UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi Landlord, I am a fairly new landlord. We rented out our property just over a year ago. Our first tenant stayed for a year and then moved in with her partner. We have a new tenant. Who is a company providing accommodations for immigrants for local council.
We have always rented out our property with the estate agent as a rent collection service. However, I am the least to say dissatisfied with the estate agent services. One example: On moving date of new tenant, agent asked us for more detailed electric certificate for tenant. Agent also offered to arrange this for £300. Meanwhile agent told the tenant that we did not provide any electric certificate. When I sent an existing
certificate to tenant, we found out the truth. By which time moving in was delayed by 3 days.
However after stressful and costly period of finding a new tenant, we have stayed with the same estate agent, as they claim that they do not provide just Finding a tenant service.
I have now changed the rent transfer with tenant to a direct debit to our account to ensure on time payments. The estate agent is not happy about it and trying to push us back to rent collections through their account. My question is: What is my position here?
I want to stick to rent comming to our account directly.
What kind of a services from agent am I still entitled to?
We have paid for all their services when tenant moved in.
Could you please advise?
Thank you.

If you employed the Agent to do rent collection on your behalf, and you've now taken that away from them... what services are you entitled to? It's a weird question. Surely they wouldn't be doing anything for you because the thing you employed them to 'do' you are now doing?

Apologies for not responding. And thank you for your view. Though I was a bit surprised. I thought that paying the agency fees is not only for agent setting up the direct debit any having a full control over my finances but for providing other services like informing us of any new legislation, preparing renewal of the contract and other paperwork. Does estate agent have no more commitments toward us anymore?

Quote from: Landlord L on March 03, 2017, 02:54:43 PMWe have always rented out our property with the estate agent as a rent collection service.

These are your words - therefore I'm puzzled why you think they would / should be doing more / different? Generally, there are levels of 'service' (disservice?) an Agent will offer - for example - Tenant Find only, Rent Collection only and, say, Full Management.

The terms of business you have signed with the Agent should outline exactly what they are supposed to be doing for you.

Effectively, you are breaking the terms of your agreement with them anyway... by 'collecting' the rent yourself.

Are you sure you have a Direct Debit going on here... possibly a Standing Order?

Ok, thank you, I will ho through the terms od agreement again to see all details.