Can Estate Agents Do this??

[Sept2012]

Hi all,

I own a property that I have been renting out for a few years through, quite possibly, the most useless estate agents in the country.

A new tenant moved around May this year and signed a 6 month lease. A friend of mine now wants to rent the property so I contacted the estate agents to advise that I no longer wanted to renew the lease & that I wanted to give the current tenants notice.

They have claimed that in August they sent me out a letter telling me that they were going to ask current tenants if they wish to renew lease & that tenants have agreed a new 12 month lease starting in November 2012. The letter says that if they don’t hear from me they’ll assume its ok to proceed.

Needless to say I never received that letter.

A few things to point out as well.
1.They no longer use postal correspondence, for the last 12 months all their correspondence (ie. Rent statements) have been sent via email, strange that on this occasion it is not the case.

2.They lease letter they sent via email has a ‘created date’ of 1st October 2012 but is dated 22nd August 2012

3.When my friend was viewing property on sat the tenants said the estate agents had only called them up last week asking if they wanted to renew.

My questions are:
1.Can they renew lease without my authorisation?
2.They should be able to provide a lease agreement with signatures of tenants right?

Thanks

[woofgang]

Well I would be going back to the estate agent and asking are they sure they haven't mixed up the properties because of......and then list the facts you have listed here.

[Twenty20]

Why have you been using the agents for years if, as you say, they are 'quite possibly, the most useless estate agents in the country'?

Go and talk to the agents. If you are not happy with them, switch agents or manage the property yourself.

[Smowball]

I would tell the tenants direct what the situation is.