Estate agent keeps turning up at flat unannounced & letting himself in.

P_1

Thoie wrote: »

Can you fit a chain to the inside of your door? At least that would stop them walking in unannounced when you're at home.

Was just going to suggest that, not as legally grey as changing the locks and enhances the security of the place.

drumswan

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

He then again apologised over and over & has promised to contact me for any more viewings,- including one today now at 1pm..i will go to my neighbours now to make sure that they have the same arrangement with him organised.

Did you facilitate this viewing?

oranbhoy67

Yes i gave him permission for a viewing.. i then emailed his company this message but have go no reply so far from them

"Hi further to my phone call yesterday i wish to request that i be notified through email of any further viewings of my flat with at the very least 24 hours notice, if any of your agents tries to enter the flat i live in again without my permission i will withdraw from letting your agents show my flat to clients & i will take legal action, i hope this is now resolved "


I rang the Estate agent regulators to complain about them but they are only open to 1pm so i will have to ring them Monday morning now which i will do , i am not going to let them away with it as they did it to my neighbour last week & were told it wasn't on yet still did it to me this week, so no doubt they'd feel entitled to do it to someone else in the future.

All they have succeeded in doing is making an already stressful time even more stressful , when all it would have took was a phone call, email, or even a text message giving notice.

Again thanks for all the advice & ill certainly be buying a chain for the door!!

SpaceTime

I've had situations like this myself with rental properties and the EA has been very polite and respectful and gave as much notice of viewings as they possibly could. Often we'd hear about them maybe 5 days ahead and they'd always call or email.

I had absolutely no problem whatsoever dealing with that and was even prepared to stick on some brewing coffee to help them out a bit with a nice atmosphere !

It's definitely not 'the norm' in the industry. Most people are quite nice to deal with! Hence, my attitude that I think you should just pull out all the stops and get legal advice.

djimi

You have more patience than I have! If that were me the agent would have been told where to go with his 1pm appointment today. You need to shiw them that you are serious.

oranbhoy67

djimi wrote: »

You have more patience than I have! If that were me the agent would have been told where to go with his 1pm appointment today. You need to shiw them that you are serious.

If you saw me yesterday to him you would have seen how angry i was,

Truth is i want the flat sold ASAP & hopefully to be able to stay on with new owners & i want the arrangements to go as smooth as possible, he is definitely on his last chance with me & if he doesnt know that now then that is his mistake!

drumswan

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

If you saw me yesterday to him you would have seen how angry i was,

Truth is i want the flat sold ASAP & hopefully to be able to stay on with new owners & i want the arrangements to go as smooth as possible, he is definitely on his last chance with me & if he doesnt know that now then that is his mistake!

The guy is obviously not taking you seriously, no wonder when you facilitate a viewing with four hours notice.

Why do you think its in your interest to have the flat sold?

sparksfly

Take yourself and some friends to the EA office with food & drink and have your lunch there a few times. Bring a radio with you as well. Tell them you will stop when they behave themselves.

oranbhoy67

drumswan wrote: »

The guy is obviously not taking you seriously, no wonder when you facilitate a viewing with four hours notice.

Why do you think its in your interest to have the flat sold?

well its gonna be sold one way or another so id rather it just happened so i can know where the future lies and i dont have to deal with this estate agent anymore

Well they replied to my email that there is 2 viewings tomorrow afternoon & one on Monday morning at 10:15


So i replied that tomorrows viewings are fine but Mondays is too early and they wont be coming into my flat on any days until afternoon.


So he will soon see that im not a pushover im sure they know that now.

djimi

Youre being taken for an absolute mug. 2 viewings on a Saturday with less than 24 hours notice? This guy is taking the absolute piss out of you Im afraid.

Thoie

Personally I'd say that I need 2 full business days notice (in case I'm away over the weekend), and viewings may only be between 2pm-6pm (or whatever times suit you). Multiple viewings on the same day should be contiguous to minimise disruption, with no more than 10 minutes between viewings. So a phone call/text on Friday afternoon gets him a viewing on Tuesday afternoon.

Any and every attempt to enter the premises outside the agreed times will be reported to the gardaí, and professional groups.

