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Deposit advice

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  • 16-07-2013 12:07pm
    #1
    ucd11
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭


    Hi guys, so a group of us are renting a place through a letting agency, and they want us to pay the deposit asap, but this will before we sign a contract. Is this normal? I'm very much a novice in the renting game, so I just want to make sure that we aren't verging into dodgy territory. Any advice would be very gratefully received.


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    #2
    zl1whqvjs75cdy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,042 ✭✭✭zl1whqvjs75cdy


    ucd11 wrote: »
    Hi guys, so a group of us are renting a place through a letting agency, and they want us to pay the deposit asap, but this will before we sign a contract. Is this normal? I'm very much a novice in the renting game, so I just want to make sure that we aren't verging into dodgy territory. Any advice would be very gratefully received.

    Normally pay the deposit when you sign the lease.


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    #3
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    How long before you sign the lease? They might be looking for a holding deposit.

    Be sure and ask them what their policy is on deposit return should you have to back out prior to signing the lease.


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    #4
    ucd11
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭ucd11


    Thanks for the replies guys, we'd be willing to sign the contract asap, and I told them we'd want to move in asap, but the lady hasn't told us when we'd be signing it, they're a bit of a nightmare to get in contact.


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    #5
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    ucd11 wrote: »
    they're a bit of a nightmare to get in contact.

    You might want to take this as a warning sign to be honest. If you cant get in contact them when you have a wad of cash in your hand to give them I can only imagine what they will be like to deal with when you need to get something fixed down the line...


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    #6
    ucd11
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭ucd11


    Hi guys just another question, is it possible for the tenants to sign the lease at different time, like on different days? The first person to sign wont become entirely responsible for the rent?


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    #7
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    Yes but dont hand back the lease until everyone signs. If one person signs and hands the lease back it is then at the discretion of the landlord whether to allow more tenants to co-sign (most would Id imagine but technically speaking the tenancy would start with the landlord receives back the signed lease).


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    #8
    ucd11
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭ucd11


    Thanks for the advice, I explained to the letting agent that we wouldn't be able to sign at the same time and she said this would be fine, so should I just trust her, as the tenancy period starts tomorrow so I presume we'd have to hand her the contract tomorrow? All of our names are on the lease. I'm not being responsible for it all though, no matter what.


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    #9
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    What kind of time frame are we talking? If you have paid the deposit and first months rent then I dont really see why it would be an issue to hold off for a few days to return the lease.


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    #10
    ucd11
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭ucd11


    Oh really is that possible, I didn't know that tbh, do you think that won't be a problem then?


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    #11
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    Explain the situation to the agent and see what they say. Tell them you are happy to hand over the money but it would be easier to keep hold of the lease until everyone signs. Provided its only a few days then I dont see why there would be an issue. You need to ask them though.


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    #12
    quietsailor
    Registered Users Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭quietsailor


    DON'T take offence at this but as you said yourself your new to this game. Be careful because if the LandLord (LL) or agent are dodgy and they sense that you're new they might try to withhold some of your deposit for "cleaning" at the end of the tenancy.

    Search back through this forum with search terms like "deposit" deposit kept".... you get the idea I'm sure, and you'll see others getting caught with this trick.

    Did the agent/LL give you a PRTB form to fill out? If not ask them for the form saying you want to fill it in alongside the lease - that warns them you'll kick up if they try anything dodgy at the end of the lease,

    next talk to them about taking photos of the house while they're in the house with you before you move in. Ask for an inventory of the contents, it should detail the condition of each item.

    Even if they don't agree to the photos take them yourselves especially of any damage that is there already. Try to get a paper or something with a date on it in the photo as it proves it cannot have been taken before that date. Make up an inventory yourself for each room and the condition it is in plus the condition of the room contents.

    Edit: Here's a link to a post (#13) I wrote on here earlier or a person who signed a lease, paid money & moved in without doing any of that, the property in that case sounds awful but they are stuck with it for a while - the LL could even turn around in that case and accuse them of damaging the property as the tenant didn't take pictures to prove the house condition at the start of the tenancy


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