Landlord Stories: Why an ARLA can save you the deposit and hassle.

Changeover property We took over a property from another agent, but the landlord agreed for the old agent to find a tenant and we would take over management from the move-in onwards. Prior to the move in, the landlord organised for works totalling £1,700 to be done to the property, using a contractor recommended by one of the old agents. The move in took place and we immediately received complaints from the new tenants regarding the standard of the works, mainly the decorating. Also, the old agent did not send any monies or signed tenancy documents, despite being chased on a daily basis. We eventually had to obtain copies of the tenancy documents via the new tenants. The former agent simply shut down overnight and the bank account, including the tenants’ deposit, was emptied. As the agent wasn’t an ARLA agent, they had no Client Money Protection insurance in place, so there was no protection to any of the client money they were holding. The contractor recommended by the former agent turned out to be the partner of the person who owned the agency. He too disappeared without rectifying the works issues. This resulted in the landlord having to refund the tenant’s their deposit and pay for another contractor to bring the property up to standard. Any questions please call the team on +44 (0)1522 503 717 Many thanks, Rob Adams MARLA Associate Director – Head of Lettings