# I don't know what to do (mini vent)



## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

I just received an email from our letting agent

"Despite many viewings we are finding it difficult to rent out *** and we are getting negative feedback from prospective tenants, particularly about the fact that animals are being kept in the property. Although we are aware that the creatures will be going at the end of the tenancy we are in no doubt from the feedback we have received that the thier presence is seriously affecting the property's chances of being rented."

We're supposed to be moving in 2 months. I don't know what to do. We haven't got anywhere to keep them. Why would they do this to us? They didn't rent out the house to us until everyone had cleared out anyway- they've got until September. It's just so unfair.

The only option I can see right now is moving into our new house and paying double rent for the next 3 months- which I cannot afford to do.

I'd usually leave them with my Dad when I'm on holiday, but 2 months is a bit much. Plus I'm supposed to be getting these babies next Saturday, plus they're on meds. So I really need to be there for them and my Dad lives 2 hours away.

Wth am I going to do?


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

if you only have 2 months of being in the house cant you just say to them "lump it" and then when the house is empty they will just have to wait till they get new tenants in.
they can't exactly throw you out with only 2 months to go surely?


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Not really. It says in our agreement that we're not supposed to have animals, but the agent said he'd turn a blind eye since they're in cages.
Now out of nowhere he's changed his mind.
They're coming round Wednesday to inspect and make sure the animals aren't there, which just isn't enough time.


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Have they actually said that you will be evicted if the animals are there? Why is he telling people that animals are being kept there if he is supposedly "turning a blind eye"?

I would offer to take them but I'm a bit far away, sorry


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

They haven't specifically said "you will be evicted" but he's putting all the "this contravenes whatever section of the agreement" in my face, in a kind of, do it or get out way. 
He's not telling them the animals are there, it's when they come round to view the house they're supposedly being turned off by the animals.

I can't see that myself personally. Maybe if someone had 50 cats which stunk (which happened to me once) but the rats have made no difference to the house in any way. The most certainly do not smell, and they won't be there when the new tenants move in.
Personally I would not be affected by whatever animals are there when I'm viewing a house because they're the owner's animals, not the house's animals.
Plus, a couple came round recently who said they loved the rats, so I don't know where they're getting this crap from.
I'm pretty sure they do not have evidence it's the animals, but they just want rid incase. My suspicion is that what's putting them off is the fact our housemate's room is disgusting. Dirtiness would put me off a house, not animals.

And thanks for the offer anyway


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

How many are we talking about here ??

Sadly if you dont have a formall agreement to have the animals there then there isn't much you can do.

If you are in breach of your tenancy agreement then i think that means they hold all the cards. 

However, I would have thought it would have been costly and time consuming to legally evict you though so if you only have 2 months to go i would point that out to them  

Why not e mail them stating that you are unable to rehome the animals at such short notice and as they were aware that the animals were there previously it is unreasonable to expect you too move them that quickly.

I would also say

As there is such a short period left on your tenancy and you will be vacating the property in just 2 months please can you reach a compromise with regards moving forwards to a solution that suits all parties.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

oh dear that is a bit pants.
could u not take the animals in cages to the new house and pop over a few times in the day?


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

I wish.
We haven't got a new house officially sorted yet because we didn't want to pay the double rent. We're on the books, and new houses are coming and going so frequently that we were planning to start signing papers and things end of April ready for a June move-in. Plus we're moving to where I am now which is 2 hours away from our current house.
So we live in Egham for the OH's Uni, but we're moving back to Kent just before our tenancy runs out.
So even if we had the new house sorted and ready it'd be a case of properly moving in, because making the 2 hour trip in addition to the extra rent would just break me.

Rainybow I have 5 currently and I'm supposed to be picking up 3 babies next Saturday, but I'll have to see what happens to my current lot first.


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

Maltey said:


> I wish.
> We haven't got a new house officially sorted yet because we didn't want to pay the double rent. We're on the books, and new houses are coming and going so frequently that we were planning to start signing papers and things end of April ready for a June move-in. Plus we're moving to where I am now which is 2 hours away from our current house.
> So we live in Egham for the OH's Uni, but we're moving back to Kent just before our tenancy runs out.
> So even if we had the new house sorted and ready it'd be a case of properly moving in, because making the 2 hour trip in addition to the extra rent would just break me.
> ...


Personally i would cancel the babies for now (sorry ) and email the aent saying that you are unable to rehome the rats at such short notice however you are prepared to have a discussion about where in the house they could be put to minimise the impact for potential viewers. Point out they are kept clean etc (unlike the housemates room).

This at least shows you are willing to comproomise and might open up some dialogue to reach a solution.

