Landlords or agencies?

OpenRent Chat
1

Hi all, please could you clarify whether it is allowed for agents to impose as landlords?

as far as I understand and the reason I subscribed is that you are in direct communication with a landlord.

Also are the landlords or the agents allowed to ask for money or to use your personal data for various services? this contradicts the hidden charges claim and if you refuse as I did, you loose the right to rent.

Can somebody from open rent please clarify what holds with these issues that are happening very often

2

@Kostas2

See previous thread

And

In England the tenancy fees act applies for what can or can’t be charged for. See the guidance

Source: GOV.UK https://share.google/LeoWxd6jCr9rz45yX

-they shouldnt be charging you anything at all before a viewing or before a contract, if they propose that avoid them and report the listing to OR

Yes of course LLs and agents can ask for and use personal info - how do you expect them to find out your income and so whether you can afford a place otherwise?

See also nrla guidance to avoid scams

Source: NRLA Landlord Scams & Fraud | Avoiding House Renting Scam | NRLA

Good luck

3

So to conclude, openrent allows for hidden charges that are not mentioned on the advert and it is not landlords it is one more time agencies. This is false or misleading advertising.

4

From the moment I give them payslips and bank account statements, my credit score and references it is good enough. I was asked to use my data to open an account under my name to another company and that happened before any agreement was made. It is ok to report it but now we are talking about the majority of the cases, that makes you responsible that you cannot regulate this and you ask from your customers to do your job, I should have reported all my cases, imagine what happens with other people cases.

5

Also, I am saying agents imposing as landlords, when the advert appears it says that this is yha landlord it does not say agent,it should say the truth and you should change this

6

The verb is “pose”. You mean “agents are posing as landlords”.

Impose is a different verb.

It’s easy to check. If you’re serious about a property, check who the owner is on the land registry for a small fee.

7

@Kostas2

Just to be clear I’m not Openrent and not responsible but agree what you have been asked for doesn’t sound right. Sounds like a scam and that if it’s the majority of cases where you have applied maybe you have been targeted. Most LLs don’t ask you to sign anything except a tenancy agreement and when you move in an inventory. Report the LL to openrent - if you don’t how else can they know about dodgy behaviour not controlled by them?

I suspect Openrent will quite reasonably say they are a listing site and they can’t control what those dodgy LLs whom you contact do unless you report them.(Imagine you reply to an advert in a shop window and the advertiser asks you to do this dodgy stuff - the shop owner isn’t responsible and can only take the card down if you tell them.)

Good luck with your search