Who regulates letting agents?

Associate
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15 Jan 2004
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My Chair, Peterborough
Does anyoen know who regulates letting agents? I want to read through some guidelines to see where I stand.

Had a bit of a run in with one the other day. I moved out of my old house a few weeks ago, but left some cleaning up and a few final things to be collected. I have paid my rent for feb and my rental contract expired at midnight on the 28th feb, when I went back yesterday to finish the tidying up (to ensure I get my deposit back) there was a new tennant moving in.

I couldnt do my finishing off as intended as there were people and furniture in the way and the new lady wasnt happy that I was there when she was trying to move in so I left without finishing. I now stand to loose some of my deposit as I didnt clean the windows or oven along with other little bits and bobs. Also, the new lady got the keys on the 27th, so she had access to the house for 2 days that I paid for.

Given that I've had properties from the same landlord before and always cleaned up well enough to get the entire deposit back - would I be within my rights to demand the whole lot back, and the 2 days rent for when she had access?

Any help or opinions much appreciated
 
Associate
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20 Oct 2004
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1,485
Some estate agents are a member of ARLA but they don't have to be. If they are it may be worth a shot.

What they have done is completely unacceptable. Unless there is some strange clause in your lease that says you have to allow 2 days for someone else to move in (and I very much doubt there would be) then they have breached your contract.

You would probably only be entitled to 1 or 2 days' rent in damages but I would start by asking for a week's rent and the entirety of your deposit back. If they don't agree to this then take them to the small claims court as their breach of contract was causally responsible for the lack of cleaning.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Feb 2003
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6,157
depends what midnight means. is is the start or end of the day?? If it's the start, you shouldn't have been there yesterday. If it's the end, they shouldn't have been there. Sounds like you pay by calendar month, which would imply the latter is the case
 
Associate
OP
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My Chair, Peterborough
The agent called me last monday to ask when I was goign back to finish off so they could do the inventory, and I told them I'd be there doing it on saturday and they didnt mention it being a problem. But it makes me think they havtn done an inventory unless it was doen before I went back to finish.

Rent was paid per calendar month so I should have had until midnight on the 28th, although I handed the keys back yesterday afternoon after abandoning the cleaning.

Interesting thing is, the tenants says they had paid to be there, so maybe the agent has cahrged us both for the same property.
 
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