To help him out a little (if you're a nicer person than I am), you could agree the visiting hours with the neighbours so that he doesn't have to come at 10am for one person, 2pm for you and 6pm for someone else.

the_syco

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

He then again apologised over and over & has promised to contact me for any more viewings,- including one today now at 1pm..i will go to my neighbours now to make sure that they have the same arrangement with him organised.

What a low-life. In essence, he promises never to do it again, but he'll do it anyway today at 1pm? He has no respect for you, and is probably laughing at how much of a push-over you are.

Thoie's idea seems to be the best, but I'd be asking the bank if they have someone else who is more respectful.

moc moc a moc

GarIT wrote: »

In a situation like that don't be afraid to call 999 that's what it's there for

No, 999 is for emergencies. An estate agent entering your flat without permission may be illegal, but it's not an emergency. Calling the local station would be better advice.

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

i had to grab a towel and run out & tell the estate agent & group of clients (4 or 5 people) that in no uncertain terms that they were not welcome to try and enter my flat

Personally, I wouldn't have bothered with the towel. That might have taken care of the problem there and then...

oranbhoy67

Well just a follow up on this, they have been emailing me in advance telling me when they have viewings planned, today it was arranged between 2-4PM for viewings so i had the flat ready then went down town to spend the afternoon whilst they did their thing.

I then noticed a missed call from 2:30 , the voicemail was telling me the viewings had been "postponed" till 4:30


So i rang them and told them that doesn't suit me.. & their secretary then took a big huff on the phone and said the viewing was always for 4:30 .. but this is a downright lie and i pointed this out, as i have written evidence of the e-mail & also evidence in her voicemail.

So i have now told them i am withdrawing any rights for them to view my flat now whatsoever in the future, I have told the guy from the bank in Dublin and he said he fully understands why & i am now phoning the regulator tomorrow morning to report this company, they still arent notifying my 2 female neighbours of any visits either, i have told them not to stand for it but they are both very timid .

tinkerbell

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Well just a follow up on this, they have been emailing me in advance telling me when they have viewings planned, today it was arranged between 2-4PM for viewings so i had the flat ready then went down town to spend the afternoon whilst they did their thing.

I then noticed a missed call from 2:30 , the voicemail was telling em the viewings had been "postponed" till 4:30


So i rang them and told them that doesn't suit me.. & their secretary then took a big huff on the phone and said the viewing was always for 4:30 .. but this is a downright lie and i pointed this out, as i have written evidence of the e-mail & also evidence in her voicemail.

So i have now told them i am withdrawing any rights for them to view my flat now whatsoever in the future, I have told the guy from the bank in Dublin and he said he fully understands why & i am now phoning the regulator tomorrow morning to report this company, they still arent notifying my 2 female neighbours of any visits either, i have told them not to stand for it but they are both very timid .

You did the right thing - I dunno how you put up with that crap for so long but at least now you've stood your ground. Encourage your neighbours to do the same as once they've seen you've refused the estate agent access, they might feel comfortable to do the same.

djimi

It took you long enough but you got there in the end!

acehigh76

I would sit on the couch in my boxers eating coco pops with sesame st on the tv. he might not come back too soon

Silverbling

Tell them that they can view from 2-4 on a Tuesday only (or any time or day that suits you)

Arrive back at 4pm with a load of mates and ask the viewers about their financial situation and how much they are prepared to pay, that should get rid of the EA quick enough

Was in a similar situation in my last place. The EA working on behalf of the bank repeatedly let himself into the house when we weren't there and often just turned up and let himself in when we were home. I repeatedly told him that we required notice and that a visit had to be agreed upon with us. He refused to converse with us and acted a dick so we simply changed the locks. I know it's not entirely legal but it was the only thing that allowed us some privacy.

The same guy repeatedly let himself into a neighbours house and on a number of occasions went into one of the bedrooms and woke up the tenant by shaking them. On one occasion he let 4 people in to look at the house while the tenant was asleep in bed.

oranbhoy67

Deleted User wrote: »

Was in a similar situation in my last place. The EA working on behalf of the bank repeatedly let himself into the house when we weren't there and often just turned up and let himself in when we were home. I repeatedly told him that we required notice and that a visit had to be agreed upon with us. He refused to converse with us and acted a dick so we simply changed the locks. I know it's not entirely legal but it was the only thing that allowed us some privacy.

