Letting Agency / Landlord Overpaid Rent Dispute

[TunX]

Hi all,

My partner and were renting a house from a letting agency for approx. two years. The landlord contacted us directly 6 months ago to see if we were interested in buying the property, which we did. The sale completed on 31st March 2016.

When renting, our rent payments were made on the 8th of each month and so the rent payment we made on 8th March, covered rent until 8th April. As the sale completed on 31st March, there is approx 7-8 days of rent that we have over paid.

When we signed the contracts, this was all done through the letting agent, and payments have always been taken by the agent too. However when we contacted the letting agent to ask for a refund of the overpaid rent, they have told us that as they pay the money directly to the landlord, they do not hold any of the funds and therefor we would need to go through the landlord directly to have this money repaid...

Is this correct? We've never actually paid the landlord directly, money is taken from our account by 'Sequence Lettings'.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Crazy council]

Re: Letting Agency / Landlord Overpaid Rent Dispute

errr, Ultimatly, its your old LL, but contractually, its your old agent, all depends on when either party informed them. Most agents use a client accounts for rent payments, ( hence them saying they pay direct to your LL ) and would have paid the rent to the LL within the month.

Still, the agent should just ask the old LL for payment and repay it to you

[TunX]

Re: Letting Agency / Landlord Overpaid Rent Dispute

Well we both (us and the landlord) informed the agent approx 2 weeks prior to the sale going through as it was not until this point that we had a completion date - Does this change anything?

So even though they have asked me to go to the landlord direct - I should be within my contractual right to ask the agent to get this back from the landlord?

Thanks agian,

[Crazy council]

Re: Letting Agency / Landlord Overpaid Rent Dispute

hi

- I should be within my contractual right to ask the agent to get this back from the landlord?

yes 100% You, being the new owner, are due the rent from your tenant ( you again ) for the last week , agent probably just didn't catch it in time. And for everyone's book to add up correctly, it has to go from the old LL, to the agent, back to you

[TunX]

Re: Letting Agency / Landlord Overpaid Rent Dispute

Thanks Crazy - Is there anything specific I should mention in my letter to them to request this then?

Thanks again