Cheers all, it seems that the agent is just trying it on. The fact that the estate agent is also refusing to give us the landlord's contact details just feeds nicely in to this, I've met the landlord and his family when they popped in earlier in the year and they were (seemingly) decent people. I suspect the landlord doesn't even know what's going on here and the estate agent is just going to go "lol we negotiated £400 a month extra can haz commissions pls" to them.
I could get the landlord's details from the neighbours and find out for realsies, if for no other reason than to hammer the agents but I'm not sure I can be arsed, I just really, really,
really hate estate agents, bottom feeding scum, the lot of them.
I'm not even bothered about the increase, we're intending to move anyway, my main concern is whether we can chill until February and then move, or if we have to wakey wakey and do it now.
I just treat estate agents with absolute disdain and extreme contempt, I am fully of the impression that the estate agents have instigated this to bump up their commission and **** anyone else.
Hmmmmm. Maybe i should contact the landlord directly and ask him, I'd love nothing more than to make those wastes of skin squirm like the little snakes they are