Letting agent taking over property - no notice from landlord

Tenant Discussion
1

I’ve been renting from the same private landlord for 7 years. I’ve always had a good relationship with him, paid rent on time without fail throughout the tenancy.

out of the blue, I received an email from a letting agent to say that they are now taking over the management and I now have to pay them and not the landlord and that I am not also not to contact the landlord. They are leaving voicemails every couple of days saying wanting to do an inspection, which I absolutely do not want, given that the landlord was only here two weeks ago.

the landlord has not contacted me at all to tell me that a letting agent would be looking after the house so it’s all a bit if a nasty surprise, particularly as I have never wanted to deal with letting agents.

I initially thought this was a scam as, as I say, there has been zero contact from the landlord about this.

i have since discovered that the landlord intends to evict us because he is not making any profit and wants to sell. I’m guessing that he has asked the letting agent to look after the property to do his dirty work for him, given that his other property is being managed by him still.

I’m feeling really upset and don’t want to co operate with the letting agent. I know this is my anger talking, but I just feel that the landlord has acted in a totally underhand way by not even having the courtesy of sending me a simple text to let us know.l if his intention. Had he just come to us and told us l, we would have understood and started to look for a new place without all this unnecessary bad feeling.

surely the contract is with the landlord and not the letting agent? I don’t know what to do, but realise I’ll need to find somewhere else to live. I’m not sure where I stand legally in co operating with the letting agent. I’m sure I have no legal obligation to deal with the letting agent just because they say so? the landlord has not informed me that he has appointed a letting agent, so am I right in thinking that until he gives us written notice then there is no agreement with the letting agent?

2

the agent is just an agent. You could ask for proof of the agreement with the LL from both parties and see what the response is. at the end of the day though, the agent has the right to serve you notice on behalf of the LL. Have they done so? How did you “discover” this?

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3

Hi,

I understand this, however the I do not know anything about this letting agent, and it seems a bit fishy to me to email me out of the blue and state that i am no longer to contact the landlord and have to pay them instead of the landlord.

My agreement is with the landlord, until he informs us otherwise, surely?

If I have to pay the letting agent then fine - I’ll certainly be looking for another house. I hate letting agents and only ever wanted to deal with landlord directly.

We have friends in similar circles, and was told that he’s selling up

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4

I guess my question was, am i legally obligated to deal with the letting agent until landlord informs me that he has appointed letting agent to deal with the property?

This letting agent could be scammers for all I know

5

I would be wanting a letter from the landlord confirming this is so

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6

This looks like a scam

I hope it wasn’t the same agent who told you that.

7

This. (20 characters)

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