One week on and letting agent / landlord havent 'decided' on us

ILIKEFOOD

Hi there,

Not sure if this is the correct forum for this so move if needed...

The story:

Over a week ago myself and my girlfriend viewed a house in Dublin to rent. We found the property on Daft.ie using the Advanced Search options where we specified properties that RA were accepted in.

We viewed the place, sent our e-mail to the letting agent with references etc and were offered straight away.

We accepted the offer and were sent the bank account details to put our months rent and deposit.

Before we deposited we had yet to broach the issue of Rent Allowance. I e-mailed and called so that we could arrange RA signing of forms etc but I didn't get any reply.

This was Wednesday. As it turns out the letting agent took holidays pretty much straight after he got our acceptance and took off without letting us know. No further contact was made until Wednesday this week.

We were eager to get going anyway so my gf put our money into the account.

I had to call the letting agent's office on Friday to find out that the agent we were dealing with had gone away. I explained my concerns and was told we would be looked after upon his return.

Wednesday rolled around and I made contact with the letting agent.

Turns out the property was not intended to be listed as RA accepted.

I explained that there was no notice of 'Rent Allowance Not Accepted' in the ad and also that it had been included as being accepted on the Daft.ie website.

I made an assumption based on the ad - we didn't look at properties that explicityly said No RA allowed etc..

The letting agent said he would speak with the landlord to see what he could do, we have excellent references and have offered up a number of months in advance.

It's now over a week later, I still have no definite answer, our money is still sitting in someone else's account and are running out of time on our current lease.

What should I do?

I really want this place but I feel like I'm getting the run around. I want to give the letting agent the benefit of the doubt and believe that he is working in our favour but at this stage I'm not so sure. Should I speak to his manager?

I'm beginning to get paranoid that they're holding out for someone 'better'..and are letting the clock run down on purpose

This is my first time on RA, I know on the grand scale of things that are happening to people out there this isn't the worst situation but it's getting stressful..

Eldarion

I'd really suggest you keep your hopes down. Depending on the area of Dublin I'd be very surprised if the landlord is going to agree to RA when it wasn't explicitly stated in the ad that it was accepted.

The letting agency made a complete balls of this though but I'm not sure you should expect anything more than simply having your money returned to you. Speak to his manager all you want, he'll get a scolding but it's not going to do much for you I'm afraid.

I would also say, without meaning to come across offensive, that you didn't exactly play out this transaction in 'good faith'. You had a chance to explicitly bring up Rent Allowance when you viewed the house, when you submitted your details and references, when the offer was made by them, when the offer was accepted by you and prior to when you transferred your deposit into the account.

The RA issue should have been the first thing to be crystal clear before even viewing the property.

ILIKEFOOD

I agree we should have mentioned it in our first email to him. However once he had received our email he sent us bank details and disappeared so the chance for further dialogue ended.

I also accept common human error, they did make a balls of it - but We have been given the run around massively. They've known about our RA situation since Wednesday... and STILL haven't given us an answer... so another weekend of uncertainty will pass..

As an aside, I can't wait to get off RA - I've never felt so discriminated against in my life (but I know that there are far worse situations to be in).

I wonder why it is at all that any landlord needs to know if their tenant is on RA? My refs are excellent and I've a good employment history.. surely that counts for something?

asingrang

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

I agree we should have mentioned it in our first email to him. However once he had received our email he sent us bank details and disappeared so the chance for further dialogue ended.

I also accept common human error, they did make a balls of it - but We have been given the run around massively. They've known about our RA situation since Wednesday... and STILL haven't given us an answer... so another weekend of uncertainty will pass..

As an aside, I can't wait to get off RA - I've never felt so discriminated against in my life (but I know that there are far worse situations to be in).

I wonder why it is at all that any landlord needs to know if their tenant is on RA? My refs are excellent and I've a good employment history.. surely that counts for something?

I imagine its not that they are discriminating against you.
Probably the fact that there will be 3 entities in the relationship is more the reason that landlords dont like rent allowance anymore.

ILIKEFOOD

asingrang wrote: »

I imagine its not that they are discriminating against you.
Probably the fact that there will be 3 entities in the relationship is more the reason that landlords dont like rent allowance anymore.

even still where do the complications arise?

They sign the form.. we talk again next year... hardly that taxing surely?

My partner isn't from Ireland, where she is from RA exists between the recipient and the govt.. landlords don't even come into it... it's straightforward and uncomplicated...

fussyonion

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

even still where do the complications arise?

They sign the form.. we talk again next year... hardly that taxing surely?

My partner isn't from Ireland, where she is from RA exists between the recipient and the govt.. landlords don't even come into it... it's straightforward and uncomplicated...

No, the problem is the Rent Allowance is constantly being reduced so it means you having to ask your LL to reduce the rent so that you can still claim RA. Why should the LL reduce the rent just because your RA has been reduced?

Rent Allowance reductions are the main reason LL's hate it and I don't blame them.

Tenants on RA are very quick to heap the blame on the LL when things aren't going their way, but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you be happy taking rent reductions every year to fit in line with the new rent limits?
Don't think so.

ILIKEFOOD

fussyonion wrote: »

No, the problem is the Rent Allowance is constantly being reduced so it means you having to ask your LL to reduce the rent so that you can still claim RA. Why should the LL reduce the rent just because your RA has been reduced?

Rent Allowance reductions are the main reason LL's hate it and I don't blame them.

Tenants on RA are very quick to heap the blame on the LL when things aren't going their way, but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you be happy taking rent reductions every year to fit in line with the new rent limits?
Don't think so.

*those pesky tenants*

Yes that is a big problem for ALL involved

I wouldn't be happy with reductions..no. Do LL make those reductions, honestly?

