Role of a Letting Agent

Yellowledbetter

Hi folks,long time member but first post in here so bare with me!!

Basically myself and my OH are gonna become first time renters in a few weeks,we have found a house we both really like and put down a deposit on it during the week and hope to move in 3 weeks or so. In a nutshell what im wondering is what exactly is the role of a letting agent and what should I expect from him?
I know the usual of stuff of if something breaks I ring him and he gets it fixed but Im hearing different things from different people and finding it hard to find anything really concrete online.
Should he sort out the change over of bills from the previous tenant to us,should he do the inventory before we move in including taking photos of the furniture,should he take a reading from the ESB meter before we move in. |
Sorry about all the questions but as I said,this is new to us so I want to try arm myself with as much good information as I can and I know their are many people on here with years of experience.

Thanks in advance

toexpress

Right well the agent is only responsible for the maintenance of the property if it is a fully managed let. He may well be just find a tenant for a fee. Check that out.

He should see to the transfer of the bills to your name. However if you already have accounts with utility companies in your name and you just want to carry those with you then you may need to make these arrangosements for yourself.

An agent should make an inventory of all goods in the property of course, and this should be detailed with the lease.

As for photos well that's the call of the landlord and yourself. Might be a good idea to take some yourself just to be sure

ProudDUB

The letting agent should facilitate the switch over of the ESB bill to you. Yes, they should do a meter reading. Try to do it with them on move in day, if you can. The letting agent should then call the ESB to let them know that you are the new tenant living there. They will give them the meter reading so that the final bill for the previous tenants can be calculated. Do not presume that this will take place when it should. Call the ESB as soon as possible to set up your own account with them. Make sure that your meter reading matches the one that the letting agent gave them. That way you are being charged usage from your move in day, and for none of the time before that.

When it comes to your broadband, cable TV & land line phone services, they'll probably leave that for you to sort out for yourself. Everyone has to have electricity, but not everyone wants the same telly or phone service.

By all means, request an inventory of contents of the apt that is agreed upon and signed by you both. This will prevent you being on the hook for things that they say were there and you damaged or removed, but were really not.

Take photos of the apt and the major appliances and fixtures and fittings. It can't hurt to have them on file just in case any dispute crops up as to how you found the apt on move in day, and how it was when you leave it.

odds_on

ProudDUB wrote: »

The letting agent should facilitate the switch over of the ESB bill to you. Yes, they should do a meter reading. Try to do it with them on move in day, if you can. The letting agent should then call the ESB to let them know that you are the new tenant living there. They will give them the meter reading so that the final bill for the previous tenants can be calculated. Do not presume that this will take place when it should. Call the ESB as soon as possible to set up your own account with them. Make sure that your meter reading matches the one that the letting agent gave them. That way you are being charged usage from your move in day, and for none of the time before that.

When it comes to your broadband, cable TV & land line phone services, they'll probably leave that for you to sort out for yourself. Everyone has to have electricity, but not everyone wants the same telly or phone service.

By all means, request an inventory of contents of the apt that is agreed upon and signed by you both. This will prevent you being on the hook for things that they say were there and you damaged or removed, but were really not.

Take photos of the apt and the major appliances and fixtures and fittings. It can't hurt to have them on file just in case any dispute crops up as to how you found the apt on move in day, and how it was when you leave it.

This is more for the landlord, as any claim with the PRTB would require the landlord to prove the condition of the furniture, appliances,flooring, etc. before the PRTB would adjudicate in favour of the land.

Basically, no detailed entry inventory then the landlord loses any claim (either by the tenant or the landlord) for damages beyond normal wear and tear.

Having said that, any entry inventory should be signed by both parties and photos/videos should be data stamped and signed by both landlord and tenant.

ProudDUB

odds_on wrote: »

This is more for the landlord, as any claim with the PRTB would require the landlord to prove the condition of the furniture, appliances,flooring, etc. before the PRTB would adjudicate in favour of the land.

Basically, no detailed entry inventory then the landlord loses any claim (either by the tenant or the landlord) for damages beyond normal wear and tear.

