Should I keep the old rent book?

Emchale

I'm renting a property for two years now, and the agent provides me with a rentbook they sign with every payment.
After the book is full the agent take it with them and provides a new one.

Should I keep the old rent book? For what I was reading, is the paper that proves I made the payments. I pay with cash, so I don't have any other prove of my payments outside the rent book.

On the other hand, Agent never provides me with the name or contact of the Lanlord, The agent is my only contact regarding the house. Is that allowed?

CiboC

Yes, you should keep the rent book. As you said, it's the only proof you have that you made the payments.

You are entitled to know who your landlord is even if they are using an agent. This information is actually supposed to be in the rent book as well.

Baby01032012

Very unusual that you are paying in cash. Was that at your request? I take it your in receipt of rent allowance and so receiving this in cash from the post office. That is only valid reason for them paying rent in cash.

POBox19

Useful to have it if you are going to claim your tax refund for rent paid.

Potatoeman

If you go for a mortgage that is not considered as proof of payment. You need a record of transfers on your bank account.

CiboC

Baby01032012 wrote: »

That is only valid reason for them paying rent in cash.

It might be unusual but there is nothing illegal about it, it's not up to the tenant to police the agent's or landlord's tax affairs. If the landlord wants rent in cash they are perfectly entitled to ask for it that way.

My concern here would that the tenant has no way to show that they paid cash to the agent in the absence of the rent book if, for example, the agent claims the tenant didn't pay the right amount or missed a payment.

POBox19 wrote: »

Useful to have it if you are going to claim your tax refund for rent paid.

There is no tax credit for rent paid, that ended in 2017....

Miaireland

I would keep it. It is not as if it takes up much room. It could come in handy if you need to prove that you are reliable in paying rent etc. If the landlord claims that they have not been paid during some period you have proof that you paid the agent etc. It is unlikely that you will need it but for the sake of putting a slim note book in a drawer I would keep it.

Toulouse

Potatoeman wrote: »

If you go for a mortgage that is not considered as proof of payment. You need a record of transfers on your bank account.

We paid our rent in cash and had no problem getting a mortgage. As long as the bank saw the same amount being withdrawn for rent at the same time each month they were satisfied. In this case the rent book is proof.

Emchale

thanks for the replies.
I will ask for the old rentbook, is clear that they are not doing all legaly. Seems like the property is not even register.
They want me to pay always in cash, never bank transfer, they deny me the name and contact data of the landlord.
They were friendly and responsive in general, but I don't want problems down the road trying to justify I paid them every month.

Baby01032012

CiboC wrote: »

It might be unusual but there is nothing illegal about it, it's not up to the tenant to police the agent's or landlord's tax affairs. If the landlord wants rent in cash they are perfectly entitled to ask for it that way.

My concern here would that the tenant has no way to show that they paid cash to the agent in the absence of the rent book if, for example, the agent claims the tenant didn't pay the right amount or missed a payment.



There is no tax credit for rent paid, that ended in 2017....

I didn’t say it was up to tenant. I’m a landlord, I have two tenants who pay cash and have rent book. I’d rather they pay by bank transfer or lodging it to my bank but they won’t. They get rent allowance in cash. So as I said in my experience rent allowance is only valid reason.

As OP says he doesn’t believe they are compliant but that’s not their problem.

Potatoeman

Toulouse wrote: »

We paid our rent in cash and had no problem getting a mortgage. As long as the bank saw the same amount being withdrawn for rent at the same time each month they were satisfied. In this case the rent book is proof.

A friend of mine had problems with this. The bank didn’t consider it official enough. This was after the property bust.

Toulouse

Potatoeman wrote: »

A friend of mine had problems with this. The bank didn’t consider it official enough. This was after the property bust.

I got my mortgage just over two years ago. We were even offered an exemption. Perhaps it was the particular bank your buddy was dealing with but we used a broker and he had no concerns about us paying rent in cash. We didn’t even have a rent book.