Estate agent wants references from my visitors?

SpaceRocket

I am renting a house 4 years and am now having issues with my estate agent and landlord.
(I live in a small town where everyone knows everyone elses business, however i am a "blow-in".)
My girlfriend stays over a couple of nights a week, usually at the weekend. I stay over some nights in her privately rented house also.
The estate agent is looking for references from her and an increase in rent as they claim she is living with me. She is not living with me though, and this i have already stated to the estate agent.
I want to apply to the PRTB as i think i am being treated unfairly here, however the tenancy is not registered.
Where do i stand?

BTW - I only began seeing this girl during the summer, so things are still new and it would be ridiculous of me to ask her to provide references so she can visit my house when the subject of us living together has not even been approached yet!

Mrs OBumble

Talk to the PRTB anyway, the non-registration is not your fault.

Kenny Logins

Why would the rent go up with the number of occupants?!

SpaceRocket

It's the fact that she is not an occupant of my house, she is solely a guest/visitor.
My mother drops over a lot too, yet they are not asking me for references for her...

I've never come across this before and am quite stunned by their insistance that if someone sometimes stays overnight in my home that they are now deemed occupants?

Kenny Logins

I know, but even if she was an occupant why would the rent go up? ..and why would they need references, if you're still the main rent-paying tenant?

Your agent and landlord sound like right pair of chancers.

SpaceRocket

Chancers is right, I'm going to have to alert the PRTB as to their non registration so I can make an official complaint.

foggy_lad

SpaceRocket wrote: »

It's the fact that she is not an occupant of my house, she is solely a guest/visitor.
My mother drops over a lot too, yet they are not asking me for references for her...

I've never come across this before and am quite stunned by their insistance that if someone sometimes stays overnight in my home that they are now deemed occupants?

You are entitled to have her stay over a few nights a week if you so chose. And you are entitled to stay ovet at her place. Tell the estate agent you are referring the matter to the PRTB and they will decide on it. Even though the place may not be registered you can still avail of all the services and protections of the prtb who may even fine the landlord for not being registered.

foggy_lad

SpaceRocket wrote: »

Chancers is right, I'm going to have to alert the PRTB as to their non registration so I can make an official complaint.

You can still make your complaint regardless of the place being unregistered. The PRTB will deal separately with your landlord over not being registered.

Synyster Shadow

The only rent that can go up is that of a council house if (which she's not) she's living with you privately is not based on how many live there. You can share the house and bills with a cousin or friend should you choose.

But I wouldn stand for the treatment your gettin. Next he'll want your weekly income put down on paper

gaius c

It's pretty outrageous to be frank.

SpaceRocket

Thanks for the advice. I would not be someone who would usually involve an agency such as the PRTB in a dispute, but I don't know how to deal with these people on my own as I feel they are being completely unreasonable with their demands.
It is disconcerting that neighbours went to the estate agent informing him that there was someone staying over in the property from time to time.
I will contact the PRTB and see what they can do to help me out with this.

gaius c

SpaceRocket wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I would not be someone who would usually involve an agency such as the PRTB in a dispute, but I don't know how to deal with these people on my own as I feel they are being completely unreasonable with their demands.
It is disconcerting that neighbours went to the estate agent informing him that there was someone staying over in the property from time to time.
I will contact the PRTB and see what they can do to help me out with this.

Any anti-social behaviour going on?
That's very underhanded stuff from them.

petes

Where the hell is this place...Royston Vasey??

dissed doc

SpaceRocket wrote: »

I am renting a house 4 years and am now having issues with my estate agent and landlord.
(I live in a small town where everyone knows everyone elses business, however i am a "blow-in".)
My girlfriend stays over a couple of nights a week, usually at the weekend. I stay over some nights in her privately rented house also.
The estate agent is looking for references from her and an increase in rent as they claim she is living with me. She is not living with me though, and this i have already stated to the estate agent.
I want to apply to the PRTB as i think i am being treated unfairly here, however the tenancy is not registered.
Where do i stand?

BTW - I only began seeing this girl during the summer, so things are still new and it would be ridiculous of me to ask her to provide references so she can visit my house when the subject of us living together has not even been approached yet!

That is a completely unreasonable thing to demand.

She is a guest, not a tenant. Therefore they can be told to f off.

Secondly, the rent can be raised only in accordance with the market in the area.

Read the tenancy agreement and make sure you have not broken any of it.

murphaph

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Why would the rent go up with the number of occupants?!

More wear and tear. Leases can specify maximum occupancy. Imagine a case where a LL rents a 3 bed house and a family of 10 moves in.

However, casual visitors cannot be prevented. The law clearly states that.

