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"Agency fees"

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Right,

I'm just about to rent a new apartment, and the advert says "no agency fees".

After speaking to them, they're now wanting to charge £45 per reference, and £90 for the inventory. Fair enough, they may get an external company in to provide the inventory services, but £45 for somebody to ask for a letter...? Seems a bit out of order to me (and it's been an age since I last had to go through all this so don't rightly recall what is going on.

Thoughts?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sounds like their way round the "no agency fees" promise TBH. God, I hated renting and bloodsucking agents.

    You can always argue the toss - it was a while ago now but for one rented place Kermit and I got the agency fees down from £350 to £35 because they'd made a cock up of the whole application. Challenge them on the costs but don't expect too much I reckon.



    Yeah, doing a bit of reading up and it seems that the reference etc etc fees are classed and are accepted as being separate from their fees. Buggers.

    I wouldn't mind so much but the rent is nearly £2k a month, and so it's not like they're not going to be making a pretty percentage on that! :mad:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    g_angel007 wrote: »
    Thoughts?

    You're paying way too much rent. :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You're paying way too much rent. :p

    :lol:

    I want to live somewhere Central and nice... So settled on Bayswater/Westbourne Grove. Unfortunately, it's not the cheapest of areas... and I'll have to get me a perma-tan to fit in ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    aye bayswater's alright if you can afford it, i don't think i could part with that much money even if i was earning it but each to their own, i'm off to live in a highrise storey block in clapham as of next week.....and that's still too much bloody rent, £475/month :o
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    :heart: Bayswater. I'd love to live there.

    In my experience of renting all the London agents charge stupid random fees, it's annoying but as they all do it you can't really avoid it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote: »
    :heart: Bayswater. I'd love to live there.

    In my experience of renting all the London agents charge stupid random fees, it's annoying but as they all do it you can't really avoid it.

    well, yeah there is you just avoid the letting agencies and go direct to the landlords....i haven't paid agency fees in 4 years of renting in and around london, bloody rip off merchants the lot of them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aye - they are certainly robbing bastards.

    It turns out (apparently...) that they use external companies for the inventory and reference checks. This I know is common, but it's still a reet pain in the wallet.

    But yes, Bayswater/Westbourne Grove rocks. Just felt good to actually be in 'London' again. The vibe, the energy, everything - which I don't have when stuck out in Ealing/Hanwell.

    Bring on the partying (not that I don't already!)...
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