are LLs asking for Viewing Fees ??

Wheres Me Jumper? · 15-10-2018 4:42pm #1

heard this story on the radio last week. just wondering what people thought. have you ever been asked? is this a good idea? would you pay them?

http://www.thejournal.ie/landlord-viewings-4278896-Oct2018/

Gumbo · 15-10-2018 5:33pm

I heard about this over a year ago but back then it was the agents looking for cash from viewers as a backhander. I don’t know of one single landlord who is looking for a payment to view the property.

It makes me wonder where the article got the info from.

Wheres Me Jumper? · 15-10-2018 6:56pm

kceire wrote: »

I heard about this over a year ago but back then it was the agents looking for cash from viewers as a backhander. I don’t know of one single landlord who is looking for a payment to view the property.

It makes me wonder where the article got the info from.

from the piece i heard on Radio (RTE1 i think) i seem to think it was mainly the agents who were pushing this.
is this sort of thing not common-place in other rental markets, like NY?

certainly does not bode well for those on HAP.

Samuel T. Cogley · 15-10-2018 7:27pm

I heard about it about a week ago and started a thread on it :pac:

Visconti · 15-10-2018 7:36pm

How many people on this thread work for free ? If an agent or landlord feels they need to charge a viewing fee to keep their business rolling or head above water so be it. If you dont like it dont view plain and simple. Some plumbers give free quotes some charge for a quote. Its called business, its called the open market landlords have too many restrictions as it is. Imagine telling a solicitor he/she HAD to accept free legal aid cases.... thats whats happening with HAP.

Eric Cartman · 15-10-2018 7:39pm

the 500 quid one was a scam and not a real landlord at all.

The other smaller 150 quid fee's etc.. are possibly to dissuade certain types of tenants, landlords used to just up rent which is capped, but now because of the HAP refusal rule, you have to get creative like asking for loads of paperwork / insane deposits or apparently, viewing fees.

Wheres Me Jumper? · 15-10-2018 10:14pm

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

I heard about it about a week ago and started a thread on it :pac:

apologies i wasn't aware.

Samuel T. Cogley · 16-10-2018 9:24am

Wheres Me Jumper? wrote: »

apologies i wasn't aware.

No worries, it had dies a death and yours is still going. It's worth at least two threads on it!

Jellybaby1 · 16-10-2018 8:31pm

I would have thought that the LL pays the estate agent to show the property, not the viewers. Can 5, 10, 15 viewers be asked to fork over €500 each?

myshirt · 16-10-2018 8:34pm

25 euro a person per viewing wouldn't be too unreasonable. It would filter out the tyre kickers viewing everything and anything when they haven't an arse to put in their pants.

500 euro is just a scam.

Grumpypants · 16-10-2018 8:35pm

Whole story was based on one woman said she was asked. So zero actual evidence that this is happening. But why would a journalist in this day and age need any more proof than that.

Askthe EA · 18-10-2018 12:55pm

Nope, just Threshold doing what Threshold do................

myshirt · 18-10-2018 12:56pm

Askthe EA wrote: »

Nope, just Threshold doing what Threshold do................

I don't think that's entirely fair.

Grumpypants · 18-10-2018 1:18pm

Letting agent advises making sure you bring along your deposit on the day.
Turned into greedy landlords are charging people to just have a look at their property.

Baby01032012 · 18-10-2018 1:20pm

myshirt wrote: »

I don't think that's entirely fair.

Threshold have apologized for yet again getting it wrong. Based on no evidence they ran with this and ended up with egg on their face. So entirely fair.

myshirt · 18-10-2018 2:53pm

Baby01032012 wrote: »

Threshold have apologized for yet again getting it wrong. Based on no evidence they ran with this and ended up with egg on their face. So entirely fair.

The implication from the estate agent posting here is that Threshold are merely an organisation creating noise, sabre rattling, and stirring the sh't. It's unfair, and it's disingenuous. They do good work. Yes we can criticise, but they do do good work.

Askthe EA · 18-10-2018 3:13pm

myshirt wrote: »

The implication from the estate agent posting here is that Threshold are merely an organisation creating noise, sabre rattling, and stirring the sh't. It's unfair, and it's disingenuous. They do good work. Yes we can criticise, but they do do good work.

Thats a bit of a stretch considering Threshold have been known to put incorrect information out there before.

Claw Hammer · 18-10-2018 3:32pm

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I would have thought that the LL pays the estate agent to show the property, not the viewers. Can 5, 10, 15 viewers be asked to fork over €500 each?

An EA can only charge a fee to one side of the transaction. They either charge the landlord for the work of viewing or they charge the tenant.

GGTrek · 18-10-2018 10:27pm

myshirt wrote: »

Baby01032012 wrote: »

Threshold have apologized for yet again getting it wrong. Based on no evidence they ran with this and ended up with egg on their face. So entirely fair.

