1 Star Review
Feb 11,2019
By:
'Kevin'
Feb 11,2019
Branch: London, 1 Cadogan Road,Royal Arsenal
Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £1350
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: SE18
Branch: London, 1 Cadogan Road,Royal Arsenal
Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £1350
Postcode: SE18
42
people found
this helpful
Hi. Below is my experience with this agent. I am aware a review is allowed to have personal opinions, but to keep it brief, I will stick to the facts of what happened in my experience when renting as a tenant from London Stone Properties.
1.1 Moved in 24th Feb 2017 at Rent £1350 per month with a £1869 Deposit.
1.2 I was a good renter. I paid all rent in full and on time from Feb 2017 to June 2018. (17 months). I received multiple inspection reports showing that I take care of the flat with no issues and nothing to be fixed or cleaned. The flat was very modern itself.
1.3 My expectation was that I was to sign a new contract for 1 year beginning Aug 2018.
1.4 Landlord decided to sell. Fair enough. Agent told me this on 4th July 2018 and I was given standard 2 months notice to move out.
1.5 And here is where the problem began that London Stone made no effort to resolve fairly or with any understanding. Everything became one sided and as such, there was little I could do. I will explain the facts so you can form your own opinion on the matter.
1.6 The notice came as a surprise. They had been asking and confirming with me for months that I was agreeing to sign a new contract in Aug 2018. So it was unexpected that they would not do so, especially as we were now in July. I had pre-paid for a summer holiday etc already and thus didn't have funds available given the surprise notice to be able to immediately pay for (1) a fresh rent plus (2) a fresh deposit in a new flat and (3) move costs
1.7 All I required was a little longer in this flat in order to save up the total required to be able to move. I calculated that one additional pay packet beyond the move out date of early Sept should be enough. So instead of moving by Sept 5th, I need to wait until being paid around Sept 20th. Around that time should be fine. Given that it was a sale the landlord was wishing to do, and we know that sales do not happen in weeks - they can take months or years - I figured this is a non-issue - a few extra weeks. I would still pay full rent for any overstay of course.
1.8 So I communicated that I likely need more time. The e-mail back was hostile and said if I stay even 1 day over they would instantly bring a court action for eviction against me. This was a bit strong as a first response. No negotiation or reasonableness. I freely admit this "got my back up a bit". And so I told them that such is pointless. There is no need to overreact. I only need a few weeks. Besides, I would have left long before the courts even processed the paperwork! So what is the point of going overboard. I wasn't saying I would stay for free - it would be on full rent. But I was again told NO!. We will sue if you stay even 1 day over.
1.9. So I had a think about things and decided that being sued for eviction is not something I wanted. But as I don't have the money to leave, then I turned to the only solution I had left. That being - not pay the rent in July. I would then use those funds to be able to leave on time. Oh, I figured I may have to pay some late fees that LSP would calculate and request of me if they exercise that right under the contract we signed. There was a section I agreed as to what happens if rent is late. Fine! Awkward people occur in life. Whatever!!
2.0 So I now had two options. Either stop communicating (as many tenants who are behind with rent may do) or alternatively keep lines of communication open. I chose the latter. It was a BIG mistake when dealing with LSP. In hindsight, I should have just ignored them until the end of the tenancy.
2.1 I contacted LSP and told them the above. In order to also provide some positivity to the landlord and show reasonableness, I said that if the landlord wished to use my £1869 deposit money to cover the £1350 rent in this final period (thus still have £519 in the deposit left at that time), then I would allow this. She would therefore not have to wait until the end of the tenancy, where naturally she would receive any unpaid rent before I receive return of my deposit anyway. I instead said she could have this now. The law says that as a tenant even if you become behind on rent - landlords are not allowed to just substitute deposit money. They cannot just "take" that money from you. You have power over it. The tenant deposit remains protected and the money always belongs to the tenant. All the landlord can do is charge late fees. That is, unless you are flexible.
2.2 So I clearly could have been "fussy" here and not allowed them access until the end. I had very good reason to be fussy, given their unreasonableness in being so fussy themselves over the move date when there was no practical reason to not allow some leeway. But I decided to try and get along. And my thoughts were the best way is to be reasonable in that a landlord may have a mortgage to pay. So I didn't want to hold that up just out of pure spite. So I was cool with them using the deposit if they wished. So I offered it and said it could nicely wrap things up and I would now be able to be out on time - so they were not worried about any overstay that I had previously mentioned and hence might be on their mind. They even used the deposit scheme that allows them to hold the money on premises. Not the DPS one where a 3rd party holds it and neither of us hold it personally. So they had easy access and total control. All they needed was my permission. So I sent the communication.
2.3. Aghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!! We will sue!!!!!
2.4. The reaction was hugely negative. They told me "I can't do that". I must pay full rent. etc. This is despite the fact that there is a section in the contract that deals with late fees. So they acknowledge when signing that rent may fall behind. Yet they then tell me that all rent must be paid in full and on time every single month or they will take legal action in small claims court against me, thus ignoring that the contract provides for rent being unpaid. So it is not exactly a meeting of the minds when signing, is it? They gave me only 7 days to "pay up". Given that such days did not take me through a pay cycle, it may as well have been 7 hours. It wouldn't change a thing financially for me. Note, that they also did not make any request for late fees at this time. Their late fees were calculated with reference to a base rate. So it was for them to calculate and request if they wished payment of these.
