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zeroless
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 33
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 Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:31 pm Post subject: I need an advice : move in sign the contract and stay or ... |
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hi guys ,
im movin' to london in a month and i needed some advice , first of all which one is normal :
+ flying to london signing the contract and staying in the flat right away or
+ flying to london , signing the contract , flying back , and finally coming back in a week to stay ?
which one is normal ? btw when im talking bout normal i mean what do most people do , id prefer the first one so that i wont need to pay double for the journeys .
the other one is that : some advice on signing the contract not through a house angecy , person 2 person , i looked up gumtree but didnt find anything related ? is there anything i have to be aware of prepared for anything special ? |
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weeowen
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1226
Location: Someplace sharp.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:36 pm Post subject: Re: I need an advice : move in sign the contract and stay or |
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| zeroless wrote: | | ... is there anything i have to be aware of prepared for anything special ? |
What ever you do, do not ever pay any money via Western Union, or Money Gram.
Also, be catious of renting a property by yourself, where the viewing is arranged direct with the landlord - another (not as common) scam, where the person showing you the property does not actually own it, and may simply be someone with an old key. |
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zeroless
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 33
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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| another question i had : is there any safety steps i have to take towards signing the contract , for ex what kind of receipt i have to accept in order to give away the money ? |
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zeroless
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 33
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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| thx weeoven , but what should i exactly do for the situation where : "Also, be catious of renting a property by yourself, where the viewing is arranged direct with the landlord" |
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weeowen
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1226
Location: Someplace sharp.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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| zeroless wrote: | | another question i had : is there any safety steps i have to take towards signing the contract , for ex what kind of receipt i have to accept in order to give away the money ? |
Are you planning on renting on your own?
Going via a real-estate agent might be the best bet there (as long as they are reputable, and members of industry bodies). If you are flat-sharing, you're less likely to run into scams (although basic being screwed around is still possible!) |
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zeroless
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 33
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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| yeah im going for flat sharing and not via an agency ! probably theyd charge too much ! id want to prevent that , but still is there anything for example if i ask the landlord for id how do i know its not fake , is there anything i have to ask for , like tricky question which i would understand everythin i legit ? |
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weeowen
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1226
Location: Someplace sharp.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| If it's an exisiting flat-share, and you are simply replacing an outgoing person, I think it'd be the hardest situation to scam someone. The biggest issue there would be the interaction with your fellow house-mates. In realtion to the "on your own" comment, I was refering to the rare-ish (but present) scam of people like the guy currently posting today, of people purporting to rent a flat, but actually having no right to do so - and pocketing the deposit in the process. |
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zeroless
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 33
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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oh right , ok thanks alot , thank you very much for your help  i wish i wont run into any problems 
have a good day |
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Cov
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 2131
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: I need an advice : move in sign the contract and stay or |
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| zeroless wrote: | hi guys ,
im movin' to london in a month and i needed some advice , first of all which one is normal :
+ flying to london signing the contract and staying in the flat, getting screwed forwards & backwards, finding that the landlord does not payback the deposit, fly back to the country where I come from, regret to have ever come to London
+staying where I am
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weeowen
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1226
Location: Someplace sharp.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: I need an advice : move in sign the contract and stay or |
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| Cov wrote: | | ... finding that the landlord does not payback the deposit ... |
Ah, Cov, this is not legal, and is slam-dunk in the courts. You could take the landlord to court, for a minimal charge, and get back three times the deposit - and pay for a nice holiday. |
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Cov
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 2131
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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Ah, weeowen, this happen so many times a day and you have no idea of how many tenants are being cheated by their deposits. The landlords find all kinds of silly reasons to keep it. That is a hard and dirty fight to get either nothing or only a fraction back at the end because the tenants are in the disadvantaged position.
And by the way, the landlords are not stupid. When I was looking around for new accommodation recently, I noticed that they always find a way around the deposit. One said he doesn't take any deposit at all !! ... great I thought, but he takes TWO MONTHS rent in advance. For the 1st month and for the last month of the tenancy.
You see, it's deposit but he doesn't call it deposit.
There're many examples how to bypass the law. And if it comes to money, there's no fairness ... not in London. |
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weeowen
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 1226
Location: Someplace sharp.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Cov wrote: | Ah, weeowen, this happen so many times a day and you have no idea of how many tenants are being cheated by their deposits. The landlords find all kinds of silly reasons to keep it. That is a hard and dirty fight to get either nothing or only a fraction back at the end because the tenants are in the disadvantaged position.
And by the way, the landlords are not stupid. When I was looking around for new accommodation recently, I noticed that they always find a way around the deposit. One said he doesn't take any deposit at all !! ... great I thought, but he takes TWO MONTHS rent in advance. For the 1st month and for the last month of the tenancy.
You see, it's deposit but he doesn't call it deposit.
There're many examples how to bypass the law. And if it comes to money, there's no fairness ... not in London. |
If he takes two months rent in advance, and this being the first and last months, then when you come to leave, you've paid the last month already ... and thus, there is no money left over at the end of the contract. Should you leave early for any reason, the "last month" rent is technically not used, and should be refunded. To not do otherwise would be in breach of contract, to which a small claims court judgement could be obtained. Simple, and the landlord will lose. I don't see the angle here, other than trying to pull the wool over the eyes of people who don't know their rights, and if they don't look to learn them, deserve no better.
As for the dispute process?
http://www.hambleton.gov.uk/benefits/housing/bonds.htm
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/paying_for_a_home/tenancy_deposits/deposit_protection_schemes#7
seems pretty good to me - can't see any legal way a landlord can withold a deposit with no good reason. |
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