If they are arsey just point out how expensive it is to evict someone  have a google and check out your rights on being eviccted so you are armed with facts when they visit


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## emma20 (Feb 7, 2012)

by law landlords have to give tennants 2 months notice to evict them so theres nothing they can do as you only have 2 months left


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

Has the agency conducted any formal house inspections since saying they would turn a blind eye to the animals?
How long is the notice period for your tenancy?

I used to be an agent, so I know a few of the "loop holes" :lol:


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Well they came and did viewings and didn't say a thing. Then they did a house inspection and didn't say anything, then they did another house inspection where he suddenly said what are these animals (even though he had seen them) 
Then they sent a letter saying they would turn a blind eye to it and have done more viewings since.
The next inspection is Wednesday when they said we have to have them out by. And we don't have a notice period. We signed up for a year which ends in July.
We wanted to move out this month, but when I asked what the notice period was he said you have to pay rent until July unless you can find someone to fill the gap. Which we won't- nobody wants 2 rooms in a house for 3 months.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

He sent me an email saying we could compromise and keep them in the shed.
We don't use the shed because it's dusty (bad for ratty respiratory systems), full of spiders (bad for me) and has no electricity (bad for the lizard)

That is not helpful in any way.


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

Maltey said:


> Well they came and did viewings and didn't say a thing. Then they did a house inspection and didn't say anything, then they did another house inspection where he suddenly said what are these animals (even though he had seen them)
> Then they sent a letter saying they would turn a blind eye to it and have done more viewings since.
> The next inspection is Wednesday when they said we have to have them out by. And we don't have a notice period. We signed up for a year which ends in July.
> We wanted to move out this month, but when I asked what the notice period was he said you have to pay rent until July unless you can find someone to fill the gap. Which we won't- nobody wants 2 rooms in a house for 3 months.


As they have sent you a letter saying they will turn a blind eye they no longer have a leg to stand on.
Get your copy of the letter and keep it safe, the agency have opened themselves up.

Sit tight with your fluffs at home


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

Maltey said:


> He sent me an email saying we could compromise and keep them in the shed.
> We don't use the shed because it's dusty (bad for ratty respiratory systems), full of spiders (bad for me) and has no electricity (bad for the lizard)
> 
> That is not helpful in any way.


You have no legal obligation to fulfill that compromise because of my above post


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Well you might have to use the shed unfortunately. But you could try saying that if it is affecting the viewings that much then you will either move out rent and pay no more rents asap so that he can get a new tenant quickly. Or say you will pay until the two months is up and keep the animals. He might actually let you go if he thinks the animals are the reason no ones renting.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

I think they were a bit clever with their letter.
I don't have it on me (since I'm away) but it was the results of the house inspection and it said everything else and in the comments box it said something about disappointed with the animals, please do not add anymore, even though he didn't ask how many were there. There could've been twenty for all he knew. So it doesn't officially say I can keep them.
When he came round he said "I'm sure it'll be fine", then sent that letter.
In his email he put

"As the animals are enclosed I was prepared to turn a blind eye when it was first brought to my attention, but now the landlord is asking why the house has not yet rented out, so I have no option but to ask you to ensure that all animals, tanks and cages are removed, as keeping animals in the property contravenes section 7xvii) of your tenancy agreement which states that the tenant shall "not keep or harbour any animal in the Property or any part thereof"

And to think he came into my shop to buy his wedding ring and I was prepared to give him discount.
He can shove that up his backside


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

chrisd said:


> Well you might have to use the shed unfortunately. But you could try saying that if it is affecting the viewings that much then you will either move out rent and pay no more rents asap so that he can get a new tenant quickly. Or say you will pay until the two months is up and keep the animals. He might actually let you go if he thinks the animals are the reason no ones renting.


If you read my replies the agency don't have a leg to stand on


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Chris that'd work beautifully except for one small problem-
the house is a student house, so noone will rent it until the new year in September. Nobody would take it on now, plus the other housemates would then be stuck with nowhere to live.

The day I get a full-time job and a mortgage will be the happiest day of my life.


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

Maltey said:


> I think they were a bit clever with their letter.
> I don't have it on me (since I'm away) but it was the results of the house inspection and it said everything else and in the comments box it said something about disappointed with the animals, please do not add anymore, even though he didn't ask how many were there. There could've been twenty for all he knew. So it doesn't officially say I can keep them.
> When he came round he said "I'm sure it'll be fine", then sent that letter.
> In his email he put
> ...


What you need to do when you have the letter to hand is take it down to the CAB they will be able to give you all your rights.

The agency are in the wrong here because they allowed the animals to stay in the property, they know this which is why they are begging for a compromise.
Both yourself AND the property owner could sue them for breaching the contract in the first place.

