Unreasonable charges

I guess as long as your basic fees are minimal to cover the ten minutes or so it takes to pass through the rent from your bank account to the landlord as your only service that would be fair enough. I also accept that an element of your fees covers your experience, expertise (Should it need to be called upon) and the amortisatation of the intiial tenancy set up work across the duration of the tenancy. However, I still don't see how everyday tenancy management tasks can be excluded and that's why I suggested to Deborah that in my opinion she should not be being charged as she is.

In the cause of total transparency, I too act as a managing agent and cannot envisage ever trying to justify to a Landlord that this type of work is not included in my monthly fee. Similarly checking smoke alarms. That was always done as part of the check in with tenants anyway, the only difference now is that we have to document that it has been done which is simply one extra line on the inventory with a space for the tenant to sign confirmation.

Deborah, why not join MyDeposits and look after the deposits yourself its about £25 per deposit
They send you a prompt email when a tenancy comes to an end giving you the option of extending the protection as a statutory periodic
Its all in your hands then

It's such a minuscule job that any agent worth its salt would have that included in its fees.
It's a bit money grabbing and petty to charge for it! There's no way time and ink and paper cost £25! Oh and a stamp.

Reply to the comment left by "Gennie Nash" at "06/02/2016 - 09:25":

I have little dealings with deposits but I'm sure at least one scheme requires the re-registration at the change of tenancy (which includes a fixed term turning periodic). If you're an agency doing this sort of thing for several hundred tenancies at six month intervals then that minuscule job adds up.

I take your point though. If you know it's an easy task, take the power away from the agent and do it yourself. Simples.

Luke P
It begs the question, "What exactly do you charge for then?".

Reply to the comment left by "Luke P" at "06/02/2016 - 12:34":

I glad you agree.
Obviously we are talking about ONE person, not the dealings of the whole agency. The agency would give a price for that one persons work, not everything else they have to do for all their other clients (that understandably would all add up), that would be completely unfair.
It is an easy task and one that, as you say, can very easily be done by any Land Lord.

Reply to the comment left by "philip allen" at "06/02/2016 - 13:05":

This is not about me.

What I'm trying to get across is for landlords to stop making assumptions. Stop doing it. You wouldn't do it in other quarters of life.

As an analogy, when you book a hotel room, the price is for the room (including towels, shampoo and the lighting). Parking is available as an extra. As is dinner/breakfast. The same goes for room service, pay TV channels, Internet, dry cleaning etc.

What do you mean Mr Hotel Manager...so you're telling me the mini bar isn't included in the price? They were only small bottles of spirits and a fun size Mars bar that I could buy from the Spar shop opposite for 1/10th of your price!

All you need to do is take control of those things you can do/don't want to pay for and you don't have a problem. Then there's nothing to worry about and nothing to moan about.

Is an expensive lawyer's advice any better than a cheap one's? Is a designer shirt vastly different to a budget shirt? The seller puts the product out there and nobody is forced one way or the other to buy.

I put it to all the previous contributors...what WOULD you expect to be considered extras? In my great experience, an awful lot is expected for 5/10/12.5%.

If the agent has protected the deposit then it is the agent who would need to amend it to show a periodic tenancy. If the agent is managing the property I would expect it to be included in the monthly charge, perhaps the agent should clarify this at the commencement of the landlord / agent relationship.

If the agent found the tenant and then it was self managed by the landlord then I think it reasonable for a nominal charge to be made to reflect the work involved.

Reply to the comment left by "Gennie Nash" at "06/02/2016 - 14:25":

Indeed. And £25, in this case, appears to be the price.

Deborah either takes it or leaves it.

Reply to the comment left by "S.E. Landlord" at "06/02/2016 - 15:00":

Much better said than I could manage.

If it is a case of 'nominal charge', I suspect £25 won't be considered nominal.