The implication from the estate agent posting here is that Threshold are merely an organisation creating noise, sabre rattling, and stirring the sh't. It's unfair, and it's disingenuous. They do good work. Yes we can criticise, but they do do good work.

Given my direct experience with the dysfunctional organization called Threshold, your description in Italic fits perfectly the organization, I won't even start on how some former Threshold directors are now working as RTB case officers, showing that they have now started to penetrate a government organization that should be impartial to the parties. There is a clear conflict of interest when a director of a tenant's organization becomes a government employee supposed to impartially handle cases for tenancy law disputes. I can PM you the evidence.

Jellybaby1 · 19-10-2018 12:37am

Claw Hammer wrote: »

An EA can only charge a fee to one side of the transaction. They either charge the landlord for the work of viewing or they charge the tenant.

As the LL owns the property why would the EA not be paid by the LL?

eeeee · 19-10-2018 12:53am

kceire wrote: »

I heard about this over a year ago but back then it was the agents looking for cash from viewers as a backhander. I don’t know of one single landlord who is looking for a payment to view the property.

It makes me wonder where the article got the info from.

I looked at 150 places to rent last year from February to May. I lost count of the amount of them that asked me to "put €150/200/500/700 in an envelope and make yourself known to me" over the phone arranging viewings. Both landpeople agents. It was rampant last year anyway.

Gumbo · 19-10-2018 7:53am

nee wrote: »

I looked at 150 places to rent last year from February to May. I lost count of the amount of them that asked me to "put €150/200/500/700 in an envelope and make yourself known to me" over the phone arranging viewings. Both landpeople agents. It was rampant last year anyway.

So backs up my comment that it’s the agents driving this.
Seems landlords get the blame again.

Baby01032012 · 19-10-2018 8:23am

myshirt wrote: »

The implication from the estate agent posting here is that Threshold are merely an organisation creating noise, sabre rattling, and stirring the sh't. It's unfair, and it's disingenuous. They do good work. Yes we can criticise, but they do do good work.

I completely agree with the above.

Threshold are merely an organisation creating noise, sabre rattling, and stirring the sh't. 100% correct. I have first hand experience of their behavior in front of the RTB. And the RTB didn’t stand for any of it.

eeeee · 19-10-2018 9:01am

kceire wrote: »

So backs up my comment that it’s the agents driving this.
Seems landlords get the blame again.

It was both landpeople and agents. Equally likely to ask for it.
I forgot a very important and there!

Grumpypants · 19-10-2018 9:11am

nee wrote: »

I looked at 150 places to rent last year from February to May. I lost count of the amount of them that asked me to "put €150/200/500/700 in an envelope and make yourself known to me" over the phone arranging viewings. Both landpeople agents. It was rampant last year anyway.

How many did you report for looking for bribes?

Gumbo · 19-10-2018 9:17am

Grumpypants wrote: »

How many did you report for looking for bribes?

It’s not a bribe. It’s a booking deposit

eeeee · 19-10-2018 10:59am

Grumpypants wrote: »

How many did you report for looking for bribes?

None.
I had no where to life, working 3 jobs, desperately trying to find somewhere to live.
Between work and the search I hadn't time for lunch never mind reporting people.
A lot of people are under severe pressure now looking for places to live. It crushes the ability to stand up and report these things.

Claw Hammer · 19-10-2018 11:15am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

As the LL owns the property why would the EA not be paid by the LL?

An agent can be retained by a tenant to source a property. It happens sometimes in the case of executives approaching from abroad. In that case, the agent approaches a landlord about a property and charges the tenant if a letting is agreed. It is irrelevant who owns the property. The landlord needn't have used an agent at all.

Wheres Me Jumper? · 19-10-2018 1:31pm

nee wrote: »

None.
I had no where to life, working 3 jobs, desperately trying to find somewhere to live.
Between work and the search I hadn't time for lunch never mind reporting people.
A lot of people are under severe pressure now looking for places to live. It crushes the ability to stand up and report these things.

totally agree. the time a person could spend going down that route could perhaps secure you the accommodation you need.
ok if you have loads of time on your hands, but most people do not have that luxury.

Ray Palmer · 19-10-2018 4:19pm

Wheres Me Jumper? wrote: »

totally agree. the time a person could spend going down that route could perhaps secure you the accommodation you need.
ok if you have loads of time on your hands, but most people do not have that luxury.

I don't believe it happens. Very easy for people to make the claim. Threshold rolled back their comments as they had no proof and the person that complained misunderstood what was being said. People make a lot on unfounded claims about landlords regularly.

eeeee · 19-10-2018 4:54pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I don't believe it happens. Very easy for people to make the claim. Threshold rolled back their comments as they had no proof and the person that complained misunderstood what was being said. People make a lot on unfounded claims about landlords regularly.

It happened to me. More times than I can remember. I lived it.
You can chose not to believe it, but you would be wrong.

are LLs asking for Viewing Fees ??

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