gair rhydd
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Cardiff’s Student Weekly
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Monday 1 October 2001
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AGENCIES ACCUSED OF DOUBLE BOOKING Absent landlord causes confusion as two couples sign contracts for the same flat. by James Bladon A MAJOR BREAKDOWN in communication coupled with an absent landlord has been blamed for a property dispute between two groups of students last week. The dispute arose after two couples arrived to take over the tenancy of the same flat, both having signed contracts with separate property agents. Dave Williams, currently studying mechanical engineering at Cardiff University, along with his partner Nicola Ferris, a graduate in business administration at the University, believed they had found the perfect flat for this year. The couple agreed terms and signed a contract with Chris John & Partners in August and arrived last week to collect the keys to the flat in Riverside. Shortly after arriving at the flat in Rawden Place, however, they found another couple preparing to unload at the same address, who had also signed a contract for the same flat, but with Keylet Property. Both couples had travelled considerable distances to move into the flat – one pair from Essex, the other from Scotland – and were amazed to find each other trying to move in at exactly the same time. The confusion over which agent was ultimately responsible for the flat had arisen as a result of the landlord registering it with three different agents before departing on
a lengthy foreign holiday. Keylet’s Emma Nugent said, ‘This is the first I have ever seen anything like this happen.’ Once it became apparent that both couples were expecting to take up residence in the same property, Keylet’s clients, who we are unable to name, let themselves in to the flat and were reluctant to leave. ‘It was an unfortunate situation, but Keylet’s contract was equally as legitimate as our own,’ said Andrew Thomas, a partner at Chris John & Partners. ‘Once their clients were in the flat, we had to think about finding a new place for Nicola and Dave, in this case it is obvious possession was nine tenths of the law.’ A short-term replacement flat was found for Mr Williams and Miss Ferris, where they are staying rent free as a goodwill gesture from Chris John & Partners. Their original bond has also been refunded. Mr Thomas was amazed that fiasco had taken place. He said, ‘We knew of one other agent involved besides ourselves, whom we informed immediately that we were going to let the flat, but we had no idea that Keylet were also involved.’ Chris John & Partners received c o n fi rmation to go ahead with letting the property to Nicola and Dave via e-mail from the landlord, but were unaware that Keylet were also proceeding with efforts to let
the flat. ‘Frankly the situation was avoidable if the other agent and landlord had acted as they perhaps should,’ Mr Thomas said. Keylet stated they had no idea that any other agent was involved, and as result of the contract they had with the landlord they were entitled to, and required to, proceed with letting the property. ‘We had a duty to the landlord to let the property, and although we had difficulty contacting him directly, we had several contacts who had been instructed to act on his behalf. We were told by those parties it was okay to let the flat to our clients,’ said Key l e t ’s Emma Nugent. Ms Nugent agreed that there were lessons to be learned from the incident: ‘It was unfortunate we knew nothing of Chris John and they knew nothing of us. Hopefully all the agencies could communicate a little better to make sure this doesn’t happen again,’ she said. The situation does raise the question of how landlords are able to register the same property with more than one agent, something that has caused agencies such as Keylet and Chris John & Partners considerable frustration. Emma from Keylet voiced her concerns saying, ‘There is little we are able to do stop this sort of thing happening, some landlords are certainly guilty of playing the property agencies against each other.’ The flat’s landlord is still unavailable, and quite unaware of the problems caused in his absence. Peter Vidler of Keylet said, ‘It is
CROSSED WIRES: The two agencies that let the flat and (inset) the disputed property.
unfortunate we have received no apology from the landlord, and I am keen to have a little chat with him once he returns to Cardiff.’ Chris John & Partners have also
told Gair Rhydd that they may review policy in terms of using properties registered with more than one agency in future to avoid the same thing happening again.
DOES CARDIFF’S UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE TEAM WHUP PAXMAN? – PAGE 4