London renting has gone insane. I didn't think it could get this bad
Been messaging this company about a room – they asked me for a week’s rent as a “holding deposit,” then turned around, called me by the wrong name, and said someone else had already paid. First it was £950 for Room 1, then suddenly Room 2 was “available at £900,” then when I said I’d take it, they came back saying someone else had offered £975 and that Room 1 was available again.
Basically just stringing me along, moving prices up, and trying to pressure me into sending money fast.
” Feels like the whole rental scene here is nothing but games, fake bidding wars, and dodgy agents, never mind the scammers!
Honestly, the London housing market is broken – you can’t even try to rent a simple room without being treated like a mug!
by evoranger2018
38 comments
“Room 1” 🤢
Makes it seem like a prison
Near miss, given the location between Finsbury Park and Wood Green
Name the agent please
Ts is ridiculous, I would understand if it was a villa somewhere on the island, but it’s a flipping room in London
Rent bidding should be illegal
there should never been “offers” within renting. really crazy
Hopefully that renters bill comes soon to end this bidding nonsense.
They always rush you, “my colleague has other client ready to put deposit”, yet if you get back to them a week later it’s still available.
I feel like estate bros are always named Max
Edit: nvm. OP is named Max. I am dumb, but I’m also right.
It’s seemingly very tough in the rental market right now.
Earlier this week I went to view a one bedroom property, I did the application and they asked me to pay a holding deposit, which I did.
A few hours later they reply saying the landlord declined my application because they want to live in the property themselves. Needless to say the property is still alive and well on their website/Rightmove and I am waiting for my deposit to be refunded…
Recently had a situation in which the owner wanted to personally meet and interview me and partner to rent a 2 bed. All seemed fine, liked us, verbally agreed to proceed. Then she apparently got a higher offer and backtracked, apologetic, but really sucked for us.
It should get better soon! The Renters’ Rights Bill will soon become law and will ban bidding wars. I encourage you to read about it if you’re trying to rent right now: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-bill/guide-to-the-renters-rights-bill
The lack of transparency from agents regarding the bill is criminal, they’re really trying to be as sketchy as they can before it becomes law.
I’ve dealt with this agency before – messed me around on viewing times, told me someone else had put an offer in but I should come to view anyway, listed the same place at different prices across Rightmove and SpareRoom… however nice the room was, I don’t think it would’ve been worth your hassle dealing with this agency
Total scumbags, everyone is out for themselves and to screw everybody sideways in the process…
To be fair, if you own the building you would want the highest price you could get
Estate agents always so dodgy in London, I remember when I was renting they made me pay slightly above asking due to “some one “ else bidding. Also they are like recruiters get so offended when you no longer need their service or don’t want them anymore. When I had one who could not sell my house for anywhere near what they promised could not handle it when I went to another agent.
Whats the point of a holding deposit if it doesn’t hold the flat?
Rent a room: spare room
Rent the entire house : right move
Shit loads of agents r dodgy af
Welcome to London
Estate agents do this often, they pretend that there’s a bid and ask you to bid higher than that. Don’t give in and say you’re not happy about it. See if that changes their mind. If not then go somewhere else.
These agents sound like scumbags, but ultimately all of this comes down to unbridled greed on the part of landlords: they’re the ones hiring agents, paying them commission and incentivising them to act like this.
There’s literally no moral justification for exploiting other people’s need for housing in order to maximise your own wealth, and the sooner we all accept that the better. You certainly can’t sort out London’s housing crisis without making a lot of commercial landlords poorer (which would, let’s be clear, be an excellent and overdue thing)
Sorry you’ve have to deal with these dickheads and hope you find somewhere soon.
Estate agents in London from my experience don’t have any class
What part of London?
Hot take: this is the case for London. It’s bad, but it’s standard practice – if you go and see a room and like it, have the money ready. You get the holding deposit (weeks rent) back in the sense of cheaper first month rent, the money doesn’t dissapear.
tl;dr – if you go and see a room, don’t mess around, have the money ready. This is nothing outrageous and is standard practice for London.
Sorry, but how is this evidence of getting worse? Someone just beat you to the punch. Am I missing something here?
I hate (HATE) our approach to houses, living and accommodation. The Kirstie Allsopp’s of this world have a lot to answer for.
The rental market is a wild wild west and needs regulation.
Bidding should be illegal
As someone who may be doing this very soon, this post makes me very nervous indeed
On the meantime lets go to Trafalgar square to march against I dont know what , because we cant cope anymore.
On the meantime wealthy people making profit of us , fueling media for racism , promoting fascism.
Wake up people
Hm. This seems illegal. Pacta sunt servanda: deals should be kept, even if it’s only verbal or informal written agreements. You might have legal precedence here.
Christ, £975 for a room in a 4 bed (or more) house share is mad. At what point does everyone crack?
There’s just something about them….
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGm267O04a8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGm267O04a8)
Also landlord.
Aka scums
The Google reviews for the business look fake. I recently left London after 20 years as I’d had enough.
It’s been shite for a while, especially post covid. It’s what happens when you let landlords and estate agents run riot with the market unregulated.
Reading that 1st message makes my head hurt…don’t be renting or dealing with agencies writing that sloppy mess, it’s unlikely to get better!
It was the same 10 years ago when I was looking for a rental.
The glass half-full view on this is that multiple agents were marketing the property, and his colleague closed it before he could – blame it on parallel conversations.
The glass half-empty view (and the most likely) was that it was already spoken for when he showed it to you, and his intention was always to try and push you towards the other two rooms, while trying to get you to pay more than the asking price.
What crack are you smoking to rent 1 room in a shared house for 900 a fucking week?
To quote Robert Downey Jr. (Cause this perfectly describes landlords and estate agents like this)
“This is the most obnoxious group of money hungry, low IQ, high energy, jack rabbit, fuckin’ wannabe big-time, small-time, shit-talkin’, bothersome irritating bunch of motherfuckers I have ever had to endure for more than five minutes.”
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