Agency renewal fee

[cazzie41]

Hello everyone never done this before so hope it's ok
I moved here in March 2007 had to pay 6 months rent in advance credit checks all fine but apparently i wasn't earning enough to afford the rent i was but thats a different story, anyway paid 6 months advance rent + bond +reference fees (£3,500). When due to be renewed in September was told i would have to pay 6 months again as i had done at start of tenancy i refused to do this as i couldn't afford it and anyway had got a small pay rise and knew that would take me over the minimum earnings (i was only £5 under before) they said if i wasn't paying rent in advance they would have to do credit checks again so paid another £125 also had to provide all proof of income including child benefit, tax credit etc.
Eventually they sent me another 6 months agreement and asked me for £75 renewal fee i said i wouldn't pay it as i thought i had paid enough (can't get blood out of stone) i also had other issues with them, they lost the bank standing order form for my rent payments which resulted in 2 payments not going out of bank (they told me if i didn't pay by cheque asap i would be charged for that) and we also had no shower for 8 months (now fixed).
So they eventually waived the renewal fee. I got a letter from them yesterday as agreement is up for renewal again in march it says that if rent was paid in advance for the original term then this will be a requirement of any further extensions to the agreement also they are asking for another £75 renewal fee. There is no mention of this in my tenancy agreement but they are saying that this was mentioned in an application form that i signed beore moving in (don't remember this) are all these charges normal ? I can't keep paying out all this money as i was made redundant just before xmas and watching every penny now. Would appreciate any advice

[Penfold92]

Hi and welcome Cazzie,

I would say you need to look through your tenancy agreement and see what it says. I know from being in the property industry that it is usually the landlord that pays the renewals, NOT the tenants..That is exactly as you said getting blood from a stone.

I think a quick visit to your local CAB (citizens advice bureau)will definitaly help, but make sure you take the tenancy agreement with you. Also have you tried speaking to the landlord or does he/ she have nothing to do with you?

Hope that helps a bit and keep us informed,

Penfold