Postby FLH03 » Tue May 02, 2017 6:23 pm
Hi, I share your annoyance - I had similar, moved into a 6 month rental, had to pay a month's rent in advance, plus a 6 weeks' rent security deposit, plus admin charge of £150 per adult (for credit reference check and tenancy agreement) and inventory charge £60, all with VAT on top.
The inventory though was useful - even though rental unfurnished as it was a record of the condition of the house, and we made sure it had every scratch, picture hook, floor dent, damp patch, etc on there, as I was severely done over by a previous landlord years ago, as this had not been recorded at the outset. Please check everything on there (preferably before you move in) turn on the boiler and radiators, taps, showers etc - our white goods were supplied by the landlord, great you think, but when it came to actually using them, the tumble drier was broken no heat at all, the dishwasher - heating element doesn't work on the lower half and the washing machine is totally utterly cr*p, (it wets clothes takes the powder, but doesn't clean them or spin then properly). The drier was replaced, within a few weeks, they won't change the DW and WM until they actually break, but it all takes time, and you are only there for a short time, they have you over a barrel.
I also resent the "professional" cleaning charge, the cleaning was an average contract/agency clean not actually "professional" at all.
If I was doing it all again, I would ask the agencies for list of fees up front and hope that if I was lucky enough to be in position to negotiate between properties that I might recoup my costs through that. Actually I am not doing it again, ever, too stressful and too costly. Good luck though to you.