Letting Agents

measin

Hi all

We rented out a flat for 3 years through a letting agent (we were out of the country so needed to). We gave the tenant the correct period of notice through the agent (about 3 months) and got the keys last week. The place has been left in a complete state - filthy, broken furniture, missing items that were there in the beginning. Not only that but rent hasn’t been paid for 2 months. The tenant was receiving social welfare and the agent kept telling us she would pay next week - and now she's stopped answering the phone. They say that they will report her to social services, but they dont appear to have done this yet.

Does anyone have any advice? Is this the letting agents responsibility as they have been paid consistently for three years, I thought the reason they were paid was to ensure something like this didn’t happen!

I haven't a clue what our rights our... any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

EKRIUQ

Depends what you definition of a complete state is. After 3 years practically every rental property would need to be fully painted, cleaned and some pieces of furniture probably need to be replaced. It’s the joys of being a landlord houses and apartments need constant maintaining.

Trying to get the rent from social welfare tenants is a nightmare at the best of times and reporting to the social welfare in my experience does nothing.

3 years is a long time to have a tenant, I suppose you could sue the letting agent for not looking after the property but could be difficult as there not the ones who caused the damage.