Letting Agent Problem

[Sammylove]

I will try and keep this simple.

We have some employees working in a different part of the country on a large job and decided to rent a house for 6 months as it would be cheaper than hotels. I found a suitable house on Zoopla and contacted the agent. After viewing and agreeing we'd take it he e-mailed me with a company let contract to sign and and gave me the amount to pay (deposit + first rent + admin charge) and his bank details, which I duly paid. He told me that the remaining rent payments were to be paid directly to the landlord and he would give me their details later. This was in the first week of January.

I've attempted to contact the agent on several occasions, by e-mail and phone to request a copy of contract signed by the landlord and for their bank details. I got one reply saying he had problems with his email and he'd send them soon. I've still not received anything, despite further chasing. He doesn't answer the phone or respond to emails.

Our tenant has also been trying to contact the landlady to report some minor issues (carpet still not laid in one room as it was agreed, shower head and washing machine door broken). Initially he was able to speak to her but again, she has stopped returning calls, etc.

Our second rent payment is due on Thursday this week but I'm reluctant to pay it to the agent as he hasn't provided me with a signed contract and has gone AWOL and we can't get hold of the landlord to ask for her bank details. Meanwhile, our employees are happily (mostly) living in the house.

Can someone tell me where I stand with this. Should I pay the rent to the agents account or should I just leave it and wait and see if they contact us when they realise they haven't been paid. I don't want to get the company into any legal problems.

As an aside, the monthly rent was advertised and stated on the contract sent to me to sign as £595. After I paid the deposit, etc the agent spoke to my Director and informed him that was a mistake and it should be £645. As the alternative was to move out and get a refund then find somewhere else, my Director agreed to this. But of course I have absolutely nothing to state what the rent amount should now be.

Any help you could would be much appreciated.

[Sammylove]

Oh, forgot to add that I don't believe he has paid the deposit into any protection scheme, which I believe is required by law. (correct me if I'm wrong)

[SeaJayPea]

There could be all manner of reasons for the lack of communication - illness being one that comes to mind.

Can you get one of your employees to visit the agent's office and find out what the score is? Or, indeed, do you have the landlady's address, so they could go there?

Meanwhile, I wouldn't pay any money. But I would send yet another email (or registered letter) to the agent telling him why you've withheld it, copy to the landlady if you have that address.

[woofgang]

If you can, I would be setting the rent money aside in a separate account so that if anything goes pearshaped, you can prove that you intended to pay.

[SeaJayPea]

Very good advice ^^^

[ummmm]

Like woof says, in your next correspondence make it clear you not withholding rent. Just waiting for the correct details of whom it should be paid to.

[Sammylove]

Thanks for your answers.

I don't think illness is the reason, he's been slack from the minute he had our cash in his account. E-mailing some bank details is a job that a decent agent would be able to do in minutes. (I actually now don't even think he's a proper letting agent, Google tells me he is property management so I think he just doesn't have a clue what he's doing)

Our lads are working 12+ hour days so I'm not about to start sending them round to chase other people up. Besides, I also feel like we've already made a decent amount of effort to try and contact them.

I will take the advice and set the money aside in a different account and send one more e-mail stating that's what I've done until I get the correct details.

Thanks again.

[DangerUXD]

I don't know the answer legally but the old saying...."If you think nobody cares about you, miss a rent payment" - seems top apply here. Contact all concerned and tell them that you are withholding rent pending proper resolution of your problems. Believe me when they rent does not arrive they'll soon be in touch!