If I was you I would sit tight, you have proof that the agency breached the property owners contract


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Do you think I should email them and say but you broke the contract too by allowing them to stay here?
I think they might turn back and say yes but we were doing you a favour, we didn't have to let you keep them blah blah blah.
Do you think we are in a position to reach a compromise of just leaving the property now and moving into our new place?


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Surely this blokes job is also at risk if he is working for an agency and has blatantly said "I was prepared to turn a blind eye".

Fool.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

The worst thing right now is that my OH is away filming all day so cant have his phone on him. He doesn't know, so I can't make any decision until he gets back.

The other bad thing is being away from it all, I feel like I'm just sitting here unable to do anything.


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

Maltey said:


> Do you think I should email them and say but you broke the contract too by allowing them to stay here?
> I think they might turn back and say yes but we were doing you a favour, we didn't have to let you keep them blah blah blah.
> Do you think we are in a position to reach a compromise of just leaving the property now and moving into our new place?


No, don't contact them about the matter until you have spoken to CAB, they will be able to help you word the email so that the agency know you mean business 
Be prepared to have to fight for any deposit you left too, if they are willing to break contracts and try to bully people then I have no doubt that they will try to find any excuse to keep your deposit 

Also take your tenancy along to the CAB, I have managed to get out of a tenancy due to certain breaches (bad, bad landlord) so you will have a clearer picture of where you stand


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

chrisd said:


> Surely this blokes job is also at risk if he is working for an agency and has blatantly said "I was prepared to turn a blind eye".
> 
> Fool.


Very much so, which is why he would have sent the "compromise"


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## LynseyB (Jan 30, 2012)

What a horrible situation to be in  

I would offer to foster them for you if I was near by. Is there no-one who could help?
Have you looked on the FancyRatsForum for a possible foster home temporarily? 

Sorry I cant be of much help and I do hope you get something organised.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

I don't think it could get any worse.
The CAB is closed Thursday and Friday, both the one here and the one at our home address.


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2012)

Maltey said:


> I don't think it could get any worse.
> The CAB is closed Thursday and Friday, both the one here and the one at our home address.


Then leave it until Monday, they are in the wrong here. They can't do anything over the weekend


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

Can you put them in the shed just for the day of the visit ?
Or if the visit doesn't take long then could you put cages etc in shed and maybe i could get ratties and keep for you until visit is over and bring them back ? (I did that for a friend who was living nearby at the time )


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## Bullymastiff (May 6, 2010)

Is it just one cage of 5 then? if so do you not have a friend or neighbour who could pop them to just for viewings? its a bit of hassle but when i was renting i had to do the same, we had a dog that wasnt supposed to be there and we used to pop him out the back gate to next door when landlords came. They never found out in 18 months we had him.
and my house rabbit went to my mums for 2 weeks while we let out our last house. 

Its a shame but it does put some people off. Like you say if it was cats/dogs and people were worried about fleas etc i could see their point, but rats!? 

It really is best to sort these things formally i learnt that...my last landlord said no pets when we moved in but i asked for a dog after a couple of months and he agreed with extra deposit and put it all in writing. its much less stressful! :scared:


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## Crittery (May 2, 2011)

Have you had a thorough read of your contract? What is the wording used about pets? when I rented the agency got aggressive over a pair of gerbils, and I had to point out to them that it didn't explicitly state any problem with pets in our contract so tough, we were keeping them.

If I remember correctly, they are legally obliged to give you decent notice for any viewings - I know this rarely works in practice, but it is worth pointing out and saying that you are prepared to place the rats in the shed for the duration of the visit if given the xxx hours/days warning you are legally entitled to under the terms of your contract.

Personally I'd read through the contract in depth, quote specific sections to back up any statements and look up your rights regarding notice periods for evictions (IF your contract specifically states no pets). With two months to go you should be able to fight it, I think agencies tend to bully people and try to get away with a lot of things they aren't allowed to do. 

How long have you been renting? The tenancy deposit scheme came in 2007 from the look of it so you shouldn't need to worry about problems with that.

If you do have problems I have some friends who work in rodent rescue so can put you in touch with them to see about short-term fosters - although I see tagalong is kindly offering help with that


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

yes I'm local and can collect and keep them for the time of the inspection and take them back  if it helps


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

It states in our contract "the tenant shall not keep or harbour any animal in the Property or any part thereof"

They're pretty good about telling us about viewings. They always give us 24 hours notice.

That's a very kind offer tagalong, I appreciate it.
Unfortunately the cage has to be dismantled to fit through the door and they're doing viewings 3 or 4 times a week. We need to find a more permanent solution.

I am considering fostering. Although I'd miss them something terrible at least I don't have to get rid of them.

I haven't spoken to the OH yet so we'll see what he says.

