Fee for Moving Out

Volovo

Hi All,

I'd like to get some advice. I am currently in the process of moving out from rented accommodation. It is a room that I am renting in a shared property. The landlord has stated that it is my responsibility to find a new tenant for the room which includes:

• Placing the ad online
• Responding to calls and emails to setup viewings
• Holding the viewings
• Selecting the new tenant
• Obtaining employment and previous landlord references for the new tenant
• Obtaining personal details such as PPS number from the new tenant.

All of this is done without the landlord and this is OK with me. I don't mind finding a new tenant for the house and I'm actually happy to make the effort find someone that fits in well with the other tenants in the house - I'd rather this than landing them with some randomer chosen by the landlord

However, having done all this, the landlord is also requesting an "administration fee" of 100 euro to cover the "time and expenses associated with this change of tenant process". Yep. This 100 euro fee for the landlord is purported to cover:

• Checking references of new tenant
• Amendment to existing lease to reflect new tenant
• Visiting property to assess whether deposit is still intact
• Correspondence and travel.

The above list is a direct quote... Ultimately the list amounts to one or two phone calls, having a look at the room and house, and printing about 3 sheets of paper for the lease.

I'm interested to hear just how ludicrous you think the above sounds, and how you suggest it should be handled.

mugsymugsy

Is it in the lease you signed?

Volovo

mugsymugsy wrote: »

Is it in the lease you signed?

The only administration fee that is mentioned in the lease is "an administration charge of 30 euro to the Landlord or his Agent for each and every written demand issued, should the Tenant be in persistent arrears of rent".

Dr_Bill

Unless it is stated explicitly in your lease that you are obligated to carry out all these responsibilities and incur the cost in terms of your time and money I would simply refer the landlord to the terms of your lease and stick rigidly to those.
IMO it seems very unusual for a tenant  to have to effectively let the property on behalf of the landlord, why should you be acting in the capacity of a letting agent?? If it was me I would not be agreeing to any of this. If the landlord starts messing you around with your security deposit then it's off to the PRTB but obviously its best to try and resolve the situation first.

pinkypinky

It's actually a mistake on the landlord's part to let someone else find the tenant (unless this is an assignment and you all have individual leases?) S/he should want to meet the person moving and check the references themselves. I'm sure you will do a fine job, but if it was my property, I wouldn't let someone else do it for me. As for a fee, that seems ridiculous unless it's in your lease.

Browney7

I'd throw in you'd have concerns about data protection and gathering and storing personal information - are you leaving early or what?

pilly

Dr_Bill wrote: »

Unless it is stated explicitly in your lease that you are obligated to carry out all these responsibilities and incur the cost in terms of your time and money I would simply refer the landlord to the terms of your lease and stick rigidly to those.
IMO it seems very unusual for a tenant to have to effectively let the property on behalf of the landlord, why should you be acting in the capacity of a letting agent?? If it was me I would not be agreeing to any of this. If the landlord starts messing you around with your security deposit then it's off to the PRTB but obviously its best to try and resolve the situation first.

If OP is leaving early then they would be liable for any reasonable costs the LL incurs because of it. This could include lost rent so it's in OP's interest to find a replacement.

However, I wouldn't be paying the 100 euro if there's no loss of rent, that's taking the piss.

REM76

EUR100 is a arbitrary figure he's plucked out of his ass. Don't pay a cent of it. If you're breaking the lease, then just get some other fool in there so there's no break in rent. Forget about all those checks, you are not his staff.

Get someone else in, get their deposit to replace yours and leave. Nothing illegal about it. Your landlord is taking you for a fool.

Dr_Bill

Dr_Bill wrote: »

IMO it seems very unusual for a tenant  to have to effectively let the property on behalf of the landlord, why should you be acting in the capacity of a letting agent??

Its pretty normal in houseshares particularly in rooms let separately setups. I've lived in a few places and its always been either the person moving out who finds the person for their room or else the other remaining housemates if they voulenteer to do it so they can pick someone they want. Deposits just passed on then from person moving in to person moving out.

That said it was all much less informal than the op describes, I never had a lease or anything like that and the LLs never wanted references or PPSN numbers of people etc nor did they inspect. When someone was selected they rang the LL, got his bank details and were given a key by an existing housemate.

68 lost souls

Tell him that's fine but you will be charging him a €200 finders fee

the_syco

Volovo wrote: »

The landlord has stated that it is my responsibility to find a new tenant for the room which includes:

• Placing the ad online
• Responding to calls and emails to setup viewings
• Holding the viewings
• Selecting the new tenant
• Obtaining employment and previous landlord references for the new tenant
• Obtaining personal details such as PPS number from the new tenant.

If you're moving out early, fair enough, but if you're not leaving early, I'd pick the first one that called if I was being charged money to do this for the landlord!

Fian

mugsymugsy wrote: »

Is it in the lease you signed?

I am assuming that there is a quid pro quo here:

The tenant pays these costs and does this legwork,

in return the landlord does not insist that the tenant continue to pay the rent owing for the remainder of the lease.

REM76

Fian wrote: »

I am assuming that there is a quid pro quo here:

The tenant pays these costs and does this legwork,

in return the landlord does not insist that the tenant continue to pay the rent owing for the remainder of the lease.

The landlord legally cannot charge rent for the remainder of the lease, so that is 100% pure sh*t.

road_high

Sorry but some landlord must think some people are a little bit harmless no? Glad the OP posted here though before agreeing to any of this non sense.
I suppose he has a deposit to try hold you on all this before you leave? Is there a lease period? The €100 "fee" is taking the p!ss to the nth degree (after you have done almost all the admon already).

pilly

REM76 wrote: »

The landlord legally cannot charge rent for the remainder of the lease, so that is 100% pure sh*t.

No, but they can charge any loss of rent they may sustain.