Landlords do not give “houses to the first viewing person” The landlord usually asks questions first of a number of persons then invites a few to view and may choose one from that group
I agree with you. However, I read on Open Rent about a landlord saying that he rented his 1st property in 24 hours to the 1st tenant coming to the viewings and the second property to another tenant, who was the second person on the viewing list (others who came after them were instantly rejected). This landlord who immediately chose his tenants was advertised on OpenRent.
What about the other good tenants waiting for the viewings?! (I understand that it can be difficult for a landlord to select from a list of good tenants)
The main point is why are estate agencies registered as tenants on OpenRent?
I agree I have had loads of no show or can I lower the rent Timewasters
‘ If you seek revenge dig two graves ‘
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If you pay an extra £20, to Open Rent, you, too, can have your listing appear on Rightmove, like me!
I now pay £49, instead of previously £29!
Really? I’ve been looking for months all over the country and got standard answers “Thank you, good luck with your search”
This! Nearly all of our enquiries have filled out the OR pre-questions and even answered direct questions still presenting themselves as tenants only to turn out to be selling some “long term corporate let” service citing various big name client companies. Given it’s obvious that such big companies would actually always choose the similarly big (but guaranteed professional) estate agencies to work with, these randos are blatantly just aiming to AirBnB the property.
If you are in a target area, you are surrounded by sharks. I don’t think they can be avoided so just don’t agree any viewing without challenging them directly (“please confirm you applying for yourself and are not an agent/corp. let”) and talking to them on the phone first.
I have been approached several times regarding Company Lets when reletting my properties. After pressing the enquirer as to explain to me their business model they reluctantly admitted that they were intending to use my houses to home illegal immigrants …!sorry “asylum seekers!
I was offered a three year contract and a promise of a new bathroom and kitchen installed at the end of the term. They offered considerably more rent pcm than I had advertised but no bond.
I would advise all LL’s to be exceedingly cautious if approached by these “chancers” who have jumped on a bandwagon offering cheaper solution to the authorities than housing these illegals in Hotels and making profit subletting on the backs of good landlords. Needless to say I rejected their offer!!
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I inherited a company let when I purchased the house through a reputable estate agent, but unfortunately, I didn’t conduct proper checks at the time. To their credit, rent payments have always been on time. However, I’ve decided not to renew the contract, as the property’s condition seems poor. Since serving notice, the company has gone completely silent. Upon further investigation, it appears this isn’t a legitimate company but rather an individual posing as one, renting the property out to random people without landlord consent. I can’t even verify this properly to proof they are breaching the contract, as I’m required to give notice for inspections, and no one is ever present when I visit.
The process of evicting a company is very different to that of a person. You should get proper advice on the lease and your options.
Thank you, I in the process of sorting it out it. Just wanted to share here so others don’t end up in the same situation. Be sure to steer clear of these kinds of “companies” unless they’re actually credible.
Explain gutter trash!!!
This problem still persists.
I listed my property on here over 2 weeks ago, upgrading a week ago and the majority of enquiries have been from these agencies.
There is a pattern.
Their declared monthly income is usually suspiciously high, and their first or second enquiry will be telling you that they love the look of your place and can you have a phone call to discuss (they rarely tell you much about themselves or their current circumstances , and want to avoid leaving an evidence trail of a “rent to rent” proposal that can be reported to OpenRent).
What’s more surprising is the lack of genuine requests, and on another platform (that also caters for individual room rentals), the lack of response from potential tenants. I can only assume that they are being bombarded by landlord or agency requests.
Overall quite disheartening.
I’ve read a few negative reviews on company lets, and I got quite concerned as I have a property I lease to a company, and they, in turn, lease it to the council. I thought I’d give you my own experience, as I have done so for the past three years without any major upset.
I receive my rent on time every month, they cover minor repairs, and I pay for home care for the boiler, plumbing, electrics, etc I have no contact with the tenant, which I like, and they repaint and prepair the house when a new tenant goes in.
I looked into it at the time and found it to be a much better option for me, as I live 3 hours away from the property.
