UK Landlord Forum / Life

I am at the end of my tether with my current Letting Agent.  They have found a tenant for my property and told me he had passed the reference checks but are refusing to give me a copy of the checks - stating it's down to Data Protection.  I have never come across this in 6 years of letting a property.  I contacted the reference company they used and they have advised me they will send me a copy of the checks - but I am pretty teed off with my agent. I calmly stated to the agent they work for me so I expect to see what they have seen and unfortunately them verbally saying the tenant has passed is not enough in my eyes.  Am I being unreasonable??Has anyone else come across an agent refusing to hand over this information?  I am ready to refuse to sign the tenancy agreement unless I get this information so I want to check I do have  the right to see it?

I always see the results of credit checks / referencing. I only use an Agent for Tenant Find, but I wouldn't use any Agent that didn't provide me with the details. I want it for my own peace of mind and my own records.

Time to send this particular Agent on their way...

Thanks for the response.  I was just checking I wasn't over reacting.  The reference is for my benefit so I have no idea why this agent thinks I have no right to see it.  It's a shame as it means the tenant is going to miss out on the property - but after the heated conversation I had with the agent this afternoon I have no desire to give them a penny.  It's a national agency - I can't believe the staff are so arrogant when they are expecting a months rent for not telling me who is living in my flat!

"data protection" is a good line to spin to someone when you don't want to provide some information and you want to stop the person asking dead in their tracks.

People think that phrase can't be challenged for some reason... well, some people do.

I'm sure it was deliberately used - it is deceptive - and that tells all you need to know, I reckon. I'd take a perverse pleasure in getting shot of these idiots. Incompetence like this is not overly surprising but I'd bet you could bank on more in the future if you continue down this path. Maybe this Agent isn't sure who they actually work for... maybe they think they work for the prospective Tenant?

I recently had a Window sales man tell me you cant go up ladders, because of "Health & Safety"

Thats a good one too.

Agent rang me again on Saturday and we had the same pointless argument.  She said it's got the tenat's personal information.  I said I should hope so! The inference being I will use this information for some illegal means but their staff will not. I kept saying you work for me! If there were no landlords there would be no one to reference - it is purely for my benefit - you as the agent have no interest in whether the tenant pays his rent or punches holes in walls as a hobby, I do.  It sailed over this particular girls head.  The manager is contacting me this week.  I sent an email last night making my position clear - no copy of the reference no tenancy and I will contact their Managing Director to find out the logic behind an agent refusing the give information on a tenant to a landlord.
Are letting agents just allowed to open up shop with no experience or knowledge? I've dealt with 3 over the past 6 years and they have all been incompetent at best.  This one also gave me only 4 sheets of a 12 sheet form to fill out.  When I pointed out she had missed off 8 sheets she tutted and muttered something and basically acted like I had eaten the missing pages to make her look bad.  The last agent I used deliberately did not tell me the tenant had 2 children (a boy and girl around 10 and 11) which clearly meant she wasn't going to be staying in a 2 bed flat long term. The one before that phoned up my out going tenant and was so rude the tenant refused to allow access for viewings until I intervened.  They just all seem to be totally oblivious to who they work for.  Rant over.  I just want a letting agent who knows what they are doing and does it efficiently!!

Quote from: godsaveus on August 31, 2014, 06:39:46 PMAre letting agents just allowed to open up shop with no experience or knowledge?

Of course. No experience, no qualifications, no knowledge required. Why do you think the 'profession' has the reputation it does? It attracts certain types.

An agent I used once, refused to let me have the tenant's mobile phone number,
so I could arrange directly, for a plumber to go and look at some issue, using
Data protection as the reason.

What was really odd, was that I was sure they have emailed the info previously,
but as I wasn't where I could look myself, they were just being obstructive.

Needless to say, they remain an agent I used once.

Goodsaveus, here is the touchline __________________________________

Cheers