tenant447

Yes, and all is going well. Thanks again to all those who gave such good info and advice on this thread.

Funny you should say that because my guarentor's accountants, whose details were given to the agents on the forms completed by the guarentor, had not even been contacted at the time that the tenancy application was refused. When this was pointed out to the agents, they said that the 'failed' references were either mine or my partner's (they would not say which) and that there was no need to bother checking out the guarentor. Only after I started to challenge the agents with my new knowledge were the guarentor's accountants contacted. There is clearly potential for a very lucrative scam here. I can imagine that, for a particularly attractive rental property, several lots of agency fees might be taken and retained on the 'failed references' pretext. I imagine that most applicants would feel that they had no grounds for redress.

Well, the tenancy is now going ahead! After querying the £388 agency fee as suggested on this thread I was informed a couple of days later by the letting agents that the references had now in fact checked out OK and that my tenancy application had been accepted. Not wanting to cut off my nose to spite my face I signed up, since the property itself is an ideal rental for me for the next two or three years. As it's an attractive property at a fair price, I can assume that there was no shortage of potential tenants, so were they trying to brush me off to get further applications and further fees? Was my assertive attitude instrumental in the agency's change of mind? I'll never know. Thanks to all who have advised me on this thread, the knowledge imparted gave me a sense of being far more in control of the process, and I'm sure it contributed to the positive outcome.

Thank you Flopsy, Pedro and gadget, your replies and excellent advice are very much appreciated. I'll keep you informed.

I have checked the "Referencing Fee Agreement and Receipt" that I signed in the agents' office and it states: The Tenancy is subject to satisfactory references being obtained. If satisfactory references are not obtaineed, the Administration Fee will not be refunded. Have I been a mug and signed away my legal rights, or is the contract invalid because, in general, illegal contracts cannot be enforced? (e.g. if someone signs a contract to rob a bank, that contract cannot be enforced.)

Thanks, gadget. I've printed the relevant page, noted the reference, and I will be at their office tomorrow morning. No-one can prevail against the HPC gang.

I applied for tenancy of a rental property through an apparently well-established and reputable letting agency in Bristol. I paid them a £388 "agency fee" upfront and was told face-to-face, in the agency office, in front of a witness, that in the event of the tenancy not proceeding this fee would be refunded. No conditions were specified at the time on this refund offer and I assumed that it applied in all circumstances, should the tenancy not proceed for whatever reason. The tenancy then in fact did not proceed due to (according to the agent) the references not working out. I am now told that: 1) The reason for the reference failure is confidential and I have no access to it, no way of checking it. 2) The £388 is in fact not now refundable because the tenancy application failed because of the references. Questions: Is the letting agency within its rights? Can I get my £388 back or not? What is to stop an agency taking multiple upfront agency fees from would-be tenants in this manner, and then keeping all these fees, supposedly for the above reasons? Is it a scam?

So do I.

deleted

I checked out the book referenced by malct in his comments to the article: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Political-Ponerolo...9526&sr=1-1 It looks very interesting and thought-provoking. I might even buy it. Anyone here already read it?

You can't beat the bankers. They've been doing everything to maximise our indebtedness till now. They are all out of gullible fools now.

It's a neat way for millions of 18-21 year olds to fund/indebt themselves through their first three years of unemployment.

Not if you are a Senior Wrangler. Some first degree results are still bloody difficult to achieve. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrangler_(Uni...ide_mathematics

I know what you're thinking. "Did he sing psyched lone or cyclone?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is the 2008 downturn, the most powerful downturn since 1990, and will blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Have standards of rioting declined?