Lies That Letting Agents Feed Prospective Tenants
Written by The Landlord on 30 Apr 2008
I’m not sure if I would put letting agents on the same par as estate agents, but if letting agents are behind, they’re not that far behind. Perhaps they’re not the same breed of predator, but they’ve definitely emerged from the same batch of spawn, Satan’s spawn. I’ve had my fair share of problems with letting agents; from my experience they’re as slippery as the cheese and chive gunk that drips out of their zits. Similarly to estate agents, they equipped for combat; fully armoured with more hidden tricks than Ronald McDonald.
So, what are the most commonly used lies they deploy to trap potential tenants into their snapping bear traps? Here’s a list of the usual suspects…
Interest in this property has been extraordinary
I’m going to start this potentially titanic list by covering the most commonly used line, which shouldn’t be taken anymore serious than a nun in a thong.
“There’s been a lot of interest in this property- we’ve had 3 viewings already after 1 day of being put on the market. So if you’re interested, you should act quickly”
Well, if this property is so hot, rent it out already, beehatch!
There is never a shortage of ideal properties for our tenants
Instead of admitting there is a shortage of the idealistic property which meets your requirements, they’ll just waste your time showing you inadequate properties, whether it’s the price that’s way out of line, or the floor space. Either way, it’s all time-wasting, something which they have no qualms of doing.
“Hi, we’ve just had this amazing property put on the rental market. It’s amazing. I thought of you as soon as I heard about it”
Errr…it’s £400 over my budget, Jackass!
Everything will be repaired
“Oh that, yes, that will be fixed before you move in. It’s all been arranged. Don’t worry about it.”
Local Landlord
“You get the added luxury of having a landlord that lives 5mins away, so he can assist with any problems you have immediately.”
The landlord lives in Bangladesh.
Exclusive rights
“Oh, you really like this property? The landlord has given us exclusive rights to this property; you won’t find it advertised elsewhere”
The Rent is nonnegotiable
“The landlord won’t budge on the rent, I’m sorry”
The more rent the agent gets out of you, the more commission they’re likely to get.
Parking
“Parking is shared but there is never a problem”
Let me guess, you live in this neighbourhood, right?
Excellent Neighbours
“The neighbours are dead quiet, you won’t hear a peep out of them, and everyone is so friendly.”
Right, right, we just went over the fact that you live in this neighbourhood, I forgot.
Nothing is broken. Ever
“Everything is in working order, from every light bulb to every plug socket”
Property will be cleaned
“The property will be professionally cleaned before you move in”
a.k.a “I’ll ask the landlord to do a once over with the Hoover. If he can’t be bothered, fuck it, you would have signed on the dotted line by then”
Council Tax
“Yes, this house is Band A for council tax”
Landlord Contact Details
“The Landlords details will be in the lease”
There won’t be, nor will the letting agent pass on the details.
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Jools
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I initially started this website because I wanted to document my every step from property idiot to property landlord,
in hope that people would find my site and help me along the way. I literally didn't have a clue about being a landlord
when I started this website.
However, my gut feeling is that as long as ALL the girls have failed to sign the agreement, then the letting agent doesn't have a legally binding contract at hand. If that is the case, can my daughter walk away from this tenancy?
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