Letting agent rented house to someone else after we paid full deposit

SarahC11

hi all any advice for me...

we put down 800 deposit on a house and are due to move in on the 27th of this month. i have a receipt for the 800 and the letting agent assured me that we got the place all we had to do now was get the keys and pay rent on 27th, so a couple of hours ago my bf ran into his friend who told him he had just finished moving into the house we are due to move into, he said they put a deposit down a few months ago and are dealing with the same letting agent, as its too late to ring the letting agent i was wondering if anyone knows what i should do or say to him tomorrow,im absolutely freaked as i have given notice in my current house and the landlord has someone new moving in on the 28th, also im 8months pregnant so time really is an issue here i was hoping to be moved in and settled before im due! really stressed out so any help would be nice! also im assuming i will get my 800 back as this is not my fault?

silja

You sure the friend wasn't making a silly joke?

Milk & Honey

Was the receipt marked "subject to contract/lease"?

Penguino

Give the agent hell, they should not have done that, go to the top of the company if you have to.

Check your deposit receipt for specific details but an agent cannot take a deposit from two people for the same property.

youcancallmeal

Name and shame!

Milk & Honey

Penguino wrote: »

Check your deposit receipt for specific details but an agent cannot take a deposit from two people for the same property.

Says who?

djmcr

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Says who?

Common sense and decency

SarahC11

Turns out there was a lack of communication between the landlord and letting agent, the landlord moved de others in as they gave a deposit over a month ago and never got back to the letting agent so he put the property back on daft, then the other couple contacted the landlord and moved in just a little later than they planned. the letting agent didnt even know what had happened till i told him this morning (well so he says!) i was all geared up to have a big war but he was all apologies! i left they deposit with him for the time being as he is going to show us two more houses in the same estate on monday so hopefully they are as nice and have what were looking for, if i dont like either of them or any of his other houses i get my full deposit back which is a relief but now i have the stress of finding a place by the 27th, so i just hope he's not stringing us along cos i dont have the time to be messing about! so i suppose its just fingers crossed i like one of the houses on monday!

Victor

youcancallme>al wrote: »

Name and shame!

Lets not go there.

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Sarah, don't settle for anything less than what you originally agreed. Just becuase you are under time pressure does not meant he should be able to exploit you.

Jimmy Bottlehead

This sounds very similar to a situation my and my partner had last September. Major miscommunication between estate agents and one of their employees.
Ended up that we got a much nicer apartment out of it with more room to haggle (I just pushed the fact we had gotten messed around) and the agent himself left the company in the middle of it all.

As stated, don't settle for anything less than you want, and push the he'll out of them when talking price. You have every reason to get a rent reduction now.

Penguino

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Says who?

Letting agents are bound by The Auctioneers & House Agents Act. This area will be regulated next year