The same guy repeatedly let himself into a neighbours house and on a number of occasions went into one of the bedrooms and woke up the tenant by shaking them. On one occasion he let 4 people in to look at the house while the tenant was asleep in bed.

Jesus and i thought i had it bad!! where do these guys get off?? they need took down a peg or two.. this is peoples homes , we might be renting but we are still trying to live in them!

The J Stands for Jay

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Was in a similar situation in my last place. The EA working on behalf of the bank repeatedly let himself into the house when we weren't there and often just turned up and let himself in when we were home. I repeatedly told him that we required notice and that a visit had to be agreed upon with us. He refused to converse with us and acted a dick so we simply changed the locks. I know it's not entirely legal but it was the only thing that allowed us some privacy.

The same guy repeatedly let himself into a neighbours house and on a number of occasions went into one of the bedrooms and woke up the tenant by shaking them. On one occasion he let 4 people in to look at the house while the tenant was asleep in bed.

I wonder what would have been the outcome if the person shaken awake had smacked the EA?

No Pants

If he breaches your agreed viewing window again, treat him the same way you would any other intruder; with a large lump of wood.

zenno

What you should have done the first time they let themselves in was to make a citizens arrest and hold them there until the gardai arrived.
They basically broke into your dwelling. I'd press charges as well for something like this.

I find it mind-boggling that folk don't even know their most basic rights these days.

SpaceTime

It's actually risky enough given that Ireland now has defence of dwelling laws that make Texas seem a bit anti-violence!

While I'm not advocating violence in any way. Breaking into someone's home leaves you in a VERY dodgy situation in terms of how they are allowed to defend their home.

The_Conductor

No Pants wrote: »

If he breaches your agreed viewing window again, treat him the same way you would any other intruder; with a large lump of wood.

Warning- advocating violence is not acceptable in this forum- without exception.

TheDoc

This has been a mental read, sorry OP but you got taking for a spin. I'm ALL for advocating a bit of give and take, but this was all take on their behalf.

My last landlord gave me a WEEK notice in regards to a viewing, was extremely apologetic and arranged the whole thing around a timeframe that suited me. He knew from the outset that it was him asking me for a favour, so he could get the ball rolling on new tenants quickly after I left.

My new landlord is pretty bang on aswell, nice guy to deal with. He has came up twice in the first week, but gave me a ring and he explained what he wanted to do, it was all just a last few bits of work, that was a benefit for me and I'd no problems. He said he will maintain the garden and flowering around the summer( granted I said probably something we would do ourselves) he insisted, but said he'd give a weeks notice, and when it suits us.

Am I just stupidly lucky with landlords? That's two for two now

bless your patience, as someone else mentioned here in the thread, I'd be onto getting yourself some reduction in rent for all this messing.

oranbhoy67

Well the saga continues..


Had a quiet week, there was no estate agents around all week .. someone stole the "for Sale" sign on paddies day but apart from that all was well.


I missed a call there just before 6 on my mobile it was from the estate agent TELLING me he had a viewing at Monday at half 6 .. one last viewing he stated.

I then rang him back from my house phone as i had no credit he didnt answer so i left a message on his voicemail reminding him that i had instructed his secretary that i was no longer dealing with them , i was polite & calm but to the point.


He then rang me on my house phone , i answered, he said "who's this?" nice start to the conversation .. he then instructed me that he was coming at half 6 on Monday whether i liked it or not that he wasn't dealing with me that he was dealing with the bank. i then informed him that i knew my rights and he daren't try to enter my home on Monday or there would be severe consequences.. then we had a bit of a general shouting match where i informed him that first thing on Monday i was reporting him to the regulator (im kicking myself for not having done it already but i thought things had cooled down).. i told him he has been very unprofessional from day one to which he replied im not anyone to talk about professional - (obviously a dig at my current unemployment situation) .. to be honest i actually got the impression he might have had drink taken .. i was shaking with anger and im only calming down now... im actually considering withholding rent for this month as i cant get any answer from the guy dealing with me from the bank in Dublin and he still hasnt done anything as well about the chronic damp & water damage on my ceiling despite promising to do so ASAP back in December and hasnt even replied to an email i sent Monday about the damp and about my neighbours flat flooding.

