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Respite from the Brexit bruhaha... Regulating the Private Rentals sector cannot come soon enough! http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2016-06-28-Bent-letting-agent-jailed-for-elaborate-rent-and-deposit-scam 4 and a half years - a slap on the wrist.

My partner and I are in the process of referencing for a property we absolutely love. Unfortunately the letting agent has been incredibly difficult and rude throughout the whole process (to the point where I had to download the energy certificates to find out what the address was for viewing!!) and she is not very good at answering my questions. For example, we have previously rented a property with an excellent LA who provided us with a complete list of the process from start to finish and all the fees included. They were friendly and helpful and answered all of our questions and I felt I could call on them whenever I needed to. This LA stood awkwardly at the viewing, very quiet, not explaining much and answering our questions in as little detail as possible. She gave us nothing but a "booklet" with pictures in it, and listed off verbally what I had to email to her after the viewing if we wanted to apply. Despite this we loved the place too much to worry about an awkward, unorganised woman getting in the way of it. However, we have been put through a bank referencing process instead of a credit check, which I had no idea even existed and it took me 3 days and 6 emails to actually understand what the document was that we were told (in an email) to "print, sign and return posted to the letting agents" - no further explanation. Then the actual process is taking forever, it's been nearly three weeks and I'm losing my patience as we really want to move and the LA has basically said (although in better words) to leave her alone until the process is complete. I understand the referencing takes time, but she won't answer any of my other questions until this is done. If we get it (there is no reason at all why we shouldn't) we've been told there is a gardener that comes every two weeks, though the garden and front garden were quite scruffy when we viewed and I'm concerned about how he gets into the garden as the only routes are through the garage or the house - neither of which I'm comfortable with. Should I get it in writing that this gardener is responsible for the maintenance? We've also been told that the property allows pets (one cat) and I've got it in an email that the only additional cost is if there is damage to the property - i.e. having a pet will not add more to the deposit. Will this stand as "in writing" if she tells me we have to pay more to have the cat? She told me at the viewing I could get another if I wanted (I asked) so I assumed the LL was quite relaxed, though they're redecorating before the new tenants move in, so can she charge us on the grounds that the property is newly decorated? Can I have some advice as to what I need to ask for in writing - as well as the contract - without having such a long list and whilst dealing with such an awkward LA that I end up putting her off us and she won't offer us the property? (can she do that?) Our last property was just so relaxed and easy and simple, that this time around it feels like we've never rented before! The property has a history of long term tenants (last rented in 2012) which is why we're going for it despite the LA, if they all stayed so long then they can't be that bad? Sorry for the long post, I know the LA doesn't owe me anything so I shouldn't really expect her to be nice as long as she's getting us through it, and I've been super sweet to try and get her to help me out a bit more but she seems to just have a really bad attitude. It's a small, local LA so we can't switch who's dealing with our application - you'd think that'd make them nicer!