Problem with letting agent

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
Posts
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Location
South East
Hi all, Long story I am afraid but I will try and keep it as short as possible.

My girlfriend and I moved into our flat on 29th August 2008 (part furnished), she was away at the time so I picked up the keys and conducted the inventory with the letting agent. This post is to ask advice on an ongoing issue with a broken table we are now being held liable for. However, it is worth mentioning that after moving in we were able to make a full A4 list of problems with the place, which should have been dealt with before we moved in, such as:

- Books, food, personal items, and various other household items left by the landlady (she lived her before letting the property)
- The flat hadn't been cleaned, hair was in the bath, kitchen floor was filthy
- Promised hanging rails installed in walk in wardrobe, nothing when we moved in. 6 weeks on we are STILL waiting on her to provide something
- Promised a new cooker which wasn't installed when we arrived
- Mirror promised in the bathroom, nothing, we had to provide and fit our own

There are so many more but I don't want to bore you. Onto the real issue.

In the hallway there was a mirror side table (apparently costing £285). During the inventory I was informed that the electrician who had been sorting the place out had broken it, and I could clearly see that the top of the table was smashed. I was promised this would be removed.

After 1 week it had still not been removed, so I moved the table outside as I had been told it would be discarded of. I also advised that I didn't particularly want it replaced while we were in the property as we didn't need it.

When I moved the table, one of the table legs fell off, I didn't knock it on anything, it simply fell off and I took the table out and placed the leg on top, and informed the letting agent.

I have since been told that the table leg was SNAPPED off, and because this wasn't noticed before I am held liable for it. I am now expected to pay £210 to repair the table leg.

Where do I stand on this? (excuse the pun)

What really annoys me, and perhaps where I can avoid liability, is that they have ONLY JUST (6 ****ING WEEKS ON AFTER ME ASKING ON A WEEKLY BASIS) provided the revised inventory for me to sign.

Now, as far as I am concerned, as I have yet to sign this, I have not agreed to anything and cannot be held liable for the damage to the table. What's to say the bloody electrician didn;t damage the leg when he smashed the top FFS?

Can ANYONE offer any advice on this please?

I really hate this letting agent, I want her to die in hell she is a ****ing retard and I hate her.

Despite my last comment, in all my comms with her I have been polite and friendly, and now she tries this on.

Her:

In relation the mirrored desk . I have charged the electrician with the damage that he has caused and I will have to, as discussed charge you for the rest of this.
I have noted that you do not wish a new desk to be put into the property until you move out.

The desk cost £285.

I received a quote for the top to be replaced. This was £75.00.

The leg has been snapped and therefore the rest of the cost to be paid be yourselves is £210.00

This I feel is the fairest way to close this matter as this is a cheaper option than have the top replaced and then have to pay for a whole new table.

Please could you let me know if you would like to pay for this now or if you would like it to be taken from your deposit at the end of your tenancy.
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They can't take your deposit, so don't pay them anything for the table. Insist that your inventory was done and agreed prior to you moving in, including the note about the table already being broken.

ScarySquirrel said:
I am screwed though aren't I? Contracts, references etc.

I am the one on the back foot.
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What does the contract say? As for references, thats what employers are for (I'm usually asked to provide at least one employer reference when renting)
 
Did you take pictures when you moved in and did the inventory?

Does the new inventory you received have the damage to the table listed on there or nothing at all?

I would argue that the leg was already broken and wobbling as you moved in. If it doesn't mention it on the inventory, decline it and say the inventory is wrong and you want another one doing.

However, if you have no pics then you are on the backfoot. But again, I'd argue the cost of £210 pounds to fix the broken leg and about reducing it. (You could alwasy look up a carpenter in phone book or something?? Or glue it ^ ^ ^)

For now, refuse payment and argue your point as best you can.

Letting people and landlords can be such pain's in the ass and you have to make sure you cover yourself 100% at all times. It's a joke.
 
Trying the CAB is the right thing to do.

If there's no signed inventory, it's your word against theirs. I don't know who would win in a legal dispute though.

At the very least, ask that the landlord gets two quotes for repairing the leg and sends you a copy of the receipt for the work. Don't pay anything until you receive this receipt. One landlord once tried to claim all of our deposit (5 people living in a student house) for some minor damage. It was surprising how £1000+ suddenly became £80 when we asked to see the receipt for the repair work.
 
Knubje said:
Did you take pictures when you moved in and did the inventory?

Does the new inventory you received have the damage to the table listed on there or nothing at all?

I would argue that the leg was already broken and wobbling as you moved in. If it doesn't mention it on the inventory, decline it and say the inventory is wrong and you want another one doing.

However, if you have no pics then you are on the backfoot. But again, I'd argue the cost of £210 pounds to fix the broken leg and about reducing it. (You could alwasy look up a carpenter in phone book or something?? Or glue it ^ ^ ^)

For now, refuse payment and argue your point as best you can.

Letting people and landlords can be such pain's in the ass and you have to make sure you cover yourself 100% at all times. It's a joke.
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It is mentioned in the inventory, but only the 'cracked' (yeah nice one, try completely smashed to bits) table top.
 
ScarySquirrel said:
No :(

I have emailed the CAB as it is impossible to speak to someone on the phone.
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Well, you're going to find it hard to prove the table was broken previously without physical evidence, should they take you to court for the money.

Personally I never bother with letting agents, I prefer to deal with landlords directly.
 
Well if there is a dispute, go by the receipts like suggested above. Don't pay anything. Also state that if it goes ahead you will look into repairing it first and if not you want two independant quotes or the source of the table to check its all legit.

Her saying its £210 isn't on when all she has done is taken £75 from the total it originally cost after the leccy broke it. Get quotes, receipts the lot.

As you have the email with her stating there was already known damage to the table this could be useful.

I would email her back saying that what she asks for is unacceptable. Tell her you want two quotes for the repair of the table and that you want copies of everything (also that you will make enquiries independently to have it fixed). Also tell her the inventory is wrong and you aren't signing.

See what she says, but I would ensure that the tone of the correspondence with her underlines that you know she is trying to scam you like a nigerian with a 10Mil lottery prize win email.
 
I am fed up of back and forth emails about various problems I have had over the last 6 weeks.

I am going to speak to CAB and then call her and request a meeting in person. I really am so angry right now though if I met her I would probably cut her face off with my car keys.
 
the table may of cost £280 when bought, but how much is it worth after several years of use??? you are not liable for replacing old for new.

so assuming the table was 2-3 years old and already broken when you moved in. Then the value and hence the cost you are liable for would probably only be about £10 and im being generous.
 
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What a tard. Desk worth £285 already has £75 worth of damage. "Oh well that must mean to fix the leg it costs £210!" What an absolute idiot. Sounds like you drew the short straw getting her as the agent.

As said above ask for proof of what the cost to repair would be. Then go around your property and take photos of EVERYTHING and date them. That way when it comes to leaving you at least have some photos of the early stages of your tenancy to use as evidence if they try it on about anything else.
 
That sucks. I've had my fair share of problems with landlords and letting agents - you win some, you lose some. I'd say in this case you have enough going for you to maybe at least talk her down a chunk on this cost. Good luck!
 
uber soldat said:
hmmm............. i noticed this exact same thread title was closed by a don earlier :confused:
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I created two by accident.

Thanks for the advice guys, I was really looking to see if people agreed with me. so I am glad that is the general consensus.

EDIT: Just called the CAB and the lady thought that £210 was extremely excessive. She is going to look into it and see where I stand and get back to me.
 
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