Breaking a rental agreement

[VVega]

The agent has the duty to facilitate the communication with the landlord as this is all they are - the agent to the landlord, governed by rather tight regulations.

If they don’t provide the evidence of taking the message to the landlord and the landlords response, one can at first raise a formal complaint with the agency, if the outcome is unsatisfactory then they can complain to the Ombudsman.

As everyone said, the landlord is likely to be more sympathetic than the agency, so it’s worth trying to reach them and get the agency to perform their duty.

 

[3offTheTee]

Nicky Campbell this morning 10/11 a.m.

It is on TV now BBC so available on catch up. Listen to the whole programme as there should be something thatnis relevant, probably 90% irrelevant when talking about interest rates.

 

[SocketRocket]

Your friend is probably being too thoughtful here, it would be more hassle than it’s worth for the agency to chase her up for money she doesn’t have due to the mitigating circumstances.
She should pay her last month and move out, telling them she can’t afford it anymore due to losing her partner.
Definitely looking into it too much.

I think that's her best option.
Explain she can't afford the rent due to her husband's death, tell them they can keep the deposit and then move out. I cannot see the Landlord wanting to take legal proceedings abroad.

 

[Piece]

We've been a landlord in a similar situation. Our tenants went on holiday back to Africa and the male never returned. They were still months off the break point. We decided the best for all was to search for new tenants, keep the deposit as one months rent, and let wife move on with her life without unnecessary worry and hassle on both sides.

 

[Mark1751]

When our tenants farther died during covid he went back to India, with no chance of coming back due to the restrictions his wife was left here alone. We reduced the rent by half and let her stay until she sorted out everything and went back. We’re lucky that we could afford to do it and many won’t be able to.

 

[Mudball]

update: i caught up with my friend and she is at her wits end on this. She has conflicting advice on this. There is no leniency from landlord/agency. The agents are still showing the property and there is a board outside. Apparently there were offers but landlord not interested.
She went to citizen advice and they looked at her contract, and given her notice period + the full chance that she will lose her deposit, they calculated that she will be one month and a few days off the clean finish. So landlords will be out of pocket about 2k. I am surprised that the landlords/agnets not willing to relent. esp since they know she cant afford the extra money and that she is about to leave the country.

She asked a lawyer friend and he said, that the landlord may choose to pursue a civil case against her, which might impact her ability to visit the UK in the future or her visa application. I am surprised at this too. Given that she has played with a straight bat by explaining her situation, forfeited her deposit etc etc... i am assuming a civil court will take a more sympathetic view of this. However, in the past, i have had a greedy landlord choose to pursue damages against me for carpet damage. We offered to settle, but he wanted double. He took us to small case court, only to be thrown out. So it is horses for courses.