Options
Hidden cost of Renting... am i being ripped off?
![[Deleted User]](https://wb.vanillicon.com/v2/be166cc6280862de2eb7e285efcd28c2.svg)
[Deleted User]
Posts: 2,224 Forum Member
✭✭✭
Hi,
We've just agreed to a new house at £600pcm - we expected a small fee from the letting agency but in fact we were told the 'admin fee' was £246 and that did not include the Inventory Fee of £75 - What exactly is the £246 for then? Why should i pay for an Inventory for the Landlord? Why isnt that included in the £246 anyway?
My partner is willing to pay these out as he's comfortable with money but i'm on less that him and we've always halfed the house stuff down the middle.
Please can someone explain these to me? I've tried calling the Agents but they are 'busy'
We've just agreed to a new house at £600pcm - we expected a small fee from the letting agency but in fact we were told the 'admin fee' was £246 and that did not include the Inventory Fee of £75 - What exactly is the £246 for then? Why should i pay for an Inventory for the Landlord? Why isnt that included in the £246 anyway?
My partner is willing to pay these out as he's comfortable with money but i'm on less that him and we've always halfed the house stuff down the middle.
Please can someone explain these to me? I've tried calling the Agents but they are 'busy'
0
Comments
The admin fee will probably include a credit check although it does sound quite high - I'm assuming the admin fee is on top of your bond/deposit. The inventory is for your benefit as much as the landlord's - it means when your tenancy runs out they can identify any damage/loss to the property and you won't be charged if the damage was already there. Although it seems a bit of a cheek to charge £75 on top of the admin fee and I'd be hacked off too!!
When you get through to the agents they should be able to give you a breakdown of what this admin fee is for.
We are also asked to pay one months rent (standard deposit, no problem there) plus £100 (not stated why?) and we've just been told that our current Letting Agents are charging £25 for a reference??
Reading some bits n bobs online i picked up that teh Landlord is usually responsible for the Check in (as in Inventory) and we'd be responsible for the Check out (deduction of deposit if anything was wrong./broken etc) ?
I'm renting at the moment, and I have to pay £45 each time the tenancy agreement gets renewed (6 months).
Deposit/bond of one months rent + some extra, is kinda normal (although not all agents do it) so you don't just leave without notice and not claim your bond back, thinking "well they already have a month's rent to cover that period".
bloody hell fire! I wouldnt be suprised with these Letting Agents, i'll be reading the contract very carefully - thanks for bringing that to my attention xx
So basically they're asking for:
£1200 for deposit, and first months rent
£100 for an unknown expense
£246 admin fee
£75 inventory fee
£25 reference fee
Thats knocking on £1700!!:eek: That is daylight robbery - I've never known anyone have to pay out that kind of cash for a new rental. I would be asking for a breakdown of exactly what this cash is going to be used for - providing you can get through to them of course
Exactly... its becomming more and more worrying the more 'little charges' that appear ... I'm still trying but apparently Laura's 'gone home early' - prob off to Trafford Centre with my bloody fee's!!
I have something similar.. it's about £50, but luckily only every 12 months.
My initial admin fees were much lower than the OP's though.. £150 or so? And that included everything, such as inventory, credit check and so forth.
Ours were 170 in our current place - all in .. thats why we're a bit :eek: well i am, OH will do whatever :mad:
They are pretty well known in the North West (not sure about rest of country)
Show him this thread!
Is it worth ringing your current letting agency and trying to find out how much they charge for references? Not sure whether they will tell you though.
You already owe them over £100!
The £100 unknown expense is to cover having the house cleaned incase it is not left in a suitable state.
I rent my house out and i ask for one months rent + £100 for the deposit. This means i can pay for the house to be professionally cleaned if i'm not happy with the state it is left in.
Out of interest is this a common clause and why would it be used?
Oh dear.
Whenever I've rented I've always had to pay 2 months rent one month of which is used as the deposit. If I have understood correctly the OP is having to pay 2 months rent + £100. Surely any cleaning can be taken out of the 1 months rent deposit?
He was joking wasn't he... I feel a bit daft now
Never come across the practice of paying extra for cleaning though, this would just come out of the deposit!
Yes, I think I'm right in saying that the deposit has to be placed somewhere (an account?) where neither the agent nor the landlord can access it, unless there is a breach of contract i.e. property has not been left in a clean state when you vacate.
Thats what I thought. - a house I rented was filthy on the day we were due to move in so the landlord got cleaners in and said he would take the cost out of the previous tenants deposit
A new contract was signed for a house of mine just last Tuesday. Thats exactly what the tenants paid. 2 months rent + £100 before they can move in.
In my case the reason its taken on top of the deposit is incase a tenant runs off in the last month I have the rent covered. Plus i can pay for the house to be cleaned in order to rent it out again. So far tenants have not complained about having to pay it.