Letting agency is completely horrid - help!

[CabaretMummy]

We have a 9 week old baby. Yesterday, our health visitor came over and commented on the fact that the heating wasn't working, and that it was too cold for the baby. We explained that we'd called the letting agency who had said they'd get it done, but were really sh*tty with us on the phone. The health visitor said that she could call them to make sure it got sorted, which we agreed to.

Later on, the heating go fixed and we assumed the health visitor had spoken to them about it, hence why it was done so quickly, and no more was thought about it.

 

THEN

 

About an hour ago, a woman from the letting agency called my other half and started shouting at him, saying that the health visitor had just called and said she'd been this morning, when the heating was already fixed. My other half explained she was probably just trying to get things moving because she didn't know it had been fixed and was concerned about our child's health in a draughty 12 degree room. The letting agent started saying "well how do you think they managed 30 years ago?" and "how dare you give her this number" and just generally being aggressive and intimidating! Is there someone we can complain to? She's the manager I think, and it's a really small firm, so I don't think talking to them would do anything. I'm going to go down to the office later to talk to them, because it's just unnacceptable!

The place was up for sale when we moved in, unknown to us, we had a shower door on the bath that was fitted badly and fell on OH, when me and my baby girl had been in the bath only minutes earlier, the hot water didn't work for a week when we got there and the lock to the downstairs door didn't work and wasn't fixed for at least a week!!!

I honestly want to leave now and find somewhere else, but we're tied into a contract. However, there's a clause that say "The landlord shall permit the Tenant to have quiet enjoyment of the Property without the interruption by the Landlord or his Agent..." Surely they've broken this part of the contract by calling us 9:30am and waking our baby up to shout at us!

[MrShed]

No there is no breaking of contract - even if there was it doesnt END the contract.

 

Are the agents a member of a professional body?

[Planner]

How long was it between you reporting the heating broken and the health visitor visit?

[Surfer01]

Has your deposit being secured?

[NewSAHD]

All good and useful questions, above

 

If you're intending to leave then do so on YOUR terms though, without setting up subsequent problems for yourself - for instance, you must consider

 

- your own obligations under the agreement itself, you cannot just leave. There are consesquences if you do, not least there being an obligation to pay rent and the risk of losing some or all of your deposit too.

- be prepared for the Agent giving YOU notice to leave at the end of the term too, which some Agents will do where they feel aggrieved.

- and consider that YOU have to do what you can to ensure the return (in full, where possible) of your deposit.

 

Those are just a few things that come immediately to mind. Post again with replies to the earlier questions, above, and someone is sure to be along to help out.

 

Frankly, I'm surprised the Agent had the time to make an abusive call though, so probably just goes to show how 'good/effective' they may be... i.e. not much, perhaps.