Harassment to prospective tenant

Tenant Discussion
1

Hello,

I haven seen some topics about harassment but still can’t find a way to report a landlord.

Long story short, I am a guarantor to a prospective tenant (ended up not getting the keys last minute due to fear to her life).

I have signed and returned all forms and documents and my friend went to pick up the keys from the landlord to get in the flat today. When she went to pick up new keys the landlord was drunk and was hitting on her and he was making comments and requests. Obviously she did not sign or taken the keys due to fear to her life and just left.

Before/during that he also mentioned that the money should be sent to a different account and not to the one on the contract.

Now, obviously she is shaken and already contacted the police to file a report against this person but I still can’t find a way to report the landlord here. Happy to provide the police reference number too on the report, but this is clearly unacceptable.

Any pointers on what the next move should be is welcome.

2

@Charalampos1

At bottom of Openrent page

Source: OpenRent OpenRent | Property To Rent From Private Landlords

click ‘Support’ then 'ask a question ’ and get in touch with OR support

Best

3

Thank you. Will try that

1 Like
4

@Charalampos1

Ps Tenant should also get advice from Shelter.

If payment of holding deposit, balance of holding deposit or security deposit was made via OpenRent they should be able to get it refunded by OR provided it’s not long after the commencement/move in date (they normally hold on to it for up to 14 days before paying LL exactly to deal with rogue LLs) - tenant needs to ask OR support

Fact LL said to pay into a different account from contract suggests it may be a scanner.

Good luck

5

Thank you for the extra information. Deposit has been refunded so the matter from that perspective seems clear. The police (call at 101) classified it just as antisocial behaviour and fraud due to the fact that no physical touch happened and the request to send the money going forward to a different account.

I guess at this point from the tenant/landlord perspective things are resolved, but it would be better if people like that weren’t allowed in this platform to begin with.

6

@Charalampos1

Good to hear

Agree but how exactly are Openrent going to find out before it happens that a LL is a scammer, drunk and makes unwanted advances ? They are hardly going to admit it when placing a listing on the site. (Same point applies to tenants - there are some whom LLs might prefer not on the site for the same sort of reasons - scammers who sublet, people claiming to be tenants who are ‘rent to rent’ companies)

Hopefully OR will stop this LL from using the platform again, well done for sharing. Maybe consider publicising the details of the LL./property on every tenant forum and on social media to shame them and warn others.

Maybe report to the local council too (they may have a licensing scheme).

Good luck

1 Like