Would rent capping be of use here? An official value of the property in an area.. no real room for a tenant to complain / also doesn't give room for the govt to justify a reduction, if areas are such and such a price / month? (as is the norm in other EU countries)

I wouldn't blame any LL, I can see how they bare the brunt of it.

Anyway in my own case thankfully I'm not going to be stuck out in the rain...

Mrs OBumble

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

even still where do the complications arise?

They sign the form.. we talk again next year... hardly that taxing surely?

My partner isn't from Ireland, where she is from RA exists between the recipient and the govt.. landlords don't even come into it... it's straightforward and uncomplicated...

Ahh, but this is Ireland, where everything is vastly more complicated.

They sign the form, you talk again next year - or when the government decide to drop the rent-cap and thus make you ask for a reduction. Which has happened several times in recent years.

And of course you're not allowed to do something so adult as make a decision to pay a little more for accommodation from your benefit, in exchange for living somewhere nicer / closer to potential jobs / with lower transport costs / etc.

Also, RA is paid to you, but in arrears not in advance. So in many cases the LL gets it in arrears too because the tenant doesn't have the resources to pay it in advance.

TBH, I'm surprised that the agent didn't just say "no" outright when they saw the words rent allowance.

asingrang

And with RA. When something goes wrong the tenant can just say, talk to the CWO and the CWO says talk to the tenant.
The CWO might even say, its govt policy, go away.
Read all the stories about dealing with RA on here from landlords.

ILIKEFOOD

RA is obviously an ongoing burning issue..

What should I do in my case where the letting agent has had my money for over a week now - he's claiming to be 'working on it' for me...

I've no idea what the LL knows, and if he/she does... why has it taken more than a week to 'decide' on my suitability...madness..

LL who let through agents, what do you make of this mess??? What would you do?

The_Conductor

ILIKEFOOD- you need to insist on getting your deposit back.
Not bringing up Rent-Allowance until after you had lodged money in the Landlords/Agents bank account- was very presumptuous and while I hesitate to call it 'cheeky'- it comes across as you trying to tie the agent into something they were not aware of........

Unfortunately- the limits in the Dublin area are such that you are quite unlikely to find a landlord willing to accept rent-allowance- the issue is both the rent-allowance scheme- but also the scarcity of rental property in the general region.

Rent caps- based on the value of property- as you're suggesting- is also unlikely to do you any favours- as values in Dublin are, as a yardstick, on average 60-80% higher than elsewhere- and there is sufficient over demand from private sector tenants- that landlords wouldn't have to consider subsidising a rent-allowance tenant.

Its a broken system- of the government's and council's doing. By divesting themselves of council and social housing- they moved the provision of social housing onto the private sector- however, there is little cognisance of the absolute shortage of property in the Dublin area- so why on earth would a landlord consider accepting considerably lower than the open market rate from a social welfare tenant- when there is a queue of private tenants willing to offer what the landlord is seeking.

Get onto the agent- and get your deposit back.

ILIKEFOOD

Yeah I do feel that the government have shirked responsibility somewhat and I agree the system is indeed broken.

Honestly it wasn't meant as an underhand move not to mention RA, the agent fecked off mid-dialogue... we only put the money into the account after some consideration / eagerness to secure the place having concluded that since the place was listed withing 'RA Accepted' parameters on Daft.ie that there shouldn't be an issue...alas..

Anyway, I should know by today apparently.

asingrang

And always remember. The agent works for the LL, not you, no mater what he says.

ILIKEFOOD

asingrang wrote: »

And always remember. The agent works for the LL, not you, no mater what he says.

Yep, I believe that, tenants come and go easily.. not so much LL's

As I type I'm looking at Daft.ie, the house is still listed within RA accepted search parameters...

asingrang

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

Yep, I believe that, tenants come and go easily.. not so much LL's

As I type I'm looking at Daft.ie, the house is still listed within RA accepted search parameters...

Well it is the landlord who hires and pays the agent.

ILIKEFOOD

asingrang wrote: »

Well it is the landlord who hires and pays the agent.

I understand that.. hence the agent working for LL not tenants...


I'm sure in this situation the LL won't be too happy with the agent, that's IF they're even aware.. I'm sure they're wondering what's going on with the house at this stage...

asingrang

The place is probably already let to someone not on RA.
And the agent is just spoofing you til he has his end sorted out or has his mistake covered up from his boss.
The LL is probably totally unaware of the whole thing and doesnt care as long as the rent is coming in.

The_Conductor

No harm in threatening to camp out in his office- as he is holding onto your deposit- sometimes even empty threats such as this- lead to results.

While you're at it- a complaint with the PSRA- might not go astray either.

Keep in mind though- you pulled the RA rabbit out of the hat- *after* you lodged the deposit with the agent................

ILIKEFOOD

The_Conductor wrote: »

No harm in threatening to camp out in his office- as he is holding onto your deposit- sometimes even empty threats such as this- lead to results.

While you're at it- a complaint with the PSRA- might not go astray either.

Keep in mind though- you pulled the RA rabbit out of the hat- *after* you lodged the deposit with the agent................

I don't accept that I 'pulled it out of the hat' - as far as I'm concerned the guy fecked off mid-dialogue when discussing details..we made the deposit on the assumption that these guys know what they're doing, it is their business after all, and that when they included it within the 'RA accepted' parameters on Daft that that was what it mean.. again I can accept human error, but the fact that this has gone on over a week is insane...

the house is STILL on daft.ie as 'rent allowance accepted' when using that search function..

why the fk do they STILL have my money, and why have they spent 3 days deliberating... it's pathetic unprofessional behaviour..

Me and my family need somewhere to live ASAP and these guys don't seem to give a flying fk about that...

I will certainly give consideration to your suggestions if this drags into next week.