I previously let it through an estate agent with private tenants, and found they did fairly little for the fees they charged. I had a problem neighbour who believed he owned the road, so anyone renting had issues with him. The estate agent would not deal with the issues, but the company I let to has dealt with my neighbour swiftly and professionally. I would now be loathed to rent on a standard AST with the coming Renters Rights Bill, the government is bollocking us landlords as they want to push us out and move renting to much larger corporate companies…that they own.
I have found peace in renting to a professional company, you just have to find the right one. Additionally, if anything did go wrong, companies don’t have the same rights as tenants and you can get them out within a short notice period as the contract would state.
Landlords have been painted with the same bad brush, but we aren’t all bad, and I’m sure all these companies aren’t all bad.
I would say, don’t write it off until you do your own research into a company that contacts you and read the contract carefully.
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Its good to hear that youve had a positive experience. I hope that continues. There are certainly companies out there that know what theyre doing and who offer a professional service. The concern that many landlords have had is that there are also plenty of such companies that dont know the law and who dont have the owners interest at heart and it may be very difficult to discern the difference.
Its also worth saying that with the law changing later this year it is not advisable for any owner to use a company that is not a registered social housing provider or company at least 50% owned by the Council. The reason being that any other company cannot guarantee to return the property to the owner at the end of their contract due to changes in eviction rules. When the contract ends or if the company goes bust or just closes, the owner inherits the occupants as their direct tenants along with the liability for any mistakes made. The other big change is that even whilst the contract is operating, the owner is liable for a Rent Repayment Order to the tenants of up to 2 years rent if the intermediary company or any sub-landlord makes a serious mistake.
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Asylum seekers are housed by agencies contracted by the government. They aren’t allowed places in the PRS. By UN definition, an asylum seeker can’t be “illegal”. It was the last government who labelled them as such for purely political purposes.
Before you attempt to correct me on a technicality you can refer to them how you wish refugees, illeagles or people seeking asylum I honestly don’t care. There are companies definitely attempting to get them housed in the PRIVATE RENTAL MARKET. I have been approached on two separate occasions.
Ah well, you see, refugees are entitled to rent in the PRS so that would be absolutely fine 
I used to wonder about company lets when i first became a landlord as i had only ever done AST’s however i decided to give it a go. Like i always say do your own research and don’t knock it unless you’ve tried it for yourself so thats what i did!
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Company Lets for a while now, and I can honestly say they’ve been a game-changer for me. Initially, like many, I was hesitant about using a service like this. I had heard mixed opinions from others and wasn’t sure if it was the right choice. However, after deciding to give it a try, I quickly realised just how beneficial Company Lets could be. Everything was clearly laid out, and the company that i signed a contract with was always available to answer any questions I had.
Ultimately, I’ve found that Company Lets provides a hassle-free, reliable, and professional service that I can count on every time. i get guaranteed rent every month. they have always paid on time. They cover minor repairs. In the contract we have it written up that i can kick them out anytime if they dont pay which i have never had to do. property is kept at a good standard and one that i gave them which i requested back as i needed it for a family member was given back to me freshly painted etc.
I definitely suggest people make their own minds up on this and do their own research and not just listen to anyone and everyone including me.
I will carry on with the company lets especially now that the government is making it harder and harder for landlords to have rights with private tenants on AST contracts. If they don’t pay then you’re waiting 6months to kick them out. Plus lost monthly rent and court fees and damages. I can go on and on as it happened to a friend of mine. They ended up loosing about £8000
Just do your own research and you will be fine
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I agree that the Government is making it very difficult for AST landlords, but is the position really any better for landlords who let to a rent to rent company? If the occupant stops paying rent to the company, in most cases they company cannot pay the so called guaranteed rent to the owner. During the pandemic, even the bigger rent to rent operators stopped paying the guaranteed rent. Many just closed down the companies, which had limited liability, leaving the occupants in place as the owner’s direct tenants, but without any of the paperwork needed to evict them.
The Renters Rights Act is widely expected to kill off the regular rent to rent market and all those poor suckers that have paid five figure sums to self styled gurus for rent to rent training courses are going to have to find something else to do.
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