If the furniture is not in exactly the same place as when the tenant moved in, one agent charges £30 to put it back.
Financial website This is Money alleges that tenants in London are being ‘stung’ by letting agents.
It says they are being charged up to £420 (by Foxtons) for setting up an agreement, while Savills refused to disclose what it charged, saying that it was not their policy to discuss fees over the phone.
The website mystery-shopped nine London agents: Winkworth, Foxtons, Strutt & Parker, Hamptons, Black Katz, Knight Frank, haart, Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, and Savills.
Haart, apparently, told the mystery shopper who was inquiring about fees ‘not to worry’ as they would work something out.
The agent that charges £30 to put the furniture back to its original position was not named.
This is Money, part of the Daily Mail group, says that London ‘rental stings’ are spreading outside the capital. Certainly, the story has attracted some interesting comments.
More here:
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Comments
So what if furniture is in the wrong room? Let the tenants move it! As soon as the landlord/agent has returned it to where they want it, the new tenant will probably re-configure it to their own needs. I've certainly does this as a tenant having often taken my own furniture along as well (and I usually leave it when I move out too). As long as everything is left in good condition and working order, who are they to dictate where put my wardrobe?
Charging to put furniture back in the right place is a good idea. Dealing with inventory checks when stuffs all over the place adds a lot of time to the process. Time is after all money and someone has to pay. What do they charge per hour? It probably works out as about half an hour.
Its the big boys who get all the sh1t publicity on the telly that have big profits posted.
Methinks I may have to join them in this waggon after all I am in it for the money.
Reading LAT backwards (as I usually do) I've just posted twice in different articles defending letting agents fees against the Shelter campaign. Then I read this.
As an industry we really don't do ourselves any favours sometimes, do we?
"The agent that charges £30 to put the furniture back to its original position was not named"
This is a potential unfiar term and would probably be quashed by a court. Tenants don't realise many terms within an AST can safely be ignored.
Such sloppy reporting as always with articles like this. The landlord has to agree he wants those deductions from the deposit if the agent suggests it.
No mention of the landlord wanting that £30 to replace furniture to the original position just the agents who are the middle men?
If you are going to report something make it worth reading
Poor show by Savils not disclosing fees. Are they embarrassed?
This isn't a scandal as tenants have a choice.
What is a scandal, is the agents who get 10% 'commission' from contractors (who adds this to the bill) and then charge the landlord 10% for supervising works they aren't qualified to supervise.
In fact, some agents are getting 10% of the commission earned as its added to the Landlords bill!
Foxtons make around £500,000 every month from admin fees....
Do these fees include or exclude VAT - it makes a big difference. Sloppy reporting by the Mail
I have often got my property back with wardrobes , chest of drawers etc in different rooms. I couldn't possibly move themback to their original position by myself and why should I? As nobody's going to come help me put these back for free why shouldnt I charge what it cost me?
Isn't it funny how everyone gets tarred with the same brush.
We are transparent, reasonable and fair - yet that makes boring reading I suppose.