Yes, but if there is an inventory of contents, that can prevent the landlord from trying any funny business in the first place. Going to the PRTB is all well and good. A claim with them can a take a very long time to be heard & a judgment issued. In the mean time, a tenant does not need to be in the position of having money withheld from his deposit that the land lords says are for things that were missing from the apt when the tenant moved out. That happened to me. The matter was resolved in my favour without having to go to the PRTB, but odds are it wouldn't have happened if there was a signed inventory of contents in the first place. I asked for one after I moved in, but the estate agent ignored my emails. So get one prior to move in day if possible.

Mr.Wemmick

Agree with both posts, well written!

Let's face it, in all walks of life, there are many people who will try it on, see how much they can get and Landlords can and do try to see if they hold on to a deposit unfairly claiming exaggerate damages when normal wear and tear is the only culprit.

Pre-empting trouble by making sure at the start you are covered by having photos, list of contents etc.. not relying on EA but doing it yourself like ProudDub has written is just common sense and sound advice.

ProudDUB wrote: »

Yes, but if there is an inventory of contents, that can prevent the landlord from trying any funny business in the first place. Going to the PRTB is all well and good. A claim with them can a take a very long time to be heard & a judgment issued. In the mean time, a tenant does not need to be in the position of having money withheld from his deposit that the land lords says are for things that were missing from the apt when the tenant moved out. That happened to me. The matter was resolved in my favour without having to go to the PRTB, but odds are it wouldn't have happened if there was a signed inventory of contents in the first place. I asked for one after I moved in, but the estate agent ignored my emails. So get one prior to move in day if possible.

Victor

Their role is to serve the landlord by getting a tenant. Beyond that, they role is undefined other than what they have agreed with the landlord.

mathepac

+1 Victor.

If there is confusion about what role the letting agent fulfils with the property you are leasing / renting do the simple thing and ask him. It kinda strange that you handed over money to someone whose precise you was unclear to you. Personally I'd have clarified that first because at the end of the lease someone will need to give you back your deposit, read utility meters, etc.

shangri la

What use are pictures on the day you moved in?

you move out and landlord says there is a microwave missing and is going to keep your deposit.

you have a picture that shows no microwave, so what?

Mr.Wemmick

shangri la wrote: »

What use are pictures on the day you moved in?

you move out and landlord says there is a microwave missing and is going to keep your deposit.

you have a picture that shows no microwave, so what?

You have a list of contents signed by you and the EA and/or LL and attach the photos. As well as the list of contents you make note of all the damages in the property prior to you living there.

It's not rocket science!

shangri la

Mr.Wemmick wrote: »

You have a list of contents signed by you and the EA and/or LL and attach the photos. As well as the list of contents you make note of all the damages in the property prior to you living there.

It's not rocket science!

I understand having a list of appliances and damages to the property signed by LL/letting agent when you move it.

What I don't understand is what use is a photograph of a counter top that does not have a microwave or any photograph for that matter.

Victor

Inventories are best for showing what is in the property.

Photos are best to show the specific type and the general condition.

ProudDUB

shangri la wrote: »

What I don't understand is what use is a photograph of a counter top that does not have a microwave or any photograph for that matter.

Why taking photos of your rented apt/house is a good idea.

Last summer, I moved into an apt that had bad black mold in the kitchen cabinets that were to the right and left of the cooker. An expert in these matters told me that this was due to either the extractor fan over the cooker not working properly. Or it did, but the previous tenants did not use it when cooking. As a result, all the damp steam from pots boiling on the cooker had no where to go but up into the cabinets. Hence the mold. No food could be stored in these cabinets as it went moldy in less than a day. Monumental pain in the you know what.

I took pictures of the inside of the cabinet. I emailed the estate agent numerous times about getting the problem fixed. I attached the pix to my emails. I printed out copies of all these emails for my records. If I had not done any of this, what would have stopped an unscrupulous landlord from claiming that (a) the kitchen cabinets were in pristine condition when I moved in, (b) the mold problem was caused by my own carelessness and neglect and that (c) he was entitled to withhold money from my deposit to cover the cost of repair? Nothing imo.

amdublin

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