2.5 My thoughts were this...... (1) if I overstay to pay the rent in the normal way and thus reclaim the deposit at the end in the normal way, then they will sue me for eviction. But if (2) I use the rent from this month to ensure I can move out by the date they set and asked me to leave by, threatening court if I do not, then LSP said they will sue me for rent arrears instead, despite having access to a deposit that more than covers such arrears. And despite not even having to wait for such money. The landlord can pay her mortgage as usual if she wishes as I kindly said they can take the money early.
2.6 I was put in a Catch 22 situation by these people. Sued either way. No negotiation or reasonableness, even when previously being a good rent payer and when explaining my circumstances ahead of time.
2.7 As I was forced to make a decision, I chose the late rent and move out on time option as this seemed best. I had a contract where I expected late fees if rent was unpaid. Not one that expect a court action so unreasonably quickly. I also know that people are usually far longer behind anyway before court action. So I felt London Stone were unreasonable. And as I can't work sensibly with an unreasonable estate agent, then I will have to make a decision that is most logical and stick by it.
2.8 The next bit of back and forth was summed up as follows. Agent: Pay us the rent. Myself: I don't have the money to move out and pay the rent as I have already explained to you. So which do you want? Agent: We want both.
2.9 I made my decision that moving out on time was the best of the options. So July rent remained unpaid so I could do so. LSP then true to their word began a court case after only 10 days late for unpaid rent.
3.0 It is worth noting that I had never missed rent in 17 months. I had not just mysteriously missed it now with no communication. I had been upfront and communicative the whole time. And this is how London Stone treated me. Disgusting!!
3.1 Their beginning a court case changed absolutely nothing in this circumstance. I didn't have the money as I already communicated this to them so the rent still remained unpaid.
3.2 Six weeks later at the end of the tenancy, LSP deducted it from the deposit. The same exact thing I said they could do if they wanted it six weeks earlier. Granted. They didn't have to do so. And they didn't. That is their right. But nothing changed - they still had to deduct from the deposit at the end. I was cool about it in July. It was certainly cool in Sept. So there was no logic in their action. It seemed a bit spiteful.
3.3 London Stone knew they controlled £1869 with £1350 outstanding, so there was no danger. Once final few days of Aug rent was deducted at the end there was even enough money left over to pay 2/3 of their check out fee. (I naturally transferred the other £60 to them to complete this fee payment).
3.4 Also to note is if I suddenly didn't leave at start Sept, they could have always brought a court case at that time. So there was no immediate danger requiring an instant reaction in July. It is also inconsistent with what happens with a lot of tenants. People get behind. They agree late fees is the contract as I did on my move in. They don't get sued instead. I think I deserve my rights to be the same as their rights. LSP seem to be expecting a higher standard from me. And that is a bit unfair I believe.
3.5 Worth nothing is that LSP also sued me for the late fees. Even though they never actually requested them from me before suing and thus was not denied. A key point of law.
3.6 Weeks later they then added yet another demand. Naturally I left the place virtually, spotless on move out, better than I found it, given we were in dispute already - as I didn't want further fuss, clearly. But then I receive a demand for £109 cleaning costs comprised of 3 separate costs.
3.7 I looked into this. Two of the three items are mentioned in the check in I signed!. They were not my responsibility at all. I inherited such in that manner. Easily checked. Easily confirmed. So I told LSP this and requested they look back at my check in. I may have said "Duh!". This agency was a bit "trying" to say the least..
3.8 I expected a revised (lower) request for such monies. But the response I got was from the owner Julia Stone, And I quote, "What is all this waffle - are you paying the £109 or not?". A bit rude I thought. They hadn't even cared that what they were billing me was within the check in.
3.9 Their attitude seems to be that whatever amount they want - goes!!!! No talk. No changes. No negotiation. They say it and that's it! Not even with clear evidence presented back to them in their own check in proving otherwise. Crazy!
4.0 So in summary - I left in Sept 18. It is now Feb 19. All rent was paid via the deposit they held, but LSP have insisted on continuing to sue me for unpaid rent plus fees regardless. The court date has not yet been set. But I will never back down to a bunch of bullies. Rent is paid - fees were never requested prior to a case - and the cleaning monies are not part of the case and/or are shown that at least two of them are not my responsibility anyway. So I look forward to a fair judgment.
4.1 I have rented for 15 years from multiple agents and landlords. I have never dealt with any as unreasonable as this.
4.2 I have all the evidence to back up all the facts above if AllAgents requires this or wish to speak with me. I am glad sites like this exist so facts can be reported so people are made aware of what happened to others. And I think it is fair to focus on the facts and let other people make up their own minds.
4.3 I know I am allowed an opinion but I see no point in ranting. I do not have to ever deal with these people again so I am fine now. My new landlord I deal direct with so all is better than using LSP as a managing agent, for sure. My opinion is thus that I think the relationship with the landlord here was strained due to them. I'm confident that the landlord of this flat wished to get along with myself as her tenant. But that couldn't happen in this case with LSP filtering communications and standing in between and not allowing a positive deal to happen. I communicated best I could rather than ignored the situation. I tried my best.
As it is - I'm out. Life has moved on and I will be more careful in the future. You know what they say... if something looks too good to be true, it often is. I was fooled, for sure. But the market is flooded with estate agents and there is plenty of competition, so I will be fine.
Thank you for reading my review. The above is only my experience.
Please make your own decisions and best of luck. Goodbye.
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