tenant until they are two months behind on rent. TWO MONTHS! 4

Jason wrote this on 2010-02-11 11:34:40 Number 7: "I sent it to you by post, it must have been delayed - I'll ring you in a few days to see if you've received it"

If you need documents, tell the landlord you will pick them up from their office or house. Otherwise you will be waiting weeks for a non existent letter and a phone call they will never make. 99.999999% of the time if someone tells you they posted something and that it must have been lost, it is just one big lie. 5

John wrote this on 2010-02-24 14:58:09 The landlord is going to stretch the truth, he is trying to sell you something, surely it is the responsibility of the potential tenant to counter this by doing his/her homework prior to meeting the landlord. For example with regard to the neighbourhood, they should have a look around the area, visit the property at least twice at different times of the day so that they have a good idea of the area. They should also have a list of questions and things to check out so that they cover everything to their satisfaction.

http://propertysuccess4u.bogspot.com 6