Landlord wants deposit and contract arranged directly

Tenant Discussion
1

I have viewed and made an offer on a property and I’m moving forward with the landlord - however he wants all business to continue independent of OR. Should I be concerned?

I have sent ID and discussed incomes etc. Since then I have discussed terms with him, so I presume he has done credit checks, but I’m not sure.

I’m now waiting to receive an AST contract, and he expects to receive a security ASAP once signed.

Am I right to feel a little uneasy?

For context, the landlord’s OR account name differs from the name he operates under (though matches his WhatsApp), and I haven’t met him directly, an associate of his was there for the vieiwing.

That said, his account has been active for 8 years, with numerous tenancies completed, all in the same area, including the same building.

2

Many landlords, (such as me), only use OR for advertising and do everything independently. This is not nfcessarily a problem for a tenant, but you should check that the landlord owns the property or has consent to let before parting with any money. Have a look on the HMLR website or ask the landlord for proof.

1 Like