If you want to sack your estate agent looking after your rental, how?

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PaxmanK

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Some friends contacting me now about leaving the rental game after the news today.
One of them has spoken to his agent, but his agent isnt playing ball.
His agent just wont work with him and seems to be on the side of his tenant for all things.
He thinks they are trying to keep the tenant sweet so that they stay with the agent, but its him who is paying the agent.

So he basically wants to end the relationship with the agent and go direct to the tenant himself, so he can extricate himself from the property rental business.

The agent has been collecting the rent and looking after everything for 5 years.
Current tenants are there 3 years and pay the rent via the agent. Agent takes 10% per month.
Basically he wants to fire the agent, have the rent paid direct to his account and give the tenant their required notice and then sell up.

Is there anything blocking him from ending the agreement with the agent.
 
Unfortunately he doesnt have a copy of the agreement.
He cant even remember if there is anything but verbal.
And it sounds like its not going to be an amicable divorce
 
10% sounds high.

I'd have to double check but I had 8% at the height, dropped to 6% after crash.
Currently 5% although I'm organised so probably easy to deal with.

There would be a fee if a new tenant had to be found.
 
He wants out. He wants nothing to do with a new estate agent. I think hes going to sell up at the end of the day.
I just dont think hes totally made up his mind whether to airbnb or sell yet, but he wants rid of the estate agent
 
A separate person should ring up pretending to be a new customer and get a copy of the agents usual terms.
 
Man up, ask the agent for the contract (if there is one) look at the termination clause, follow it. If there is no contract, then tell agent that he will be dispensing with his services (no reasons have to be given), give 30 days notice in writing. Job done.
 
Call me Cynical if you like,
But,

1) I recon your talking about your self, ( No harm if you are)
2) Your trying to wrangle out of an agreement with the agent/tenant with the Air BnB idea in your head

I dont get this " Friends are calling me about leaving the rental market"

I suppose I just dont like the jist of you post!!

Regards

Cynical
 
Wow. That's not a very nice statement ls400.
Even if it was me, wouldn't it be better to answer the question than make wild assumptions about me?
In fact if it rests easier with you I can pretend it is me. Would it make a difference to the question? Sorry for having mates who I have discussions with too who are asking how I extricated myself from rentals after some trouble, and some good advice at the time from this forum, because they are now wishing to do the same.
 
And not forgetting the guys at work you mentioned in the other two threads this morning. You do seem to know a lot of landlords who are trying to extricate themselves at the moment. I can see where LS is coming from.
 
But it looks like your looking for advise on how to wrangle of a contractual agreement ?,

Not sure if there is an agreement, cant remember if there is one, might do Airbnb, with so much publicity of poor performance on LLs and Tenants, the question just does not sit well with me, and I can only respond to how I read it.
 
Same guys at work and last night. Same WhatsApp group. Does it really matter?
I'm sensing a lot of hostility from a couple of people here. Don't know what I did to you tbh

Sorry you feel that way.
Fell free to ignore the question then if you have nothing to add.

It's advice on how to end a contract where the estate agent is not towing the line.
Preferably without incurring solicitor or any other costs.
 
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Scenario 1 - there is a signed contract in place with the agent. Follow the termination procedure laid out in the contract
Scenario 2 - There is no contract in place. Talk to the agent and advise them of an intention to give notice. Agree a termination date with them. Get an agreement in writing. and ensure they promise to provide the tenant's details.
 
Does anyone else think the agent might have been increasing the rent and putting all increments into his back pocket? The resistance now is because he might be rumbled. Maybe not if copies of the leases are being provided but if there isn't an owner-agent contract, I wouldn't be surprised.

I would say to the agent that unless they can provide a signed contract requiring a specific termination procedure, their services will no longer be needed after thirty days/one calendar month. It's his property, he's otherwise not legally obliged to an agent IMO.
 
I don't think it's that bad. He just thinks the letting agent doesn't do what he tells them. They just do something else.
For example he told them.to up the rent according to the RTB rules. They just sent a letter out saying the rent was going up which was challenged as an invalid notice. You would think the estate agent would follow the rules and know them.
Instead now he has to answer to the RTB and explain that the letting agent messed up which won't wash.
All things like that where the letting agent does their own thing and not what they are told. He feels like the agent has control of his property and is just undermining him , while making home pay fof it and he wants to take it back.
 
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