Stereomaniac

Sounds like the landlord is just chancing their arm in this situation.

Kenny Logins

murphaph wrote: »

More wear and tear. Leases can specify maximum occupancy. Imagine a case where a LL rents a 3 bed house and a family of 10 moves in.

However, casual visitors cannot be prevented. The law clearly states that.

Ok, yeah, that's fair enough, but not the case here.

The_Conductor

magicman88 wrote: »

I'd torch the house

Thats nice.
You can consider your responses to posts in this forum during your 5 day ban.
Anyone else advocating arson- or any illegal activity- will have a similar posting holiday.

Regards,

The_Conductor

foggy_lad

Stereomaniac wrote: »

Sounds like the landlord is just chancing their arm in this situation.

more likely that the LL has a local person watching the house to see that there is no wild parties or sub-letting etc and has been told someone else has moved in.

the_syco

SpaceRocket wrote: »

The estate agent is looking for references from her and an increase in rent as they claim she is living with me.

Sounds like they disapprove of your relationship out of wedlock. Eg; religious bullsh|t... Are there any other houses to rent in the town?

djimi

Tell the estate agent/landlord in no uncertain terms to piss off with themselves, and if they have an issue then tell them to take a case with the PRTB themselves and see how far they get. Bunch of absolute clowns.

The_Conductor

djimi wrote: »

Tell the estate agent/landlord in no uncertain terms to piss off with themselves, and if they have an issue then tell them to take a case with the PRTB themselves and see how far they get. Bunch of absolute clowns.

They can't they're not actually an interested party. The PSR (Property Services Regulator) on the other hand........

djimi

the_syco wrote: »

Sounds like they disapprove of your relationship out of wedlock. Eg; religious bullsh|t... Are there any other houses to rent in the town?

I went with a former girlfriend when she was viewing a house sometime back, and when she enquired about getting a double bed (there was only a single bed in the house) the landlady looked genuinely confused and asked what she would be needing one of those for. Some people live such backwards sheltered lives its unbelievable, but it wouldnt surprise me at all if it was the case here also.

sunnysoutheast

SpaceRocket wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I would not be someone who would usually involve an agency such as the PRTB in a dispute, but I don't know how to deal with these people on my own as I feel they are being completely unreasonable with their demands.
It is disconcerting that neighbours went to the estate agent informing him that there was someone staying over in the property from time to time.
I will contact the PRTB and see what they can do to help me out with this.

Is there any back story to this situation - disputes over parking, parties, subletting, whatever - the whole thing just seems a bit odd to me.

The landlord is entitled to review the rent versus the local market (as are you) and request a change accordingly. You can appeal any increase to the PRTB, whether the tenancy is registered or not.

Note that if you have been there 4 years a new 4 year tenancy cycle starts - and you can be issued with a NoT in the first six months.

syklops

When I was looking for where Im living now I rang up a place enquiring about a place and I said Im looking for somewhere for me an my partner. The response I got was "Is it a man or a woman or whats the story?", and I said "Im a man and she is a woman", "And are ye married?" and I said "no", and he goes, "Well I don't have anything anyway". People are weird.

sunnysoutheast

djimi wrote: »

I went with a former girlfriend when she was viewing a house sometime back, and when she enquired about getting a double bed (there was only a single bed in the house) the landlady looked genuinely confused and asked what she would be needing one of those for. Some people live such backwards sheltered lives its unbelievable, but it wouldnt surprise me at all if it was the case here also.

Was she a former girlfriend when you looked round the place with her? - a slightly awkward conversation would then follow as to why she needed a double bed

djimi

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

Was she a former girlfriend when you looked round the place with her? - a slightly awkward conversation would then follow as to why she needed a double bed

Ha no she was current at the time

Victor

SpaceRocket wrote: »

My mother drops over a lot too, yet they are not asking me for references for her...

Have the parish priest, doctor and local dignitaries do reference for your mother and tell the agent / landlord to sod off.

gaius c

syklops wrote: »

When I was looking for where Im living now I rang up a place enquiring about a place and I said Im looking for somewhere for me an my partner. The response I got was "Is it a man or a woman or whats the story?", and I said "Im a man and she is a woman", "And are ye married?" and I said "no", and he goes, "Well I don't have anything anyway". People are weird.

Slightly off-topic but there's been a number of cases with similar stuff happening with B&B's.

wirelessdude01

How did they frame this request? What happens if you don't comply with the request?

djimi

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

How did they frame this request? What happens if you don't comply with the request?

Nothing, legally. Im sure the PRTB would have a field day if the landlord tried to terminate the lease based on this nonsense.