Idiot Letting Agents!!!

ToxicPaddy

Overview..

We, me and 3 house mates, are in the process of moving house, spent a good while looking around for a decent house. We all have fairly well paid jobs, like living together and like our comforts so we wanted something fairly upmarket with decent space, parking for us all and convenient to all amenities in the area we are living at the moment.

So anyway, found the house, viewed it twice, negotiated rent with the letting agency, the agent in question informed us the house would be furnished to a high standard and the landlord is a decent up front guy and a good friend of his.. We were happy, paid the deposit and everyone happy.

We noticed the house was being advertised by another agency for a couple of hundred a month less, which our letting agent didn't know about, so he made a few enquiries and came back and said he would match that price.

That was nearly 5 weeks ago.. all good so far. In the meantime we had to provide a reference from our previous landlord, no problem.. letters from our employer stating we are in full time employment, again no problem.. A copy of picture ID's, all done..

Initial part of deposit (Just under 50%) is transferred to letting agency and they confirm this, house is officially marked as let by our agency on their site and removed by the other agency.

So anyway, we give out notice to our current landlord, all good.. and start packing.

I ring the agency 2 weeks ago asking about giving them the rest of the deposit and the first months rent and some questions about phone line, dates for getting the keys, meeting the landlord etc.. the usual stuff and get nothing back..

I rang a few more times and nothing.. so by yesterday, I heard nothing so was getting a little worried but again nothing..

Latest:

I get a phone call this morning to inform me the house has been let already to someone else!!!

Apparently the landlord let it to a family a week and a half ago and never told the letting agent.. which I dont believe at all. He said he was trying to contact the landlord for the last week and a half as he was abroad but couldnt.. so why didnt he tell us??????

So here we are, 4 days left in our current house, notice given, everything packed, UPC cancelled, telephone about to be moved, Gas and ESB going to be moved, all post having been redirected to new address and now this!!

To say I am livid is an understatement.. I feel like killing this lying little arrogant runt of a letting agent who wouldn't return a phone call, despite him knowing something was wrong.. We could have had 2 weeks to make alternative arrangements.. :mad:

Is there anywhere I can do? Or is a case of tough luck?

Can I name and shame here?

Tox

3DataModem

The estate agent may be telling the truth; the landlord may have f*cked him.

I have rented, been a landlord and used plenty of letting agents... so in my personal experience;

(a) a large proportion of letting agents are idiots.

(b) a reasonable amounts of landlords are unscrupulous

(a) + (b) = (c) they don't trust each other

So just chalk it up to bad agent/landlord relations.

Alas you have no realistic comeback.

I wouldn't necessarily name and shame unless you are sure it's the agents incompetence not the landlord pulling the rug.

3DataModem

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

I ring the agency 2 weeks ago asking about giving them the rest of the deposit and the first months rent and some questions about phone line, dates for getting the keys, meeting the landlord etc.. the usual stuff and get nothing back..

Name and shame IMO.

ToxicPaddy

3DataModem wrote: »

I wouldn't necessarily name and shame unless you are sure it's the agents incompetence not the landlord pulling the rug.

The fact that the letting agent knew over a week and a half ago there was something wrong shows it all and their lack of incompetence to even return a phone call shows how little they care.

I wouldn't mind if they were a big agency with hundreds of houses on their books but they arent, at most they have about a dozen properties on the books and their site at any one time..

When I rang the office today about getting my deposit, its the first they heard of it and no one knew anything about it and the letting agent who showed us the house couldnt be got on his phone.. surprise surprise!! :mad:

Victor

3DataModem wrote: »

Name and shame IMO.

Actually don't. If you want to name and shame, go get a blog.

We're not dealing with your potential legal issues.

Graces7

Agents mostly belong to a professional organisation who will handle complaints about this kind of incompetence very well and who have considerable clout.

It will be on their website.

Check with them?

http://www.iavi.ie/

ToxicPaddy

In the end, I spoke with another person in that company and lets just say at the end of the call, they were apologising profusely and ensuring me I would have my deposit lodged back in my account first thing this morning.

I will also be getting a written apology from the agent in question and I'll let the matter end with that.

The fact that I have told so many friends and colleagues who rent property about the fiasco ensures that plenty of people will steer clear of them, so I think I have done my part about spreading the word about their poor service.

So I wont name and shame here as per Victors instructions.. dont want boards getting into trouble.. I like it too much and what else would I do with my day if I couldnt use it???

Tox

EKRIUQ

The landlord gave the letting to at least 2 agents and then let the house himself, I think the problem is a lack of communication between the agents and the landlord. I'm sure you'll find it consolation that the agents won't be getting paid for their time as the landlord bypassed them.

ToxicPaddy

I understand that, but what I'm most unhappy with is that the letting agent took our deposit, ignored our calls, did not update us with any information and in the end we lose out.

If he has been honest with us, we could have continued looking and if this fell through then so be it. But the fact that all our prep work as far as packing, redirecting post and utilities to the new house etc were done and we had even arranged to have cleaners come in to do the carpets, windows etc in the house.. now all this has to be cancelled..

That is extremely annoying..

gurramok

I viewed a house recently out of curiosity and it had 3 different ads up on daft for it with 3 different prices and 3 different agents/contacts. Don't ever go for it.

Renter beware in this context and for the OP.