Renewing tenancy charges

[speccybeccy]

I have been renting a property via a lettings agency since February. My 6 month rental period is due to end in August and I have received a letter this week asking my intentions. Whether I wish to a. Vacate the property, b. renew my tenancy for 6 months or c. renew for 12 months.

 

If I am to renew my tenancy they ask for a contribution towards the renewal of £35. I am not overly happy at paying this charge, as there was no mention of this when I took the property on and also when I have rented in the past once the initial period was over it went on to a rolling tenancy. To me it seems an way of getting more money out of me for nothing as surely all they will do is edit the dates of the original contract and print it out, not £35 worth of work in my book!!!

 

As I am probably going to be renting this property for sometime I do not see why I should have to cough up £35 each time, is there anyway I can insist on a rolling tenancy therefore only paying the £35 once?

 

Thanks in advance.

[freakyleaky]

As far as I know it is general policy with all letting agents to charge an "Admin" fee or whatever they call it, every time a tenancy is renewed. £35 is quite low compared to some I have seen.

They should have made this clear to you though.

The only thing you could do is ask for a longer tenancy agreement so you are not paying every 6 months.

[maroondevo52]

Thread moved.

[Dipply75]

Hi speccybeccy...I am interested in this right now also. There is an agency local to here that has been charging 'admin charge' of £95 for setting up the tenancy...and apparently another charge to renew later on.

 

I have found this on the Govan Law website and am sending an initial letter with this info in it to see what happens. This is scotland though...not sure if there is anything equivalent in English LAw?

 

Govan Law Centre: £2m fleeced from Scottish tenants in unlawful premiums each year

 

(And this agency is well aware of the financial circumstances of these tenenats and how desperate they are to secure a house - one girl was heavily preganant and her prev landlord had decided to sell up)

[Steve__M]

If you don't sign up and you don't move out, the tenancy is likely to become a statutory periodic tenancy where the LL/LA have to give 2 months notice.

 

Or assuming they have served you with a Section 21 already, they have good grounds to evict you if they wanted to.

 

But as long as you pay the rent and as long as the landlord is happy, it may be that the agent can't do anything.

 

If you know who your landlord is, you could ask them. It is highly likely that the agent is charging the landlord as well.

[tashbash]

My last letting agent charged me £30 every 6 month to renew tenancy so instead of the £500 rent i paid £505 I didnt notice an extra £5 a month and they did my tenancy every 6 month without asking for the £30 it was a nice arrangement.