ETA: What I should point out is that I know it's not the animals. They had difficulty renting last year when we took the property. It's not as attractively furnished or priced compared to others in the area. We only took it as it was our last choice after we got abandoned by our housemate (he went to Australia) and were in a bit of a rush. So the difficulty in letting it has always been there.


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

sadly i just don't have room to foster a cage of 5 or more -my 4 bed home has residents all over the place -otherwise i'd help you -sorry


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks for your offer anyhow 

I came to realise that the Landlord doesn't know about the animals- only the letting agent. He has broken the contract and the landlord's trust by allowing us to keep them there without asking him. So I sent him an email asking to get hold of the landlord's contact details and I would take the matter up with him.
I already have the landlord's contact details, but I'm hoping he will see this as him having no option but to allow us to keep them since he's in the wrong too.
I feel like even if the landlord says we're not allowed them then it makes no difference since we have to move them anyway.
So this is what I wrote:

Keeping them in the shed is not an option. Firstly the bearded dragon requires a UV light and a temperature bulb to be monitored by a thermostat at all times. Secondly, it is too cold to keep the rats out there without adequate heating. Thirdly, even if we could provide power to the shed, rats have very sensitive respiratory systems and the amount of dust in the shed would aggravate the Upper Respiratory Infections they already have and could develop into pneumonia- a silent killer for rats which is rarely treatable.
I do not believe the animals are the cause of the problems. If you remember you also had problems renting out the house last year and didn't rent out the last room until September. I believe this is due to outdated furnishings- for example the sofas.
If you truly believe this is the cause then can you please forward me the landlord's contact details and I will take this up with him myself.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Brilliant reply :thumbup:

Firstly it will show that you take great care in your animals so highly unlikely you leave them smelly/dirty etc. And secondly that you are deadly serious and not going without a fight.
I hope you get this sorted out.

Even if the landlord says you have to move the rats, he is going to be taking up wuth the agent why did he break the contract to let you keep the animals in there.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

Exactly.
I feel like it won't make us worse off because he'll only say get rid of them- which the letting agent already has. 
And that's what I thought too, try and get some info in there to show that I haven't just gone out and bought some rats on a whim. I mean their cage should show that anyway- everyone who's come round has been impressed with the cage decor, that's why I don't think they're the problem, but I'm keeping that one in the bank incase I need another point to argue.


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

So he replied and said "your landlord does not wish to discuss this further and requests you honour the tenancy agreement you have signed"

I'm getting the feeling the landlord doesn't know. So do I email him back and call his bluff saying I don't think you've told the Landlord, or do I just phone the landlord and ask him myself now?


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

call his bluff i would lol


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## LynseyB (Jan 30, 2012)

Maltey said:


> So he replied and said "your landlord does not wish to discuss this further and requests you honour the tenancy agreement you have signed"
> 
> I'm getting the feeling the landlord doesn't know. So do I email him back and call his bluff saying I don't think you've told the Landlord, or do I just phone the landlord and ask him myself now?


Oh my...this is getting gritty  I think you're doing absolutely the right thing.

Keep us updated!!


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## SandynPatchesMum (Mar 15, 2012)

Bullymastiff said:


> Is it just one cage of 5 then? if so do you not have a friend or neighbour who could pop them to just for viewings? :


This sounds like the least hassle..although it will be a hassle...but an easier one! if you know what i mean!


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

We can't really do that unfortunately a) because the cage has to be dismantled to fit through the door b) because I'm not there during the day and c) because we don't know our neighbours!


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## SandynPatchesMum (Mar 15, 2012)

I'd posted that last one before I'd read to the end...your idea of calling his bluff re the land lord looks a good one....why won't he give you the land lords details....hhmmm....he was in the wrong himself...'burk'..does it not give any indication of who the land lord might be on any of the paperwork? There must be a way to find out? oooohhhh bit of detective work coming on!


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2012)

I've had an idea 


When I had pets in a house that didn't allow pets I used to cover the enclosures so that the fluffs weren't visible.

Not that you should have to do this because the agent messed up and they know it, but is there anyway you can cover the cage with a curtain or something during visits?


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## SandynPatchesMum (Mar 15, 2012)

I found this piece of info below. Which might be helpful.

http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/landlord's_address.htmd

"_Some landlords prefer to deal through agents and remain anonymous as far as their tenants are concerned. However, under the provisions of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, tenants of dwellings in England & Wales, who make a written request to an agent, have a right to the landlord's name and address.

This information must be supplied within 21 days. The legislation refers only to the landlord's name and address, not his telephone number or any other form of contact details."_

If that holds out for 21 days that'll keep you going for a bit. Plus if he does give you the land lords details you can contact him direct and know the truth as well as putting across the whole story.


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