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Dear Lord, so far being a landlord has been a pile of crap and bought me nothing but grief. Damn this landlording crap! Damn it to hell and back, and then to hell again.
Anyways, I’m going to have a quick little whinge-up.
Letting agents charge too much
Seriously, how on earth do letting agents justify their prices?
They charge between 10% to 15% of the annual rental income, but for what? FOR WHAT?
Yes, they find us tenants. Big whoop. The demand for rental properties is so high right now that any idiot can do it, including myself. Funny enough (because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry), once you actually need their help (after they’ve received their sweet commission), they’re nowhere to be seen and they’re less than helpful when you eventually manage can get a hold of them. Totally useless.
Why don’t letting agents ever call back?
After complaining to my agent yesterday about a payment issue, I was told that the manager of the branch would call me back so he could personally address the issue.
For a moment I felt important. Like a someone.
Of course, the idiot never called.
My tenant was too stupid to accurately declare how much money she earns
I received a £250 cheque from the social benefit on behalf of my DSS tenant. I assumed I would get another cheque in a week or so, because housing benefit payments are often split into seperate payments with in one month (God only knows for what reason. Perhaps just to piss landlords off. It works!). So for example, on the 15th of one month I receive £250, then on the 25th I would receive an additional £250, and my tenant pays the shortfall (the amount that’s left to pay).
It’s such a stupid system for a landlord.
In any case, the second cheque never arrived.
I contacted my management agent, only to be told that when my tenant filled in a form incorrectly when applying for her benefits. She had declared that she was earning more than she actually is. Smart, aye? So, that meant the council was never going to send me the second £250, because my tenant was only entitled to £250 support per month.
So I’m now at the mercy of my incompetent tenant (who clearly doesn’t know how much she earns) and the local council to get matters resolved. Needless to say, I am not filled with confidence.
Right, that’s my day done, folks!
Hope yours is better than mine.
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
Private tentants who are not claiming benefits will give you much less aggravation if you are a landlord. One way another you'll end up out of pocket when dealing with social services. Trust me, been there done that, NO DSS, NO BIG ASS DOGS (that will bite you when you go to collect), NO DAMN FERRETTS and NO HOOKERS! I've had all of these in my time and would never , ever , ever allow a DSS tentant in a property of mine - ever!