Visited my neighbours to ask did they recieve a call informing them of Mondays planned visit .. again he has informed the other male tenant and hasnt informed the 2 female ones yet .


Any advice as always appreciated

The_Conductor

Pop down to the Garda station and ask to speak the community Garda. Explain the situation- and ask if they are willing to pay a visit on Monday evening to ensure all is in order. Talk to the other tenants- and make sure you're all singing off the same hymn sheet- no-one gives him permission to enter without discussing it with everyone else and a joint decision being made.

Thoie

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Well the saga continues..


Had a quiet week, there was no estate agents around all week .. someone stole the "for Sale" sign on paddies day but apart from that all was well.


I missed a call there just before 6 on my mobile it was from the estate agent TELLING me he had a viewing at Monday at half 6 .. one last viewing he stated.

I then rang him back from my house phone as i had no credit he didnt answer so i left a message on his voicemail reminding him that i had instructed his secretary that i was no longer dealing with them , i was polite & calm but to the point.


He then rang me on my house phone , i answered, he said "who's this?" nice start to the conversation .. he then instructed me that he was coming at half 6 on Monday whether i liked it or not that he wasn't dealing with me that he was dealing with the bank. i then informed him that i knew my rights and he daren't try to enter my home on Monday or there would be severe consequences.. then we had a bit of a general shouting match where i informed him that first thing on Monday i was reporting him to the regulator (im kicking myself for not having done it already but i thought things had cooled down).. i told him he has been very unprofessional from day one to which he replied im not anyone to talk about professional - (obviously a dig at my current unemployment situation) .. to be honest i actually got the impression he might have had drink taken .. i was shaking with anger and im only calming down now... im actually considering withholding rent for this month as i cant get any answer from the guy dealing with me from the bank in Dublin and he still hasnt done anything as well about the chronic damp & water damage on my ceiling despite promising to do so ASAP back in December and hasnt even replied to an email i sent Monday about the damp and about my neighbours flat flooding.

Visited my neighbours to ask did they recieve a call informing them of Mondays planned visit .. again he has informed the other male tenant and hasnt informed the 2 female ones yet .


Any advice as always appreciated

One potential is that we find this guy over the weekend and have a few words with him, because I'm bloody angry on your behalf now. On a more realistic note, do you have any well-spoken friends that could call him on Monday, say they're representing Mr Oranbhoy, and stating that any attempt to access the premises today will be construed as trespass and prosecuted as such. Just that, nothing else. Don't say they're a solicitor or a guard, just that they're representing Mr Oranbhoy.

Even without all that, I'd be buying a front door chain (and one for each of my neighbours as well) and installing them first thing tomorrow morning. I'd also pull all the curtains (properly - no gaps) before he arrives. Let him slide through a 2 inch gap if he wants to get in. If you have any friends who'd be free to drop over and video any interaction as an independent 3rd party, do that too. The video may not necessarily be used as evidence for anything, but you could use it as an aide-memoir when writing a statement for the gardaí if you wish.

Keep the chain on the door when you're at home at all times.

mfceiling

Thoie wrote: »

One potential is that we find this guy over the weekend and have a few words with him, because I'm bloody angry on your behalf now. On a more realistic note, do you have any well-spoken friends that could call him on Monday, say they're representing Mr Oranbhoy, and stating that any attempt to access the premises today will be construed as trespass and prosecuted as such. Just that, nothing else. Don't say they're a solicitor or a guard, just that they're representing Mr Oranbhoy.

Even without all that, I'd be buying a front door chain (and one for each of my neighbours as well) and installing them first thing tomorrow morning. I'd also pull all the curtains (properly - no gaps) before he arrives. Let him slide through a 2 inch gap if he wants to get in. If you have any friends who'd be free to drop over and video any interaction as an independent 3rd party, do that too. The video may not necessarily be used as evidence for anything, but you could use it as an aide-memoir when writing a statement for the gardaí if you wish.

Keep the chain on the door when you're at home at all times.

I was just about to post the same.

Security chain is cheap as chips and no one is getting in while you have it on.