Complaint

Following the end of the tenancy and the completion of the check-out inspection, the Tenants alleged that the Agent withheld their security deposit despite advising them that it would be returned. The Agent responded by denying that they had received payment of the deposit at the outset.

Complaint

Parking is often a contentious issue and in this case the Landlord was aware that parking was problematic at the property and had therefore requested that the Agent set out the allocated parking arrangements in the tenancy agreement. However, following complaints from neighbours of the property, the Landlord examined the agreement and complained
to the Agent that they had omitted the requested parking clauses and had been ineffectual in handling the neighbour complaints.

Complaint

The Landlord let the property to the Tenant who paid no rent after the first month. She subsequently complained about the Agent’s referencing. The Agent responded, acknowledging that it had been a fraudulent application but defended their referencing
as adequate in the circumstances.

Complaint

In this case, the Landlord alleged that three pieces of furniture were lost from her property whilst the Agent was instructed and, although the Agent acknowledged responsibility for their oversight, the parties could not agree on the amount of compensation to be paid.

Complaint

The Landlord purchased the property with the Tenant in residence. She then instructed new managing agents and asked the previous owner’s Agent to transfer the deposit to her new agents. Following the Agent refusing to transfer the monies, the Landlord referred the matter to my Office.

Complaint

After viewing the flat and agreeing a six month tenancy, the Tenant moved in to the property. However, after just one night the Tenant decided she could not live there due to noise experienced from neighbours. She demanded her rent and deposit back from the Agent.

Complaint

Following a number of outstanding maintenance issues, the Tenant raised a complaint alleging that the managing Agent had failed to address those matters in a timely manner. They concerned repairs to the toilet and the balcony door, along with the delivery of a replacement fridge.

Complaint

Following the completion of the sale, the Sellers complained that the Agent had not financially qualified the initial Potential Buyers (causing them inconvenience in having to withdraw from the transaction) or chased and monitored the progress of the eventual Buyers’ mortgage offer (causing them further inconvenience). The Sellers also complained that the lack of updates received from the Agent had caused them to incur unnecessary cost in having to place their belongings in storage because a completion date was not achieved.

Complaint

In this case, the recently bereaved Seller alleged that the Agent had marketed the property without his authorisation, resulting in a multi-agency commission fee claim from another agent whom he had already instructed.

Complaint

The Complainant was a successful Seller who wanted the Agent to reduce their commission fee (which he had withheld up to the point of my Review) as he considered that the service he had received had not warranted it. The Seller raised issues about viewings (saying that the Agent had left the Property unlocked on four occasions), a lack of updates and feedback, marketing costs and bias towards the Buyers. The Agent acknowledged that during one viewing a staff member had left a patio door unlocked, but had apologised profusely for their error.

Complaint

The Potential Sellers complained that the Agent had not made appropriate efforts to market the Property and that they had not received any contact from the Agent for over eight months to discuss the marketing strategy. The Agent disputed the Potential Sellers’ claims and referred to their progress notes to support their position.

Complaint

The Property had been on the market with the Agent for one year after which the Seller
informed the Agent that they had replaced the laminate floor covering in one of the bedrooms and requested that the particulars be amended the Particulars within a reasonable time, the Seller raised a formal complaint asserting that the Agent’s shortcomings had prevented the sale of the Property.

Complaint

Following their offer being rejected, the Potential Buyers alleged that the Agent had advised them that the Property was not under offer at the time they viewed, when a sale had actually been agreed to another party. The Potential Buyers also raised issues concerning the manner in which the Agent had dealt with their subsequent complaint.

Complaint

Upon being presented with the Agent’s invoice after successfully proceeding to exchange of
contracts on the Property, the Sellers raised a number of complaints in which they stated that the original Agency Agreement was incorrect and that, as they had not signed the document, there was no agreement in place which meant that the Agent was not entitled to charge them a fee. The Agent maintained that, as they had introduced a buyer who had gone on to purchase the Property, they were entitled to a commission fee.

Complaint

The Sellers, complained that, as the housing market had been so quiet, they had suspended
the marketing of the Property but had reached an understanding with the Agent that they should still keep the Property in mind if any potential buyers showed an interest in similar properties. The Sellers believed this had terminated their agreement with the Agent. However, six months later the Agent called the Sellers to arrange a viewing which
resulted in an offer and the Property being sold. The Sellers claimed that due to the lack of active marketing, they should be given a reduction in the commission fee. They also complained that the Agent had not passed information on to the Buyer as they had requested and failed to record and pass information on to their staff, leading to the Sellers
being unnecessarily inconvenienced during the transaction.

Complaint

The Landlords complained that the Agent had not given adequate notice of the Tenant’s
intention to vacate the property, that they had not chased up rent arrears and that they had
failed to adequately respond to their subsequent Complaint. The Agent responded by stating
that the Landlords were already aware of the Tenant having given notice and referred to the
contemporaneous progress notes on their file to support their view.

Complaint

The Landlord had instructed the Agent to find a tenant which they did. After approximately three months the Tenant stopped paying the rent. The Landlord served a Section 8 Notice on the Tenant who vacated the Property with rent arrears of more than £1,500. The landlord accepted that the Tenant was responsible for paying the rent but after conducting some research she was concerned that the Tenant had passed the Agent’s reference criteria.

Complaint

The Landlords had instructed the Agent to let and manage the Property for a period of more than 19 months. However, following the Tenants vacating the Property, the Landlords subsequently spent £1,500 repairing damage caused by prolonged misuse and a lack of care and cleaning by the Tenants. They claimed on the deposit and sought the balance of their losses from the Agent.

Complaint

The Landlord accepted an offer to let the unfurnished Property on the basis of a 12 month
term. Several days after the Tenancy started, the Tenants informed him that they had requested a double bed via the Agent. He also only had sight of the Tenancy Agreement for the first time at that point and discovered that the term was only for a period of six months. The Landlord had refused an applicant from another agency on the strength of this offer and believed that the Agent had lied about the Tenants’ terms in order to gain a fee.

Complaint

The Landlords complained that the Agent had not obtained their consent before they let the Property to the Tenant at a rent that was somewhat below the amount advertised. The Agent stated that they had obtained the Landlords’ consent, prior to the letting, during a telephone conversation.