Letting Agent Asking for Fees

[jcadz02]

I am moving to a friend's apartment. Her letting agent is asking 300euro fee for amending the lease. He says it's standard admin fee. This screams swindling for me. I have moved apartments before and this never came up. What's the best way to handle this?

 

[Johnno75]

The agent acts on behalf of the apartment owner so has no relationship with you. Tell the “agent” to collect this from the landlord.

 

[T McGibney]

The agent acts on behalf of the apartment owner so has no relationship with you. Tell the “agent” to collect this from the landlord

They will if she chooses to let from them. Her choice.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

Strictly speaking, it’s not an amendment to the tenancy, but an assignment of lease.

This is where one tenant replaces another with the landlords permission, but there is no change to the tenancy from a legal perspective for things like security of tenure and notice periods .

When I was a landlord, I had a letting agent who would charge for an assignment of lease. I, as landlord, always paid this.

I think your new landlord is chancing their arm in trying to get you to pay for this. You could try to refuse, but you might lose the property. It’s a tight market out there, so it depends a bit on how badly you want this.

 

[bipped]

My nephew was sharing with others and one tenant wanted to leave. The landlord only agreed if the replacement tenant paid the legal fees. It was in the lease.

edit: Is this where it's covered?
17 (3) The landlord shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the tenant any costs or expenses reasonably incurred by him or her in deciding upon a request for consent in relation to the tenant's doing a thing referred to in paragraph (k), (l) or (m) of section 16 (whether the consent is granted or refused).